Candles
Candlemaking is growing rapidly in popularity, in some instances as a pure hobby, but also in many cases as a money-making business. There are examples of people who started to produce hand-made candles on a limited basis and developed their hobby into a mass-production business in a year or two.You will find several good books on candlemaking in the public libraries. The Cape May Country Store, Cape May, New Jersey, has two excellent booklets on the subject which will be sent to you without charge on request. These two booklets, a couple of dollars for supplies, and a few necessary tools can put you in business.
Candles of unusual design or coloring are most sought after for decorative purposes: a Santa Claus for Christmas, a turkey for Thanksgiving, a firecracker for the Fourth of July, a heart for Saint Valentine's Day, and so on. Such candles are made with molds, which can be picked up at antique shops, or sometimes at country auctions, and at many crafts and hobby shops.
The hobby shops will also sell you coloring materials for candles as well as essences that give off fragrance while a candle burns.
If you are not interested in candlemaking as a business, you can still enjoy the opportunities it gives you to achieve unusual decorative effects in your home. Hand-made candles also make wonderful gifts for friends, because there is an individuality about them that sets them apart from any present you might buy at considerably higher cost.
August 28, 2008