Shop Hop is a monthly column that shines a spotlight on small local retail business in and around Nashville.
Did you know candles are ~*alive*~? It’s true!
OK, it is not. But, like humans, candles have a sort of “muscle memory.” When you get a new candle and burn it for, let’s say, 30 minutes, once you blow it out and the wax cools you usually see a shallow rim around the center of the wick, right? Now, the next time you burn that candle, the candle will use that rim as a guide and continue to burn in that same pattern. That’s why you’ll sometimes get a candle that doesn’t burn evenly or leaves a ring of wax around the edge of the container. So annoying! But you can avoid that by burning your new candle for at least a couple hours the first time, which will allow the wax to melt all the way to the edge and therefore burn evenly. Cool, right?
That’s just one of the useful facts I learned when I popped into Paddywax Candle Bar on Sidco Drive for a Sunday afternoon candle making class. (I also learned that the nearby Paddywax factory pumps out about 5,000 candles every month to be sold at both local and chain retailers including Target, Paper Source, Batch Nashville and Parnassus Books. That is so many candles!)
At the front of Paddywax's corporate headquarters is a charming retail space full of candles, lotion and soaps, Designworks Inks planners and organizers and other cute gift items. But the real fun is to be had at the large communal table where, for $35, you get to spend about an hour making your own custom candle.
Paddywax staffers set you up with all the required tools — a scale, beakers and pitchers for measuring your wax and fragrance, wicks, labels and more. They also offer wine, beer and mimosas available for purchase. (Hot wax and alcohol? Sure!)
After a brief introduction to the process, you get to choose a vessel and a fragrance. Unfortunately you can't mix a custom scent — my dream of making a grade-school cafeteria-scented candle will have to wait — but Paddywax has over 40 different fragrances to choose from. Leather & Oak, Smoked Cedar & Nutmeg, Rosewood & Vanilla, Chamomile & Fig, Pink Pepper Grapefruit, Fresh Meyer Lemon, Basil Cucumber, Lavender & Thyme and many more.
There's also an impressive array of vessels, with each one capable of holding enough soy wax blend to give you about 70-80 hours of burn time. It was a hard 15 minutes of smelling, but I finally decided on a confetti blue container and Smoked Birch fragrance — it has a really cozy fireplace scent that’s perfect for the hygge vibes I hope to achieve this winter.
From there, it doesn't take much for the candle magic to happen — you place your wicks, measure out your fragrance and hot wax, mix the two together and pour it into your container. Secure the wicks with metal wick bar and voila! You're done! The candles are ready to be picked up and taken home three hours later, or they can ship them to you for an extra fee.
Daylight saving time has disrupted our lives once again. Our days are getting shorter and our nights are getting colder. Go make a candle that'll fill your home with a soft glow and comforting scent. It's just interactive enough to help you feel like you actually accomplished something without any mess or fuss (unlike so many other DIY projects I tend to gravitate towards every fall).
Paddywax Candle Bar
2934 Sidco Dr., #140
Nashville, TN 37204
Sunday noon-5 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday noon-7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; closed Monday
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