Ever Dreamed of Making Your Own Candle? THIS Store Makes It Possible

I'm a candle fanatic. Whenever I'm at home I have at least three burning all at once—what can I say, I love the way they make me feel. ????

Although I'm a fan of candle shopping, sometimes I just can't find the exact scent I'm seeking.

I've always dreamed of being able to concoct my own personalized scent to fit all my aroma needs, but I didn't think that was actually possible until I stumbled upon Stone Candle Bar in Santa Monica, California.

On a weekly basis, the store offers classes where a candle making wiz teaches students how to create their own customized scent. You better believe I signed up for the first class available .

Curious to see how a candle is made from start to finish? Scroll below to read about my fragrant and fantastic experience.

Upon arriving at Stone Candle Bar, I was instantly shocked and amazed by the plethora of colorful candles this place had to offer.

They had virtually every candle scent under the sun—I'd call this place a candle-lover's paradise.

I was soon greeted by Sophie, my instructor for the day. She walked me over to my supply station and explained how and when I'd be using each piece of equipment. To assemble my candle I was going to need the following items:

-A chic, modern black glass to hold the candle

-A small cylinder tin for measuring my selected aroma

-A stirring stick

-A wick

-A utensil to hold the wick in place 

After checking out my supplies for the day, Sophie set me free in the store to check out their scent selection and decide on one or two fragrances I wanted to blend together to create my customized candle.

This was by far the toughest part of they day, considering this spot has endless amounts of scents to choose from, including mild scents like vanilla bean and crushed mint, to quirky scents like peanut butter and pumpkin pie.

I decided on two pre-mixed scents: grapefruit acai and white tea ginger root. I had a feeling the combination would be divine.

I filled up the small cylinder tin with my two scents and mixed them together for the perfect aroma.

Sophie explained that the next step of the process was critical to the appearance of the candle: setting the wick in place.

Sophie provided me with a double-sided circular sticker to place on the bottom of the wick and then had me place it in the center of the black candle jar. I used the provided black utensil to make sure the wick was aligned in the center and sticking straight up.

Next up, was the fun part—pouring the coconut candle wax we'd be using to create the actual candle.

Sophie explained that the coconut wax has to be poured at exactly 180° for optimal candle firmness and coloring.

Here I am pouring the candle and trying my hardest not to get burnt.

Now that I had my wax ready to go, I headed back over to my supply station and was given the option to add coloring. Of course I said yes, and opted for a Sweety High appropriate hue: pink!

A drop of dye later, I was ready to pour my cylinder tin of scent into the mix.

Next, I stirred that baby up and crossed my fingers the candle would turn out at gorgeous as I expected.

Now that the mixture was ready to go, it was time to finally pour it into its glass jar. Success.

The final step before letting the candle set was cutting the candle wick. It took complete focus and dedication to complete this task as you can see from the picture below. ????

Because I was limited on time, Sophie then took my candle and placed it in a giant freezer where it would set and dry.

During that time I was provided with coloring utensils and stickers to make my very own candle label—how fun is that?!

I decided to name my customized candle "Sweet Dreams"—again, how very Sweety High of me!

Thirty minutes of freezer time later, and the candle was almost ready.

The final step was setting the candle with a torch heated up to 800°. This step is critical because the torch makes the top of the candle smooth and sleek and also releases the fragrance.

Luckily for me, my final product smelled absolutely amazing! The grapefruit acai and white tea ginger blended perfectly to create a beachy-fruity scent that has me obsessed. You better believe I'll burn this thing all the way through. 

I finished off my class by showcasing my beautiful new candle which I got to hand-wrap and tie up with a bow.

Overall, this experience is one that I will never forget and that I truly hope I get to experience again with my closest friends. Whether you love candles, love DIY projects or just love trying new things, I'd definitely recommend taking a candle making class at Stone Candle Bar. Each class is $58, but if you call ahead of time and mention this post, you get a half off discount. ????

Not only will you learn a new skill, you'll walk away with a beautiful and deliciously fragrant present for yourself. A win-win situation.

 

If you love candles even half as much as I do, you'll probably want to head over HERE and see which Yankee Candle suits you best based on your zodiac sign.