Start selling candles from home! Homemade candles have a higher demand, it is easy to sell online, and it is cheaper to make candles. So, it makes total sense to start an online candle business from home.
Disclaimer:This information is general in nature and for educational purposes only. And, it does not constitute formal financial, investment, or business advice.
how to sell homemade candles online
To start making and selling candles, all you need are:
- Candle making equipment/raw material
- An online store (optional)
- Your time, to make candles and to run your business
So, let’s learn how to make candles at home to sell online. In this guide you can find how to make candles at home, how to create an online store to sell candles, and how to do marketing for an online candle business.
Selling homemade candles online – It can be your entry point to eCommerce
Starting an online business is be a great way to make money from home or to make a passive income. Therefore, in this post, we’ll find out how to start an online business by selling candles. Depending on your passion, dedication, and talent you will be able to run a successful homemade candle brand this time next year! So, let’s get started!
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The demand for homemade candles
According to the National Candle Association’s fact sheets, there’s still enough room to make money by selling candles. So, let’s go through some interesting facts about the candle industry. This knowledge will help us to build a strong marketing strategy to make and sell candles from home.
- The consumers are usually purchasing candles as home decors, for aromatherapy, and for stress reduction.
- People use candles to make their spaces more comfortable and cozy.
- Usually, people burn candles in the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms.
- Fragrance and the looks are the most important purchasing influence for candles. If you sell them online, it is all about looks and customer reviews.
- Both men and women consider candles as a highly appreciated gift for many occasions including holidays, house warming parties, thank you gifts, and birthdays.
What are the different types of candles that you can sell online
When we start an online candle business, we have to make sure that there is a demand for the candles that we make. Otherwise, people won’t buy the candles we make. There are a few different types of candles that have a very high demand for online sales. So, let’s have a look.
Scented or aromatherapy candles
People use scented candles to bring in pleasant fragrances for their living spaces. They buy scented candles for special occasions. So, you can make candles with a wide array of fragrances, including;
- Vanilla and nutmeg
- Lavender
- Tobacco
- Mandarine
- Sandalwood
- Peach
- Mahogany/Teakwood
- Coconut and lemon etc.
The aromatherapy candles are a special type of scented candles. They contain the hints of essential oils to soothe the mind and body. You can buy all these candles making scents as oils from local supplies stores or on Amazon. Don’t worry, we’ll give you all the links that you need in a bit.
Selling decorative candles
As we have discussed earlier, people buy candles just to decorate their living spaces. So, you can start making decorative candles as well. When you make decorative candles to sell, you have to focus more on the looks of the product.
Usually, decorative candles come with many different shapes, colors, and accessories. You can get design inspirations using the decorative candle photos on Pinterest and Instagram. Also, search on Amazon for the decorative candles and see what type of candles have the highest demand.
Soy and Vegan candles
Soy and vegan candles have a very high demand in the candle market. Unlike the regular oil, paraffine, and beeswax candles, soy candles are made from the wax extracted from soybeans. Also, soy candles usually burn longer and cleanly. Therefore, best quality soy candles are usually sold for a higher price than the regular candles. So, if you are thinking of making candles at home to sell online, it is worth giving it a try.
Other types of candles that you can sell
There are many other types of candles as well. For example, tapered candles, church candles, pillar candles as well. Keep exploring and see for more opportunities to sell candles. However, when you do so, always cross-check for the demand of candle types on Amazon.
Here is a little tip about selling things online…
Not every product is suitable to sell online. When we talk about the marketing strategies (towards the end of this guide), you will learn that you need something special, or something intriguing, to get the attention of your customers.
So, selling something like regular church candles might not be a wise idea. However, the candles types like Decorative, Vegan, and Scented might have a better opportunity to sell via a simple Facebook ad campaign
Ingredients to make candles at home
Making candles is not hard. It is a simple and straightforward process. Let’s have a look at how to make candles at home to sell online.
Wax
You can select paraffine, soy, or beeswax as options. For example, if you decide to sell vegan candles, you can use soy wax to make candles.
