selling candles from home
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Selling Candles From Home In 12 Steps (Secret Guide!)

Does the thought of selling candles from home as a side hustle cross your mind? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t but here’s why you should.

 Did you know that, according to the National Candle Association,  $3.2 billion dollars are spent on candles annually? 

That is the sound of lots of cash flowing into your bank account if you decide to start selling candles from home.

 Not sure where to start or thinking ways on how to make candles to sell? Lucky for you, I’ve written the ultimate guide on how to start selling candles from home. 

You’ll learn:

  •  why make and sell homemade candles
  •  how to set up your own candle making business
  • where to sell them and
  • how to make them.

Psst -Stick around until the end to get some tips to help you succeed.

Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.

Selling Candles From Home

STEP 1- Identify Target Audience

STEP 2 – Build Your Brand

STEP 3 – Name Your Candle Company

STEP 4 – Determine Your Product Line

STEP 5 – Write A Business Plan

STEP 6 – Think about Packaging

STEP 7 – Source Materials and Equipment

STEP 8 – Price Your Product

STEP 9 – Choose How and Where To Sell Your Candles

STEP 10 – Register Your Business

STEP 11 – Make Your Candles

STEP 12 – Market Your Candle Business

Why Make And Sell Homemade Candles?

Homemade candles are becoming widely used in home décor items, from spas and massages using scented candles for soothing effects to restaurants, using candles to create aromatic environments for customers and homes for relaxation purposes.

Hence, this is a great side hustle for anyone who is a bit crafty.

This concludes that candles can be used for various purposes from creating an aromatic environment to relaxation purposes and also as home décor. How versatile can a candle be?

According to Google Trends, the top 3 searches for homemade candles are in the US, Australia, and the UK. To all candle makers looking to find a market for their DIY products, this can be helpful.

Selling Candles From Home

As we all know candles are purchased at about the same rate across all income levels, among all ethnicities, and at all educational levels, making them both recession-proof and popular all year round.

Besides that, there are several other benefits on why you should start your selling homemade candles. Be ready to be mind-blown! Those benefits are as below: 

Low-cost entry – There’s no doubt that some homemade candle varieties require pricier materials than others, but in general, making candles requires very little cash to start.

Besides, you do not need to pay rent! You can make candles from the comfort of your own home!

Easy to sell everywhere – You can sell your homemade candles almost everywhere. You can sell it online or offline.

It all depends on how you promote them and find the right channel that fits your goals.

Scalable craft to learn – It doesn’t matter if you are a DIY master or a newbie, the formula to create homemade candles is easy to follow.

Easy to customize – With so many types and scents available, it’s easy to personalize your candles and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Selling Candles From Home

How to Start a Candle Making Business

Now, you’re a master at making candles and you’ve got all these amazing smelly pots of wax ready to go.

 You want to start you selling candles from home but you’re not sure where to start. If that sounds about right, follow these simple steps to set up your candle making business:

1.Who Is Your Target Audience?

The first thing you have to ask yourself is, “who is your target audience?” There are heaps of different candles out there and each of them have their own target market. 

We’ll talk about some of those candles later but before you establish your candle business, you need to figure out who your target audience for candles is.

Some popular and common categories include:

  • Eco-friendly candles
  • High-end candles
  • Strong scented candles
  • Decorative candles
  • Inexpensive candles

2.Build Your Brand

The second step in starting a candle-making business is building a brand. It is one of the crucial parts that need to be done before starting a candle business.

Having a good brand allows you to build relationship with your audience, which can eventually turn them into loyal customers.

Let’s look at three ways you can stand out in the candle market.

1.Having a unique and interesting fragrance blends 

The most important buying factor is fragrance. By developing a new blend with interesting fragrances, you will definitely stand out in the candle market.

2.Brand story

A brand story is the fastest way to connect to your buyers. Your brand story needs to activate emotions and communicate values. But most importantly it must be honest.

It’s the foundation on which your mission, message, and voice are built. 

Tips: To find your story, ask yourself:

  • Why am I making candles?
  • Who am I making candles for?
  • What impact do I want to have on them?
  • What impact do I want to make on the world?

3.Name Your Candle Company

Have you noticed that many candle companies have the word ‘candle’ in their name? Yankee Candle, Pretty Honest Candles, Harlem Candle Company, and so on. 

You could veer in that direction and do something similar or you could come up with something new altogether.

Coming up with a name for your company is the most critical and challenging step. There are zero guidelines to go by but I say stick with something easy, unique, and memorable.

