Candle Pouring: Create bespoke scented candles with Regina Dylan
We had the pleasure of hosting Regina Dylan of Regina Dylan Studio on a recent evening this May for a Candle Pouring workshop.
We started off the evening with some refreshing French Blonde cocktails and freshly squeezed grapefruit spritz mocktails. Guests had a little time to mingle, sip, socialize and snack on individual charcuterie boxes before we made our way to our seats.
As we settled in, Regina, our chandler (a fancy word for candle maker) for the evening, shared her journey. Her passion for clean-burning candles began when she started making candles at home almost a decade ago. We crafted our own soy candles using the same safe ingredients she uses in her studio: 100% natural soy wax, lead-free cotton wicks, and fragrance oils free from harmful toxins. Our guests could breathe easy knowing the warm glow from the candles we created are safe for us and our loved ones.
Regina kicked off the evening by reminding us of something we might all overlook: candle safety! Did you know most house fires caused by candles can be prevented with proper care? We learned how following the simple instructions on those warning labels can make a big difference.
Candle Care & Safety:
It is important to trim your wick to 1/4" every single time you're preparing to burn it, to ensure correct flame size. This will also ensure that you create a proper melt pool. Burn time suggestions should be followed as they can be different depending on candle size. Always burn for at least 1-2 hours but no longer than 4. If you burn for too long, you'll see black smoke or soot on the side of your vessel.
After extinguishing, wait for it to cool, then trim the "mushrooming" or "bloom" at the top of the wick, which is essentially carbon build up. If you were to relight the candle without trimming in this situation, it can heat up, pop, and potentially start a fire. Even small pieces of broken wick if left in the melt pool could eventually pop and create a hazard, so always remove any loose pieces!
If you burn the candle too low (1/4" from the vessel base), the bottom of the vessel can become too hot and can leave heat marks or burns on the surface below, such as a counter top or wooden coffee table. In this situation, the wick base can become too loose and potentially float off to the side which can cause your vessel to shatter. Regina loves adding a touch of safety and vintage charm to her candle displays by using trivets underneath them.
After our crash course on candle safety (who knew we’d been doing it wrong all these years!?) we began the process of pouring our own candles. Our first step was selecting our scent. Guests were encouraged to smell all of the scents and then hold a few blotters together to smell possible blending combinations. Regina recommended limiting blends to around three combined scents. One of our favorite combinations included cashmere plum, sandalwood & rose petals. Other guests choose combinations like orange blossom & passionfruit pineapple and high tide & clean cotton.
Once we selected our scents we prepared our vessels by adhering our wicks to the bottom center of our vessel. We placed our scent “orders” with Regina and she measured out the appropriate amount of scented oil and melted wax. We were then given and our wax and scent combinations. We poured our wax into our vessels and our fragrance into our wax and then stirred carefully for about two minutes. Once we finished stirring we stuck the wick holder in place and then left the candles alone to settle. It is important that you do not disturb newly poured candles until they have set up, both in appearance and color (this can take a few hours). Moving candles too soon could create a crater in your cooled wax which could result in an uneven burn.
Scent Selection and Blending Tips:
Feeling inspired by Regina's workshop? We've included links to some of her favorite candle supply shops below, so you can get started blending your own creations at home.
While at the workshop guests chose from a variety of scents including Japanese cherry blossom, coastal cottage, moonflower nectar, sandalwood, saffron cedarwood, redwood & moss, beachwood, orange blossom, passionfruit pineapple, high tide, clean cotton, moroccan cashmere, coconut solei, rose petals and more.
When selecting scents during candle pouring, it's important to use just a drop at a time on a blotter strip to smell from. If you were to instead smell directly from the fragrance bottle, you'll only pick up on the top notes. Once you place a drop onto the blotter, allow it to air for 10 seconds and then hold 1" below your nose.
To cleanse your palate between smelling, forget the old trick of coffee beans and simply smell your own skin (your forearm works well)!
To reuse your vessel, put it in the freezer then pop the residual wax out with a butter knife.
Need a crowd pleasing cocktail for your next Summer gathering? Whip up a batch of refreshing French Blondes. Even those who may not be gin fans are sure to love it. Elevate your cocktail with large square ice cubes garnished with edible flowers, slices of grapefruit, or lemon, and enjoy!
Hot Tip: Met Market sells edible flowers in the produce section next to the herbs!
French Blonde Cocktail Recipe:
INGREDIENTS: 2 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, 2 oz. Lillet Blanc, 1 oz. Hendricks Gin, 1/2 oz. St. Germain, 1/4-1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS: This easy cocktail can be batched in advance and then poured over ice. If you make them to order simply combine ingredients in your cocktail shaker (or a mason jar), add ice and shake until well chilled. Can be served as is or over ice.
Our top picks for bringing candles into your own home:
Now that you know how to properly care for candles le’ts talk products. Below you will find all of Regina’s top picks for candle making supplies, along with a few of our favorite candle accessories. Deep breath, lit candle, pure bliss!
Regina Dylan Studio: Didn’t make it to our candle workshop? Visit Regina’s shop to book your own private workshop for you and a few friends.
If pouring your own candles is not your thing you can also make an appointment to visit her shop to purchase ready made candles. We can vouch for her amazing scent blends in a variety of beautiful containers.
Copper Candle Sharpener: The little tool you never knew you needed. We love using this candle sharpener from Anthropologie to shave down our candle sticks to fit in our various vintage copper candlestick holders.
Brass Candle Wick Trimmer: Also from Anthropologie this wick trimmer is as beautiful as it is functional. Leave it out on your coffee table as part of your display (and you’ll never forget to trim that dangerous carbon bloom).
Leopard Candle Snuffer: When you’ve reached maximum burn time (and gotten that perfect melt pool) it’s time to extinguish your candle in style. Why not use a brass leopard snuffer. Practical? Probably not. Do we want it anyway? Definitely.
Skeem Helix Match Cloche with Stiker: We are HUGE fans of these gorgeous glass match cloches. These are beautiful displayed on a shelf next to a candle and also make lovely hostess or holiday gifts.
Regina's favorite candle supply shops:
Regina sources her scents from Candle Science. She prefers scents from this shop because they're toxin-free.
Regina makes her own cement vessels. To do this she uses molds from Modern Craft Labs. You can even purchase molds to create small or large vases and garden planters!
The sealant she brushes on the concrete vessels is from Earth Safe Finishes, and is chemical-free.
Until we gather again!
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