Remember when Rob asked me to make him a manly candle? Well, that jump-started me back into candlemaking, and I made a batch of Amaretto and Coke candles last night. I ended up taking one of them to work with me, and quizzing my co-workers about what alcoholic beverage they thought it smelled like. Now I suddenly have major interest in my little enterprise — well, four potential buyers, anyway, and at least one person who might just buy a crapload of candles from me as Christmas gifts. Considering I’ve only ever sold one pack of tealights and one candle, that’s major interest.
Now I have to decide: do I gear up for a big run, and potentially have a bunch of candles and containers and scents and packaging material that might just end up taking up space; or do I keep my operation on the down-low, and only make custom candles as requested, keeping my inventory of premade candles at a minimum?
I’ve already decided that I want to SQL-ify my candle website, making it more easily updateable as I sell candles and as I get new fragrance and container inventory. Not redoing the design, just managing the content.
I guess the big question is, do I ramp up my production, at least of sample tealights? I’m saying that’s a yes. On the samples, I mean. Samples are good. Also, do I wait and see which of my current scents sell, and just focus on those, or do I branch out and get even more scents for diversity’s sake?
I don’t really expect answers from the peanut gallery — I’m just asking them to give myself something to think about, I guess. If you have any pearls of wisdom, though, I’ll gladly take them.
I do have a request, though. Name me off some mixed drinks that would smell good as a candle. Ones that I’ve already thought of:
- Amaretto Sour
- Amaretto and Coke
- Cosmopolitan (Cranberry, Orange & Lime)
- Sex on the Beach (Cranberry, Orange, Pineapple & Peach)
- B-52 (Kahlua & Bailey’s Irish Cream)
Any other ideas?
Update, 10/22/06: Additional ideas from my friends/readers:
- Mojito (Lime, Mint, Rum)
I have on order Lime, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Creme, and Bay Rum fragrances. I already have Amaretto and Cranberry and Coffee and Spearmint on hand. If I can come up with a way to make a White Russian (Mary) or a Jäger Monster (Fries), I’d definitely be up for those. For now, I think I’m going to focus on drinks that are a.) fruity or b.) include Kahlua.
Damn — now I’m going to have to do some “field research” to discover new candle scents… 😉
mojitos!
mint and lime! (and rum, and not spiced rum, just plain rum but i dunno if you can make “plain rum scent” 😀 )
also my favorite candle scent EVAR is white barn candle company’s black raspberry vanilla – which you might be able to pull of with strawberry and vanilla. it smells like strawberries anyway.
Steer clear of “Bloody Mary” and “Dead Nazi”
Well I for one would be impressed if you could get Jaegermeister as a smell. Of course if I burned it I’d want a shot. I’ll second the “Dead Nazi” from Gairtza…I remember lots of weekends starting with those. Burning rubber and oil smell for the NASCAR fan.
If you can make a White Russian.
you could make a jaeger bomb by getting black licorice and something horribly fake raspberry flavored 😀
or just put the black licorice cent in it and call it ouzo 😀
what else what else..
Do they make beer scented candles?