What Is Special About Hand Poured Candles?
Hand poured candles are candles that are created by hand through the art of repeatedly dipping a wick into melted wax or by pouring wax into a mold by hand (https://highlandcandlecompany.com/hand-dipped-candles-a-historical-journey/). This handmade process has an ancient history going back thousands of years.
The earliest known candles originated around 500 BC in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome where candles were made from beeswax (https://blog.lafco.com/history-of-candle-making/). Candles were crucial for ancient civilizations as a light source. The art of hand dipping candles progressed through the Middle Ages, especially within candle making guilds that formed in Medieval England and France. Through generations of artisans the craft of hand pouring candles has continued to modern day.
Artisanal Craft
Hand pouring candles is considered an artisanal craft that requires great attention to detail and care (Deering & Whyte). Unlike mass-produced candles made by machines, each hand poured candle is unique. The candle maker carefully pours the wax into the vessel by hand, controlling the flow and patterns. They can intentionally create different effects like smooth, rippled, or peaked surfaces. The hand pouring process allows for subtle variations in each candle, so no two are exactly alike. It is similar to an artisan potter throwing clay on a wheel; the mark of the maker is left on each one-of-a-kind creation.
Customizable
One of the great things about hand poured candles is the ability to customize them. Unlike mass-produced candles, hand poured candles allow you to choose the shape, scent, and color combination. Popular shapes for hand poured candles include jars, tins, and pillars, but the possibilities are endless – you can even find hand poured candles in creative shapes like seashells, geometric figures, or embossed glass containers.
The scent is another area where you’ll find endless options with hand poured candles. Many candle makers offer dozens of fragrance choices across all scent families – floral, fruity, gourmet, earthy, herbal, spicy, and more. You can select single note scents like lavender or apple, or go for a custom blended fragrance. The varieties are virtually unlimited, allowing you to find a signature scent that you’ll love.
When it comes to color, hand poured candles let you customize that too. Go for a single bold hue, an ombre look, or layers of colors swirled together in unique patterns. The candle color possibilities are as boundless as your imagination. You can even choose to add extras like glitter or pearlescent shimmers for extra visual interest.
The ability to tailor so many aspects of a candle is part of what makes hand poured candles such a special and personal product. You can create a candle that’s uniquely you in shape, scent, and color – like your own custom signature scent.
High Quality Ingredients
One of the standout features of hand poured candles is the use of premium ingredients like coconut wax, soy wax, beeswax, and essential oils. These high-end ingredients result in a candle with a better burn, more fragrance diffusion, and less soot.
Many hand poured candle makers use refined coconut wax or a blend of coconut and soy wax. Coconut wax comes from the meat of the coconut and provides an exceptionally clean, pure burn (https://www.amazon.sg/Candles-Honeysuckle-Honeydew-Natural-Essential/dp/B08B2T86H8). Soy wax is made from soybeans and is also a clean-burning, renewable wax.
Beeswax is another popular ingredient in artisanal candles. Beeswax comes directly from bee hives and has a natural honey aroma. It’s prized for its golden glow and slower burn time compared to other waxes (https://www.amazon.sa/-/en/Candles-Agarwood-Natural-Coconut-Essential/dp/B08B1WKDQN).
Fragrance oils are concentrated scents made from natural isolates, aroma chemicals, essential oils, and other ingredients. Hand pouring candle makers typically use phthalate-free, premium fragrance oils with complex, sophisticated scents. This results in strong aroma and excellent scent throw when the candle is burning.
Taken together, these high-end ingredients result in a hand poured candle that performs better and provides a more luxurious experience than a typical mass-produced candle.
Unique Aesthetic
One of the main draws of hand-poured candles is their distinctive aesthetic that results from the artisanal pouring process. Rather than being machine-made in a factory, each hand-poured candle has an organic, one-of-a-kind look. Wax is poured by hand into the vessel, creating beautiful drips, ripples, and ridges in the wax. This leads to each candle having its own artistic aesthetic.
Hand-poured candles also allow for creative candle shapes beyond just typical cylindrical pillars or jars. Many hand-pouring artisans craft candles into interesting shapes like animals, objects, or even the human body. For example, some popular hand-poured candle shapes include animal shapes like bears or elephants, fruit shapes like oranges or pineapples, and body shapes of busts or full figures (Source). The hand-pouring process makes it possible to have these unique candle forms.
