| As the nights grow longer, many homes begin to | | | | the candle type that's easy and enjoyable for you to |
| glow with the subtle light of candles-tall, short, simple, | | | | create. Once you have a pretty clear idea where |
| complex, made of paraffin wax, soy wax, or gel, and | | | | your talents lie, choose a specific candle type and |
| in every possible combination of color and scent. | | | | focus on producing only that type for sale. There are |
| Imagine making and selling some of those candles | | | | plenty of specialties to choose from - you can roll or |
| yourself, and collecting a tidy little profit. If the | | | | stack candles from sheets of tinted beeswax, |
| thought sounds intriguing, consider candlemaking as a | | | | hand-dip long tapers, create novelty candles from |
| start-up business. | | | | molds, or specialize in transparent mineral oil-based gel |
| It isn't very difficult, expensive, or particularly | | | | candles. Another current favorite is the fragrance |
| time-consuming to make candles-you must only take | | | | candle, designed to fill a room with delicious scent |
| care to follow proper safety procedures when | | | | when it is burned; this type of candle is most often |
| handling hot, flammable liquid wax. The raw materials | | | | made from soy-based wax and presented in a lidded |
| for candlemaking are reasonably priced and readily | | | | glass jar. By deciding on a specialty first, you can |
| available at craft stores, online suppliers and local | | | | hone your skills quickly and mass-produce a decent |
| supermarkets. | | | | quantity of candles for sale in a short amount of |
| It's also a great small business if you're looking for a | | | | time. |
| creative outlet. Paraffin wax can be molded into all | | | | You probably won't make a fortune in the |
| sorts of intricate shapes, and if you work at creating | | | | candle-selling business, for it's best thought of as a |
| unique and appealing candles, you can expect them | | | | good source of supplemental income; yet the |
| to fetch a much higher price than simple white wax | | | | investment costs are low enough that you can easily |
| pillars. A large and complex candle can sell for as | | | | double your profit when you sell your first batch. |
| much as $20, though the average price is | | | | Candle sales are usually most brisk around the |
| somewhere between $2 and $5. In this case, it's | | | | end-of-year holidays, but if you work with local craft |
| worth your time to take a little extra care and | | | | shows, grocery stores and farmer's markets, you |
| create a high-quality product. | | | | can sell candles year-round. It's a fun, creative |
| Your smartest time investment is to try making | | | | part-time business that will likely bring in some |
| several types of candles at first and get a feel for | | | | much-needed extra money when you need it. |