4.Determine Your Product Line

You have your audience, you’ve chosen a fabulous name, now you have to determine your product line. Will you be selling one candle? Do you have a signature scent? What’s the theme? Have you got ideas for packaging? 

This is the time to start thinking about these things and making decisions. If you want to start out small, you can build an initial product line of 5 to 10 scents. 

Take the season into consideration too. If you’re thinking of launching your business in fall, you may want to have some warm, autumn themed scents. 

Here are some examples of scents you can incorporate into your candles based on the season:

Fall Scents:

  • Pumpkin
  • Cinnamon
  • Apple
  • Cranberry

Or mix them up a bit and create your own combinations:

  • Apple & cinnamon
  • Orange & clove

Winter Scents:

  • Pine
  • Gingerbread
  • Cinnamon
  • Peppermint

Spring and Summer Scents:

  • Cotton
  • Citrus
  • Linen
  • Floral
  • Musk

5.Write A Business Plan

For your homemade candle business to be successful, you will need a business plan. A business plan will help you to have a clearer picture on how to execute your business.

It helps define your strategy, pinpoint challenges, understand what resources you need, how to get your resources, the goal of your business, and analyze your business idea before the launch. 

You need to ask yourself the following questions when doing business plan:

  • What is the end goal for my brand?
  • Who are my direct competitors?
  • Do I want to be sold in retail outlets? Or do I want to start an ecommerce store and sell directly to my customers? 

6.Think about Packaging

If you’re an artist or creative, then this is the time to put those skills to use and develop your packaging. If not, you can partner with graphic designers to help create labels for your candle containers or jars.

Looking to save money and keep production costs low? You can look for printables on Etsy and do it yourself or search the web for templates and design your own labels.

Companies like DesignEvo let you create logos and packaging for free.

7.Source Materials and Equipment

If you already have this sorted then kudos to you. But if you haven’t, this is the time to source the items and materials you’ll need to start your candle making business. 

You could buy everything online or source your materials locally. This could end up being cheaper. When you factor in delivery costs and tax, buying items in bulk saves a lot more money compared to making small purchases.

8.Price Your Product

How much is too much? What’s too low? You’ll need to determine a price point for your product based on your target audience and the cost of production.

If your target audience is in the luxury candle category, the average cost is $40 or more for each candle. 

However, the price range for the eco-friendly market is somewhere between $15-$25 if you do a good job at explaining your product value. I.e. how it benefits the environment or how the materials are vegan.

Mid market candles can be priced at $10-$15 but if you’re looking to target people who want candles for cheap prices, you’ll want to set your price point below $5 to $8 per candle. Keep it lower than $10.

Still not sure how to price your candles?

Candle Science has an in-depth article entitled, “How To Price Your Candles,” that talks about costs, explains the math, and even has a ratio to abide by. 

9.Choose How and Where To Sell Your Candles

All these candles but where to sell them? Should I be selling candles on Amazon or Etsy? You may be tempted to wing it for this step but think about your audience before you choose your channel of distribution. 

For instance, people who want to purchase high-end candles might shop online or visit high-end retailers for their luxury candles.

People looking to get scented candles for a cheap price may shop on sites like eBay or Amazon. 

The best way to sell candles is to follow the trail of your target audience.

Below are a few channels of distribution for you to consider

10.Register Your Business

This is a crucial step. It is the moment you set up your company! 

Depending on which country or state you plan to operate in, you’ll need to register your business and make it official. 

11.Make Your Candles

On to the fun part, start making those fabulous candles (with your target audience in mind of course). It’s time to get melting, mixing, labelling, and packaging. 

12.Market Your Candle Business

What makes your candles stand out? I’m not telling you this to discourage you but there are thousands of candle marketers out there. Identify the unique characteristics of your product and use that to set yourself apart from the competition.

That’s one aspect of this part. The other is method. Which mediums will you utilize to advertise and promote your business?

Tip: Match your target audience with the correct channel. Look at channels like social media marketing, pay per click advertising, and even flyers or direct mail advertising.

Test out several candle-making marketing channel mediums and see which one suits your audience and yields the best results.

You could also get traffic to your candle website with Pinterest or by learning SEO.

I have used both to get over 80,000 visitors to this website a month. Both methods are VERY effective! 

Here is a reasonably priced Pinterest course that teaches you all about getting traffic from Pinterest. Best Pinterest course I have ever taken actually! 