In summary, hand-poured candles have an one-of-a-kind look and aesthetic that results directly from the special hand-crafting production process. This artistic, organic aesthetic is part of what makes hand-poured candles so popular and special.
Therapeutic Benefits
One of the key benefits of hand poured candles is their aromatherapy effects. The natural scents from essential oils and other ingredients can have therapeutic effects on the mind and body. According to Massage Magazine, aromatherapy candles allow you to experience aromatherapy benefits easily in your own home. The scents from the candles can promote relaxation, improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and more.
Some popular scents for aromatherapy candles and their benefits include:
- Lavender – calming and stress relieving
- Eucalyptus – opens airways and boosts alertness
- Lemongrass – uplifting and energizing
- Chamomile – soothing and sleep promoting
- Peppermint – refreshing and stimulating
Hand poured candles allow you to customize the perfect aromatherapy scent blend to create an ambiance and experience the benefits you desire, whether it’s relaxation, energy, focus, or something else. The therapeutic benefits of candles can be similar to using essential oil diffusers but with the added visual beauty and experience of a flame.
Supporting Small Business
One of the best reasons to buy hand poured candles is that you get to support small, often local businesses and artisans. Many hand poured candles are made in small batches by candle makers who meticulously craft each candle by hand. By purchasing hand poured candles instead of mass-produced ones, you are helping sustain passionate small business owners and candle makers. This not only benefits the makers themselves, but also the local economies and communities that they are a part of.
Hand pouring candles takes patience, care, and skill. Many small businesses pride themselves on their high quality, hand poured candles that are made with premium ingredients. Buying these candles means supporting their artisanal craft and commitment to creating candles the traditional way. Rather than buying from a large corporation, you can buy candles poured with purpose from a real person who loves what they do.
The next time you need candles, check to see if you can find some hand poured ones created locally. This supports talented artisans in your community and enables small businesses to thrive. The care put into hand poured candles is worth supporting.
Gifting
Hand poured candles make for wonderful gifts. Unlike mass-produced candles, hand poured candles have a personal, artisanal touch. They often come in a variety of scents and colors, allowing you to select something tailored to the recipient’s preferences. The care and craftsmanship that goes into hand pouring candles is evident in the finished product, making your gift feel special and heartfelt.
Presenting someone with a hand poured candle shows you took the time to find something unique and meaningful. Handmade candles from small businesses also support independent craftspeople and creators. Your gift enables them to keep perfecting their candle making craft. When looking for a gift that combines thoughtfulness, uniqueness, and quality, hand poured candles check all the boxes.
Burning Experience
Hand-poured candles provide an excellent burn experience and are designed to burn all the way to the bottom. Unlike mass-produced candles which can tunnel and leave wax around the sides, hand-poured candles pool properly as they burn (Source). The wax is carefully poured at the right temperature and allowed to cool properly to create an even surface. This allows the melt pool to spread evenly as the candle burns, using all the wax rather than just burning a tunnel down the middle and wasting wax.
Quality ingredients like 100% soy wax and cotton wicks also improve burn performance. Soy wax has an excellent hot and cold throw, meaning it both melts evenly and releases fragrance efficiently. Cotton wicks are designed to curl and self-trim as they burn, preventing smoking, sooting, and an uneven flame (Source). Together, these qualities provide a clean, safe, and consistent burn from the first light to the very bottom of the vessel.
The burning experience brings out the artisan craft of hand-poured candles. You can enjoy every fragrant pool from start to finish, making the most of premium ingredients and thoughtful designs.
Conclusion
The special nature of hand poured candles is clear. Hand poured candles are an artisanal craft, completely customizable, made with high quality ingredients, and have a unique aesthetic. They provide therapeutic benefits, support small businesses and local artisans, and make thoughtful gifts. The hand pouring process allows each candle to have its own creative flair. When burned, hand poured candles offer a personalized sensory experience through their visual beauty, scent, and flickering flame. In summary, hand poured candles are a special, handmade product that brings joy and comfort to life’s everyday moments.
