This article was updated in August 2024
The holidays are upon us again!
We know Christmas started early for many of our makers and everyone is now in the full swing of juggling Christmas markets (yay to them being back!), increasing sales and trying to keep their heads above water until Christmas Eve! Don't worry, we're right there with you and seeing the festive fragrance products our makers have been sharing with us on social media so far helps keep us going when we're drowning in packing peanuts and tape.
First things first: Just a heads-up that things tend to get hectic for postal services this time of year, with the increased volume of packages and cards being sent. This means your order might take a few extra days to arrive at your doorstep, so we ask that you please factor delays into your timeline when placing orders.
Delivery delays aside, it's great to see so many experienced makers having a good year and always nice to see new makers coming on board too. Whether you're an old hat at making or this is your first season, we've got candle-making tips and insights that will make Christmas a sellout success. Think of this blog as your anchor to all of the other useful resources we’ve published, so don’t miss any of the links throughout.
1. Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to your products
Winter can be a tricky time for making candles and melts, you've spent the summer time perfecting your recipe but now that it's time to put it all into practice; things just aren't working as they should. We cover a few of the most common issues below to help get you back on track.
Wet Spots
These are air bubbles that appear in between the candle and the container’s surface. This occurs when the candle cools down too quickly, causing the wax to pull away from the glassware, creating the air bubbles which affect how the candle appears against the glass. Tips to avoid wet spots include:
- Make sure that each glass is clean and dry before transferring the wax into them.
- Preheat the jars before transferring the wax to help even out the cooling temperature throughout the batch of candles.
- Pour the wax slowly to avoid air from mixing with the wax.
- Give each glass a gentle tap to help release any air bubbles.
You can read our full blog here to learn more about preventing and addressing wet spots.
Frosting
Frosting is a common issue and a natural effect of using vegetable waxes, such as soy. It does not affect the performance of the candle or melt but it gives an unpleasant appearance, which might cause your customers to think that you are selling poor quality products.
You can avoid frosting by using additives to help stabilise your wax. But if you want to make sure that your products are all-natural, here are some things that you can do:
- Turn the heat up or place a polystyrene box over your products as they cool to slow the curing of the wax. Did you know that the biggest cause of frosting at this time of year is your working environment being too cold?
- Adjust the melting temperature in small increments to see which will work better.
- Use an elevated wire cooling rack; it will help prevent your candles from retaining excess heat.
You can read our full blog here on how to avoid frosting.
Lumpy Tops
Lumpy tops occur when a soy candle does not form a smooth top. This issue is brought about if not enough care and consideration are given to the pouring temperature.
To avoid lumpy tops you can:
- Use a good quality thermometer. This will come in handy so that you can measure the pouring temperature.
- Try testing different pour temperatures starting from the recommended level.
- If lumpy tops still occur, raise your pour temperature in 1-degree increments.
- Maintain an ambient air temperature in your production and storage areas.
- Try gently heating your glass containers in the oven at a low temperature.
Read our full blog here on how to avoid lumpy tops.
2. Capitalise on Christmas scents
Tis the season to expand your product line with festive fragrances. And if you’ve not already been doing so, you’re missing out on a HUGE business opportunity. Hop on the Christmas scent train with pre-mixed blends crafted by expert perfumers—they've done the heavy lifting, so you don't have to. Remember, Christmas is a time for nostalgia, so no need to be adventurous, the classics are always crowd-pleasers.
Browse through our top Christmas scent combos and Christmas classics for inspiration.
3. Deck the halls (and your candles!)
Don't forget the extras! Offer festive candle holders, decorative lids, and seasonal packaging to enhance the Christmas appeal of your products. Get creative with your displays at markets—use fairy lights, sprigs of holly and festive fabrics to create an enchanting atmosphere. You can also offer simple DIY decorating tips for customers, such as adding cinnamon sticks or dried orange slices to their candle holders for a personalised touch.
We have some further festive presentation tips here, as well as some Christmas candle holder ideas and DIY Christmas table decorations for you to try.
4. Spread the Christmas cheer in the form of marketing
Christmas markets are a prime opportunity to showcase your candles and engage with potential customers. Make your stall visually appealing with festive decorations and enticing displays. Offer samples, interact with passersby, and share your passion for candle making. On social media, create captivating content with festive photos, videos, and engaging captions. Use relevant hashtags, run holiday-themed giveaways, and partner with influencers to spread the word about your Christmas candle collection.
Don’t miss these tips on social media marketing and setting up your Christmas market stall.
5. Make sure you are fully stocked up
This is a big one that sadly we see every year and it tends to lead to a lot of unnecessary stress for all. It may be tempting to offer your customers products that you haven't actually made yet—we know, you don't want to get stuck with products that don't sell, but in doing so, you are putting the reputation of your business on the line if you are unable to deliver the products to your customer in the timeframe you have promised them.
This is best avoided at all times, however, it is even more important at this time of year, as we do experience stock outages (not to mention the inevitable delivery delays) and this means we may not be able to meet your deadline for delivery to your customer.
Ordering ahead and ensuring you have stock ready to go will always leave your customer with a better impression of your business. To help you keep stock on hand, we offer Clearpay and LayBuy at checkout.
6. Don’t miss out on earning points for your purchases
If you want to make the most of your candle supply purchases, partner up with a supplier that rewards their customers like we do! When you join NI Rewards, you'll instantly earn 200 Scents, and then you'll earn 3 Scents for every £1 you spend. You can also earn Scents by liking our social media pages, sharing our Facebook posts, and registering your birthday. Scents can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases: 500 Scents for £5 off, 1,000 Scents for £10 off, and 2,500 Scents for £25 off.
If you're not a member yet, you can sign up by scrolling down to the footer of our website and clicking on ‘Rewards’ under the ‘Info’ column. You can also discover more information in our blog here.
7. Prolong the life of your Christmas products
Renaming our fragrances is an effective way of increasing sales. This way, you create exclusivity around your product because your customers can only secure the particular product that they liked through your business. During the holidays, you might want to offer Christmas-themed products, but it is worth considering whether a broader name would be better suited so that you can continue selling it after the holidays.
Here’s an example. If your candle is made using Christmas Cheer, you could change the name to Winter Wonderland to make it marketable during the winter season, which can go on until the end of February. Thinking outside the box like this is a great way to extend the life of the candles you create and help ensure you aren't left with stock that people don't want to purchase after the festive season is over.
8. Always, always put safety first
We know decorative candles are very popular during this festive season, but as a maker, it’s important that you put safety first. When you decorate the candles you sell, you should stick to designs that will not endanger your customers. Tying a ribbon around bare candle wax can be pretty, but it’s unsafe. As the candle melts, it’s possible the ribbon may come into contact with the flame and this could cause a fire.
It’s a legal requirement to ensure your products carry a safety label guiding users on how to use them and that they include a CLP label on them. If you reside in the EU or sell your products into the EU, you will also need to ensure your products comply with the UFI requirements.
If you have any questions or need support you can leave a comment, contact us here or message us on Facebook!
