Thursday, February 4, 2016

An Afternoon at Candlefish

One of my most favorite things about Charleston is the fact that there are so many unique things to do in this little city.  Yes, y'all know I love the happy hours and shopping, but who ever thought of a workshop to make your own candles?  Last Friday afternoon (as you might have seen on Instagram), Mike and I did just that at Candlefish, a specialty shop located a few steps off King on Wentworth Street.
Candlefish has been open for almost a year and a half and has a large, airy, and beautifully decorated space.  Not only is the flagship Candlefish location a candle-making workshop, it's also a fantastic gift boutique. They sell tons of different candles (They're also the creators of Rewined and Produce candles!) as well as other fantastic items like stationary, art prints, and local Charleston gifts.
The intimate scented candle class we attended is only one of an array of different offerings from hand-dipping taper candles to therapeutic essential oil candle-making classes.  When we arrived, all of the tools and gadgets were already set up.  All we had to do was pop our cork (yes, it's BYOB!), put on an apron, and find a seat.  After a warm welcome from our professional chandler, Eloise, we all started the class by choosing our scents.
The most unique aspect of Candlefish is their library.  They have 100 different numbered scents from which to choose.  All of the scents aren't just one flavor either, they are mixtures of 3-4 different oils that create everything from floral and fruity to woodsy and masculine fragrances.  The reason each scent is numbered and not named is to keep each amateur chandler's fragrance choice as unbiased as possible.  I didn't know before I smelled the sample candle if the scent would be lemongrass and orange or lavender and elderflower, so I was more open to different aromas than I would be if each composition was listed on the bottle of fragrance oil.  Candlefish even has a card catalog where you can save your preferences on the "library card" below for subsequent trips to the shop.
After choosing our scents (a sweet oil for Mike that smelled just like baking and a musky scent for me), Eloise walked us through each step of candle making: pouring the wax, setting the wic, etc. all while sharing tons of important candle maintenance and care tips with us.
Mike and I had a fantastic time at Candlefish and could not wait to pick up our candles the next day.  They smell just as good as we imagined, and we have already burned each of our scents.  I highly suggest a trip to Candlefish if you're in the area, to browse their fantastic selection of unique scents and to try your hand at candle-making!  Even if you're not planning a trip to Charleston, they have a vast number of collections on their website to shop from, which, right now, include some fantastic winter and Valentine's Day gift ideas!
I was provided with a complimentary candle-making class in exchange for an honest review of their boutique and workshop.  All opinions are my own. 

28 comments:

Ashley Stephenson said...

This is such a neat thing to do! I would love to do this with my husband. I am going to look around and see if they have anything like this in Raleigh!

Kate at Green Fashionista said...

How much fun! I'm hoping to make it up to Charleston sometime this year, and this will be a must-do for sure. Love love love candle making <3
Green Fashionista

kerri @ cheshire kat said...

seriously this looks SO fun - right up my alley. i mean i have a million candles so it'd be fun to make my own. even their bags are cute! haha

xoxo cheshire kat

Pamela {Sequins and Sea Breezes} said...

This looks like SO much fun! I wanted to make our own candles while we were in Charleston but we never had time! I definitely need to make a trip back up there to do it! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

Lisa C said...

This looks like so much fun!

Chesson | Magnolia+Main said...

Well I think I know what I'm going to do the next time that I'm in Charleston! I wish Columbia had something like this - it would make for a perfect date night or girls' night.

Jen said...

What a fun thing to do! :) I would love to do something like this.

Veronica-VeroSays! said...

Oooooh how fun! We did a glass blowing class a few years ago and was so fun! We love candles, totally would love this! Xo

Jillian said...

candlefish is one of my favorite places in the city! xo jillian - cornflake dreams

Carly Messmer said...

I love Candlefish! Somehow, I still haven't done a class. I need to add it to the list before we leave!

Rebecca Jo said...

I never even knew places like this existed! I need to see if there is something like that around here. What a fun girls trip that would be!

Nikki said...

What a fun activity! I gotta see if there is something like this around me for my husband and I to do as a date night!

Julie said...

Oh this was right up your alley!!! I don't think I could get Keith to do this, but it would be fun!

Nikki @ makeupHER said...

This sounds like such a fun outing! I don't know if my Fiance would be down for making candles, but definitely a girls night out activity, I'll have to look into a place here that does it :)!

Carly said...

The shop is so cute and making your own candles would be so fun! I love the simplicity of the jars too.

The Lowcountry Mama said...

OMG WHAT?! This is so much fun and I had no idea about it!

Macy V said...

This is the coolest thing ever!! I need to find one of these around us somewhere, or open my own because I love this idea!

Lauren Honeycutt said...

That is SO cool! Yet another reason why I want to go to Charleston!

Alexandra Bee Blog said...

This looks like so much fun! I love my Rewined candle and their gift bags are gorgeous!!

Amanda | Kids and Cabernet said...

We didn't have enough time to go to Candlefish when we went to Charleston, but next time I'm totally going, sounds like so much fun - and I want to get my hand on a Rewined candle!

Christina Lea Loves said...

This is the cutest! When we come back to Charleston I'm definitely remembering this!

Caitlin Elizabeth said...

Sounds like such a fun afternoon! I dipped wax candles in kindergarten but this is definitely a few steps up haha, they look great!

Cara (Kindly Unspoken) said...

What a cool little place! Looks like so much fun!

birdie to be said...

This looks so fun!

Unknown said...

Love this so much! This would actually be a super fun blogger meet up location and activity around Southern C :).

Erin, Attention To Darling Blog
www.attentiontodarling.com

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

Ahh this looks like so much fun!

Sarah said...

I heard about this place on a podcast and it sounded amazing. I wish there was a place like that here! Your pictures are so pretty.

Kate @ Daffodils said...

I love that yall continue to take advantage of all that Charleston has to offer!

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