Caty’s Fav: Monthly Crystal Candle Workshop

While clay is my first love and Waveform started as a pottery studio, candle-making is one of my all-time favorite activities that I offer!

People love candle-making because they get to learn about fragrance families, the science behind fragrance blending, and they get to customize something to fit their mood, memory or moment. I try to time my monthly candle-making workshops with the new moon, which is a good time to invite energy in, set intentions and take stock. This workshop includes intention setting, a mindful coloring activity and candle science education. The workshop includes all materials to create 2 candles to bring home.

Smell is an incredibly evocative, powerful sense. Here’s what comes up when we engage with it to create custom candles:

• Memories & Emotion. Just a faint whiff of a forgotten smell can transport you back to a particular place, or remind you of a loved one. Creating a candle in memory of someone you love, or commemorating a special place or time in your life, is a thoughtful way to layer the past into the present. Every time you light the candle, you conjure that memory and weave it in.

• Aromatherapy. While smell is deeply personal, there are some themes, like color theory, to the way a fragrance effects our energy. You can pair specific scents with intentions: lavender for relaxation, earthy spices for grounding, citrus or peppermint for refreshing energy.

• Bonding. It’s fun to do this with a friend! During our fragrance family activity, you may discover that you have similar likes and dislikes… or you might be opposites. Get curious with one another and expand your palette – share what smells remind you of what, tell stories and commemorate loved ones.

Favorite Scents

I order new fragrance oils now and then, so this list may vary when you attend the workshop, but here are some scents that Waveform typically stocks to give you an idea of what we are working with:

·      Cinnamon

·      Redwood

·      Jasmine Neroli

·      Pumpkin Spice (leftover from the fall, LOL)

·      Lavendar

·      Fireside

·      Sea and Stone

·      Clementine & Watermint

·      Peppermint

I like to order my fragrance oils from www.CandleScience.com – you can peruse their catalog here for inspiration!

Flow

Here’s the flow at Waveform’s candle-making workshop:

We start with some education about candle science and fragrance families. How do perfumiers pair scents? What are the effects of certain smells on our state of mind? After we map our own preferences on the fragrance wheel, we catalog the scents available to the group. Each person gets assigned a scent – they make a “swatch” to pass around so everyone can map each scent on their fragrance wheel, and make a note of if they like it or not, what it reminds them of, etc. Then we talk about complementary scents and blending. People sent an intention with their candle, choose their scents and then select a color palette for the combo; there are wax chips available to dye your candle, too.

Then we get to the making the candles! We set our wicks, prep the jars and mix our scents and colors into the pre-melted soy wax. We pour the wax and let the candles set.

While the candles set, folks choose a range of complementary colors for their candle and do a mediative coloring activity with mandalas. The mandala design is printed on adhesive, so the mandalas can be turned into colorful, custom labels for the candles!

Towards the end, folks are invited to decorate their candles with crystals to further tie in their intention. You can bring crystals from home or use Waveform’s provided flair, which includes Agate, Tiger’s Eye, Adventurine, Obsidian and Rose Quartz.

More reasons to love candle-making (and intention-setting):

• Beginner-friendly and fun for all!

• We use organic, non-toxic ingredients

• You can upcycle glass jars, tins and ceramic vessel for candles

• Create a thoughtful gift or intentional home décor that is beautiful and functional

• Slow down and craft

• Honor a loved one

• Express yourself and your own personal flair

• Mark an important time or intention in your life with a colorful, warm reminder

Check Waveform’s calendar for the next candle-making workshop and bring a friend!