And here is an SEO training that will turn you into a search engine optimization pro!

How to Make Candles From Home 

So, I’m guessing you’re here because you want to sell candles from home. 

Now the question is, how do you make candles from home? It’s actually pretty easy. Here’s what you need to do to make your first ever candle from scratch

The process doesn’t require immense knowledge, training, or preparation to get started but it’s important to follow the steps for making your candles as closely as possible. 

This is to prevent burning wax or ruining your candles.

1. Source Your Materials

Before you get started, you will need to purchase all your supplies. 

You will need wax, wicks, containers for your candles, fragrances and essential oils, spatulas, super glue and anything you may want to use to brand your candles, like printed labels or custom-made jar labels.

Tips: Buy in bulk to save extra money!

2. Measure The Wax

First you need to measure your wax to fit the container you plan to put it in. 

3. Melt The Wax

Paraffin waxes need to be heated to around 185° F before adding fragrance. Soy waxes however, vary slightly. For the exact temperature, consult the instructions that come with your purchased wax.

Important note: Do not place the wax directly on an open flame. Place the wax in a melting pot or double boiler.

4. Add A Fragrance

Once your wax has completely melted, you can now add the fragrance oil and stir until completely dissolved. This should take roughly 30 seconds.

5. Add Dye (optional)

If you’re planning to add some color to your candle, this is the time to do it. 

6. Attach The Wick

Before pouring the wax into the container, you have to make sure the wick is secured to it. Make sure to secure the wick at the center -if it strays from the center, the candle won’t burn properly. 

7. Let The Wax Cool

Wait for your wax to cool down a bit before you pour it into the container or jar – it should be around 135° F when pouring.

8. Pour The Wax

Once the wax has cooled a bit, pour it into the container. 

Tip: Save a bit of wax in the pot for later use. Candles tend to get a sinkhole at the center -you can use the extra wax to fill up.

9. Let It Cool

Let the candle sit for a couple of hours. Once it’s cold, you can fix whatever deformities you notice. Remember that extra wax you saved earlier? This is the right time to use it.

10. Trim The Wick

After your candle has cooled completely, trim the wick. Leave about 0.25 inches of wick above the wax.

11. Add Your Labels

The final step! Add in your cute label. The label will state the scent of the candle and a cute little message for your customers.

Tips: Another important thing to include is a candle safety sticker. These will ensure your candles comply with any local laws.

12. Store Your Candles

Do not store your candles in hot temperatures for extended periods of time. It is best to store them in a cool and dark location.

13. Light Your Candle

Tada, you’re done. All you have to do is light your candle and let the aroma engulf your home like a warm calming hug.

Selling Candles From Home

How Much Can You Make From Candle Making

Making candles sounds like a breeze right? Now let’s get down to business – the real question today is how much money do you make selling candles at home or can I make money selling candles?

Remember those statistics we went over in the beginning? 

$3.2 billion dollars is spent on candles annually and 7 out 10 households use candles. 

There’s a huge market for quality handmade candles and branded candles have even become a popular home decor item.

What’s nice about candle making is that it’s easy to start. If you have the basic tools and a workspace, you’re covered.

The product itself is easy to price. Let’s say it costs you $3 to make a candle, you can sell it for $9 or more depending on your market. I mean, Yankee Candle’s price their best seller Balsam & Cedar candle (large) for $29.59. 

It’s all about marketing, people care about the product, the story behind it.

For instance, if you’re targeting the eco-friendly market, they may be willing to pay the standard $15-$25 cost if you explain the environmental benefits of your candle. 

If you’re looking to market your product for people that want to buy cheap but heavenly scented candles, you can set your price point anywhere from $10-$15 per candle.

If you sell 10 candles, that’s already an extra $100-$150 in your pocket. 

Selling Candles From Home
Photo from Unsplash

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Candles

We’ve covered candle making 101 but let’s talk about some of the equipment you’ll need to get started.

The materials you’ll need are:

Typically, it can cost roughly $100 to buy everything and start up but you could save some money and purchase a ready made kit like this one to start with.

For $23.99, I’d say that’s a deal but the only drawback is that you can’t choose your items.(But if you are busy, this may be a good thing)

Selling Candles From Home

Best Types of Candles to Sell

I promised you earlier on in this post that I’d talk about the different types of candles to sell from home. We have finally come to that point in the article. 

There are heaps of different types of candles you can make and sell but the main ones in the market today are soy and paraffin wax candles.

