Illuminating Success: Our Journey Creating Hand-Poured Natural Candles

Finding a corporate gift that’s unique, functional, and sustainable can be a challenging task. At Botanical PaperWorks, we’re dedicated to helping customers find the perfect promotional solution so we embarked on a journey to create a new hand-poured candle line to meet the needs of our customers.

Read on to hear about our story — where we started, some challenges we faced, and more about the final results.

Adding light to the vision

In 2020, our team launched our first product line that wasn’t made with seeds or seed paper. We saw demand for handmade goods that were made with natural ingredients and this led us to create handmade soaps. The launch was a big success and eventually, our clients started requesting similar products from us. This is where candles came in.

Our customers started requesting candles since they are also handmade and similar to handmade soap gifts. Our team also saw a need in the promotional industry for ready-to-order gift kits. Candles were the perfect addition for gifting so we decided it was time to put on our innovation caps on once again and get to work.

As a bonus to the project, many of our team members love candles. It is important to us that we take on projects our team is passionate about because it not only helps fuel the process, but the result is always amazing.

Crafting the perfect candle

The journey towards crafting our candles proved to be a complex yet exciting one. Countless hours were dedicated to research and studying articles, books, and online resources. Our goal was not just to make candles but to master the art and science behind them.

From the beginning, we were committed to creating a sustainable product. Early on in development, we decided to steer clear of paraffin wax, a by-product of petroleum and a non-renewable fossil fuel. This decision presented challenges, but it ultimately led us to our ideal blend of soy and coconut wax, which aided us in making all three scents Prop 65 compliant.

The wick and vessel challenge

Creating the perfect candle involves more than just wax; the wick and vessel play a crucial role. Grace, the lead on development, explained this process further: “We created a plain scentless candle to test each wick and burned them for several hours at a time. We chose the best 3 wicks and tested those with the final recipe to see which wick worked best with each formula. We had to experiment with different combinations to achieve the desired results.”

As for the vessels, we knew we wanted something that could be reused once the candle was used up, and we had also to consider factors like size and temperature. Ultimately, we opted for amber jar vessels for their stylish, warm, and inviting aesthetics. These vessels also provided an added benefit of reusability, as their lids protect the candles, eliminating the need for extra packaging and reducing waste.

Designing labels and scents

To ensure our candles catered to a wide range of clients and met branding guidelines, we designed versatile labels that complement a variety of logos.

Aesthetics are important, but so is the fragrance. We wanted our candles to fill spaces with a subtle, pleasant aroma rather than an overpowering scent. The scents of the candles harmonized with our soap collection, allowing us to create gift boxes with different scent themes, but also be appealing to stand on their own.

In the end, the journey of expanding our product line to include candles was a rewarding one. The candles we now offer are not only visually appealing but also align with our commitment to sustainability, and add a touch of warmth and tranquility to the corporate gifting experience.

As we continue to grow and innovate, Botanical PaperWorks remains dedicated to crafting products that reflect our passion for sustainability and our commitment to offering the best to our clients.