You can buy different types of candle maker’s wax from Amazon under $2 per 1lb.
Wicks
Selecting the right wick size is crucial for the homemade candles. Otherwise, your candles won’t burn properly. Wicks are usually sized as “small, medium, or large”. So, when you select candle wicks, make sure to choose a suitable size based on the diameter of your candles.
You can buy different types of candle wicks from Amazon under $10 for 200pcs.
Fragrances
As we have discussed, scented candles have a very high demand for online sales. You can choose any of the popular fragrances to include in your candles. Usually, it will cost you around $15 for a 100ml of Sandlewood oil.
Double boiler
You can buy a professional candle-making-double-boiler if you want. Otherwise, you can even make your own double-boiler using a couple of old kitchen pots.
Glass containers
You can use any glassware that can withstand heat as the mold to make candles at home. If you are just trying, you can even use a coffee mug for this purpose. However, when if you are planning to sell candles, it’s worth investing in buying a mold to make candles. There are cheap silicon molds and glass jars under $10.
Other accessories
Also, you will need a spatula for mixing, and a thermometer for measuring temperature to add fragrances. Some oils come with instructions saying that it should be mixed at certain temperatures. So, having a thermometer will come in handy.
Here are the steps to make candles at home to sell online
Safety is the number one priority! We are going to work with boiling wax!!! Keep everything you need in your reach before getting started.
- Prepare wax
Usually, the candle wax comes as pellets. However, if you bought a block of wax, chop it into smaller pieces using a sharp knife. - Fix the wick into the mold
If you bought standard candle wicks, they come with a little tab attached to one end. Sometimes, it also comes with a sticker to stick that tab to the bottom of the container. If not you can always use a dot of super glue to keep it in place. Then, wrap the other end to a pencil or a toothpick and keep it on the mold to place the wick at the center. You can adjust this again after pouring wax. - Melt the wax
Use a double boiler to melt the wax. You can always reuse the melted wax. So, add a little more than you need for the candle mold. And, make sure to keep notes of how much wax you added for each trial. Also, stir the pot to break the chunks that stick together. - Keep eye on the temperature
Usually, wax melts around 150-160 degrees. If it gets too high, take it off the boiler. - Add fragrances
Once the wax is completely melted, start adding fragrance oils. Each type of wax would need a different amount of fragrance oils. So, follow the instructions that came with the wax or fragrances. You can always follow a trial and error method to find the right proportions. Again, make sure to keep notes! After adding fragrances, mix it for 30 seconds. - Pour it into the mold
After adding fragrances, take it off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Once the temperature is dropped down to a value around 130 degrees, pour the wax mixture into the mold. Save a little bit of wax in the pot to use a little later. Once hardened, the candle will get a sinkhole at the center. So, you can use this extra wax to fill it up. - Adjust the wick
Make sure to keep and secure the wick at the center. If it goes off-center, the candle won’t burn properly. And, you will get a ton of bad reviews from your buyers. - Let it cool for a couple of hours and top up
Let the candle you just made sit there for at least a couple of hours. Once it gets cold, you will notice a few deformities at the top. So, you can reheat the wax you have saved in the pot and top up the candle to get a perfect finish. - Take it off the mold (if needed) and trim the wick
Unless you are making jar candles, now you will have to remove the candle from the mold. If you are using silicone molds, this will be a lot easier.
You can also have a look at this YouTube video to learn more about how to make candles to sell.
Where you can sell candles
The easiest way to start selling candles is on the popular online marketplaces. For example, you can use eBay, Amazon, or Etsy to sell homemade candles. These platforms don’t charge you for listing. They take commissions as you make sales. If you like to sell candles on eBay check How to sell on eBay
However, if you are serious about your homemade candle business, it is worth investing in an online store. And, it won’t cost you a fortune to start an online store to sell candles. You can have your very own online store by paying less than $30 a month.
Create an online store to sell candles
As your business grows, you can get greater benefits by moving the candle sales onto your very own online store. So, while you are developing your online candle business, why shouldn’t we start working on a website for your business too.