They target different markets and have various selling points. I’ll walk you through them:

Soy Candles

If you want to start selling soy candles from home, let me tell you about some of the benefits of soy candles:

  • They last longer
  • They produce less soot
  • They’re derived from natural sources

But alas, they are not perfect. Some drawbacks to consider if you want to sell soy are:

  • They’re more expensive
  • They have less scent

If your target audience places an importance on environmentally friendly or natural products then soy candles are the way to go. 

Soy candles are also a good option for luxury candles because they are higher in quality. 

Paraffin Candles

Paraffin candles are popular because they’re more affordable and can carry strong scents. If you want to sell paraffin candles, here are some benefits that may entice you:

  • They’re cheap to produce
  • They can carry strong scents

However, much like soy candles, paraffin candles have their own drawbacks too:

  • They produce more soot because they’re not natural
  • They burn faster

If you’re producing affordable candles or strongly scented candles then paraffin candles are your best bet. 

You may think that people wouldn’t opt for paraffin candles but some popular candle companies like Yankee Candle and Bath and Body Works sell paraffin candles for a hefty price.

Other Candles

You don’t have to limit yourself to just soy or paraffin candles, there are plenty of different kinds of candles you can make. 

You can opt for beeswax or even a blended wax option. As long as you choose the right wax based on your target market, you’re on the right track.

Selling Candles From Home

List of Companies You Can Sell Candles From Home For

I always say, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. If you want to start your candle making business and you’re looking for candle making jobs at home, I’ve got just the sites to help you out with where to sell candles.

This is also candle making marketing channel that you can look into to ease the process.

If you’re thinking of making candle sales from home by selling soy based candles, Mia Bella Candles, or Scent-Sations, is a direct sales candle company. 

They believe in selling high-quality soy-based wax candles.

Another popular direct sales candle company is PartyLite candles. They offer a whole range of scented, unscented, decorative candles, and more. Talk about something for everyone.

Pink Zebra is new to the candles direct sales company scene. They’ve only been around for a few years and they already have a huge clientele. 

Something cool about Pink Zebra is that they offer scented wax sprinkles. If you’re in the market for a starter kit, they also offer two different starter kits. One that costs $99 and another for $199.

Some direct selling candle companies take a different approach to candles –Scentsy is one of them. Their candles are wickless and require a warmer to work properly -that’s their selling point. 

These types of candles are popular among those looking to perfume their home with wonderful scents. 

Celebrating Home Direct sells more than home decor, they also sell marvelous candles. Want to know the benefits of choosing to work with this company in comparison to any other? 

You stand to earn up to 45% commission. Isn’t that something?

Looking for candle consultant companies  to work at? Jewelry Candles is exactly what it sounds like -candles with surprise jewelry inside. 

They sell more than just candles, they sell bath bombs,  melting tarts, slime, and so much more and yup you guessed it -they all have surprise jewelry inside.

The surprise jewelry could be anything from a ring, necklace, bracelet, pendant, or pair of earrings ranging from $10 to $7,500 in value. 

The best part is, you get to choose the type of jewelry and it doesn’t stop there; as a consultant you can earn 20% commission or a 20% discount on your purchases. 

  • Gold Canyon Candle Company

Gold Canyon Candle Company is one of those direct sales candle companies that have been on the scene for a while. We’re talking 20 years -they’re motto has been “improving the quality of home across the country.” 

They offer a large collection of candles and flameless fragrances. They do offer starter kits from $200 and stand to earn 25% on your sales. Another perk? The first 90 days are freehand if you joina team, you can earn up to 10% on your combined teams sales. 

This isn’t a direct sales candle company but it is another platform where you can sell your homemade candles. 

Selling your handcrafted candles on Etsy can make you some decent cash and you can always price your candles at a higher price point for customized scents, colors, or shapes.

Looking for more candle business opportunities? Shopify is a great online eCommerce store to sell candles online. It is also one of the best place to sell candles.

You can create an online store quickly even if you don’t have the technical skills. They have various themes and templates to make it easier for you.

Selling Candles From Home

Tips to Succeed When Selling Candles from Home

I think we’ve covered almost everything about selling candles from home. Before you go, I’m just going to leave you with some tips to help you succeed in the candle making world.

Connect with your customers

What is the one thing that will help you succeed? Have you noticed how successful brands interact with their customers? 

They understand their audience inside and out -what they want or what they need. 

If you make your candles with your audience’s needs and wants in mind, not only will you succeed but you will eventually form a long term relationship that will keep them coming back.

Ask the WHY they are buying candles, what is the occasion or event? How can you make it more special? 

Quality and Consistency is Key

Another thing that will keep your customers coming back? 

Consistency and quality.

 If you write down your methods and formulas to a T then you can avoid any inconsistencies when you produce your candles time and time again. 

Produce the Best Products Possible

First impressions are important. Everything from your labeling, packaging and how you interact with your consumers is crucials. 

Tips: You can make candle business flyers to promote your candles!

There is a lot of competition and you’ve got to set your business apart from the others right from the get-go. 

Creating high-quality candles is your number one goal -this means not cutting corners or skimming on areas to cut costs.

Become A (Better) Salesperson

If you’re a one person company, then congratulations. You can now add head of sales and marketing to your resume. 

Connecting with businesses, various platforms, and forming partnerships will help grow your business. 

You’ll need to become your own sales person or a better one if you already are out there selling yourself. 

You can take some simple courses on selling and how to sell without sounding salesy. 

Promote Yourself

Think about your audience, where do they shop? What platforms do they get their advertising from? You’re going to need to get your product in front of existing and new potential customers.

Selling Candles From Home
Photo From Unsplash

FAQS On Selling Candles From Home

How To Make Candles At Home To Sell?

Interested in making candles to sell? Below are steps for you to follow.

  1. Purchase candle-making supplies. 
  2. Measure wax. 
  3. Melt candle wax. 
  4. Add the scent(s) of your choosing (optional) 
  5. Add colorants and dye. 
  6. Add your wick. 
  7. Pour candle wax. 
  8. Check your wick.
  9. Give your candle time to cool.
  10. Trim wick 
  11. Add your labels
  12. Store candles

How To Sell Candles From Home?

Suppose you are wondering how to sell candles from home. Below are steps listed for you to follow and sell your homemade candles to the world. 

  1. Do market research.
  2. Build your brand.
  3. Create a business name.
  4. Write a business plan.
  5. Make candles to sell.
  6. Build your online store. 
  7. Market your candle business.

How To Sell Candles?

You must be wondering how to sell my candles and where to sell my candles. Here are a few channel options that you can explore to sell your candles. Find the right channel that fits your goals.

  1. Etsy. 
  2. Social media. 
  3. Your own website. 
  4. Farmers markets. 
  5. Craft fairs and festivals. 
  6. Shops. 
  7. Boutiques. 
  8. Etsy wholesale

How To Sell Candles Online?

Below are steps on how to start selling candles online.

  1. Define the target market that you want to reach with your marketing efforts.
  2. Make some candles. With your candle product line and target audience in mind, you can begin making your candles. 
  3. Build your online store. 
  4. Create a brand identity. 
  5. Market your candle business.

What Is The 84 Candle Rule?

The 84-candle rule is that before you even begin to sell candles, create 84 of them and give almost all of them away for free. There’s a lot underneath this simple rule. One of them is to ensure you don’t get distracted by the business side of this world.

Is Selling Homemade Candles Profitable?

Selling homemade candles can be highly profitable as it has a low startup cost, minimum equipment needed, and doesn’t require immense knowledge. You can make candles in the comfort of your own home.

Besides, marketing candles online through social media will help to increase your profit margins as it does not require a high marketing cost. 

Can I Start A Candle Business From Home?

You can obviously start a candle business from home. It is one of the best small businesses as it requires minimal equipment, and low pre-operating costs and the cherry on the cake is it can be done right from the comfort of your own home!

Get comfortable with the candle-making process before launching your business.

How Much Does It Cost To Start Selling Candles?

You must be wondering how much I need to start selling candles. You will need around USD 1,000 to start selling candles which should get you all the supplies you need to start your business.

Equipment such as mason jars, pouring pots, and a double boiler will make up the majority of your expense.

Who Is The Target Market For Candles?

Women with families are the main target market for candles and also the target audience for scented candles.

Candle target market also includes those who enjoy scents for relaxation purposes and those who are creative around the house.

Candles are purchased at about the same rate across all income levels, among all ethnicities, and at all educational levels.

Conclusion

There you have it ladies and gentleman, a comprehensive guide to help you start selling candles from home. 

The art of candle making has been around for many moons and many will say the market is saturated but don’t listen to the nay-sayers. 

If you’ve got a stand out product, you market it properly and believe in yourself, you can start selling candles from home and making money from it too.

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