There are many ways to start an online eCommerce store to sell candles online. For example, if you choose Shopify, you can make an online store easily and quickly without any technical knowledge. There are plenty of themes, templates, and plugins that make the whole process a lot easier.
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If you guys ever get stuck when creating your Shopify store, you can simply send me an email to ecommercebuff@gmail.com and tell me where you get stuck. Then, I will personally check your website and help you resolve the issue.
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Marketing lessons to sell candles online
Before you go ahead and start making candles to sell, you need to consider a little bit about how you are going to sell these candles. So, next, we’ll talk more about these special marketing tactics to start selling homemade candles.
Making candles is pretty much straight forward. Everyone can do that. Starting a website, or listing the candles to sell on eBay? Simple, and everyone can do that too.
So, what is the tricky part?
Yes, marketing. The only way to build a successful online candle business is by creating proper marketing strategies for your candle sales. So, let’s have a look at the best marketing tactics that you can use to sell candles online.
The importance of having intriguing products
Now, you know that there are many different ways to sell candles online. For example, you can sell candles on Amazon, eBay, or on your own online store. So, wherever we list our candles to sell online, first we need to tell our potential customers about our candles. Otherwise, our listing will be hidden down on the last page of Amazon, eBay, or Google search results.
Therefore, the easiest and cheapest way to find customers to sell candles is through Facebook ads. So, we can run a Facebook ad campaign to reach our potential customers. But, we know that people don’t come to Facebook to buy candles. People use social media for an entirely different purpose. So, if we want to grab their attention to our ads, we need to show them an intriguing product. And, it should be able to trigger the impulse buyers on social media.
So, before you start making candles, go through Pinterest boards and see what are the most enticing candle images. Then carefully design your candles in a way that can attract the potential buyers from the first sight.
Additional reading: How to advertise your business on Google for free
Next, we’ll talk about how to work on the organic reach for your online candle business.
Facebook and Instagram marketing to sell candles online
As we have discussed, you can make Facebook and Instagram the cash cow of your homemade candle business. Those platforms have a tremendous audience for you to reach and sell candles. Also, they provide precise demographic data to build your marketing campaign.
Therefore, start working on building a powerful Facebook marketing strategy and a strong Instagram marketing strategy from day one. Start a Facebook page and an Instagram account for your business and start posting right now.
You can even post about the initial phases of your business too. Create videos of how you are trying to perfect the candle making and post them on your Facebook page. These types of videos can bring in more engagement and a human touch to your business. Sometimes, these posts can help you to get some early bird customers and investors as well.
Using content marketing to sell candles
Content marketing is another powerful way to reach a hot audience for your products. For example, you can start writing blog posts about candles on your websites to get the attention of your customers in the early stages of their purchasing journey.
Here are some content ideas to sell candles
- The 10 Best Scented Candles for a Cozy Home
- How to select the aromatherapy candles
- 10 home decorating ideas with candles
- How candles can help you to relax after a hefty workday
So, when people come to read these posts, you can subtly show your candles and influence them to buy candles from you. For example, in the “10 Best Scented Candles” article, you can give them the purchasing links to the scented candles that you sell.
Also, you can start making videos for the same content topics and publish them on your blog and on YouTube. This content can drive traffic and sales to your listings.
Other marketing tactics to sell candles
Even though we have discussed only Facebook, Instagram, and Content marketing strategies, there are many other marketing skills that you can use to sell candles. Check our digital marketing section for more information about Ad strategies and other digital marketing strategies to sell candles.
Do 10 times better than your top competitor
If you want to establish a successful candle business, I would suggest that you need to do at least 10 times better than your top competitor within the first year. This brute force passion and dedication will help you to climb up in the ladder in no time, and start selling candles better than the other competitors.
You can make candles at home to sell online and make an extra income. The process is pretty much straight forward. The only tricky part is creating marketing strategies to sell candles.
There are plenty of free resources to learn how to handle marketing on YouTube, Google, and EcommerceBuff. So, keep in touch with us. We’ll share more tactics to better your candle sales in the future.
