Candles by Candy: How a hobby lit a flame for a Howard County business

During the pandemic, Candace “Candy” Bell turned to candlemaking to decompress from her stressful duties as full-time teacher and cafeteria worker, in addition to being a mom.

She bought a kit and began creating candles. Bell’s family and friends were impressed, inspiring her to spend more time experimenting to find the right oil blends for her candles.

Soon, Bell, 45, took the leap and began selling her creations at local farmers markets. She joined a Howard County nonprofit that supported women of color entrepreneurs.

Four years ago, Bell opened Candles by Candy upstairs at the Savage Mill, a historic cotton mill complex that has been converted into a home for shops, art studios and restaurants. She sells candles but also has space to invite people in to create their own.

“I don’t think there’s really anything that’s totally candlemaking in the area, so it just caught on,” Bell said.

She quickly outgrew her storefront and moved downstairs into a bigger location. And last year, the Columbia resident opened her second shop on Main Street in Ellicott City, called Candles by Candy-Candle Bar.

What is the candlemaking process?

I would first have you pick your jars. We have 7-ounce and 10-ounce jars. You would then grab an apron, and then we would start guiding you through picking your scents. We would see if you like fruit scents, earthy or masculine scents, or something that’s fresh-smelling.

Along the scent wall, some options include peppermint, lemongrass, sandalwood, jasmine and white peach. And then we get to candlemaking. The candles take about 45 minutes to an hour to solidify.

What classes are offered in the shop?

There are both beginner and advanced candlemaking classes. In all the classes we use soy wax, but in advanced classes you can add dried flowers, espresso beans — for coffee-scented candles — and you can dye your wax.

We also offer classes to make room sprays, roller-ball perfume and cologne.

While the wax sets, we invite guests to go around Savage Mill and check out the other shops. We’ve also collaborated with Dive Bar and Grille and More Than Java Café, where you can receive a 10% off coupon for either spot. So, you can make a candle, grab a bite to eat and make a whole night out of it.

Like a paint-and-sip experience, the shop is BYOB. You can sip your wine as you make your candle.

For the first time, we are offering a summer camp. Each weeklong session teaches kids about candlemaking but also exposes them to all different kinds of art, like beading, experimenting with puffy paint and more. We also play games and go outside.

What is the experience like at the Ellicott City location?

So our Ellicott City location is a little different. Because it’s smaller, the space looks like an actual bar, but we don’t sell drinks. Instead, you come and have a seat at the bar to make a candle. It’s the same concept as the Savage Mill shop, you wear an apron, pick your jar, your scents and go home with a candle.

But we’re serving you. We serve you each item as if we were bartenders serving drinks. And like Savage Mill, the bar is BYOB.

I started offering martini and margarita candle jars at the bar to play into the theme. We eventually moved those jars over to the shop because people were enjoying them so much.

What is the goal of Candles by Candy?

Kids deal with a lot, adults deal with a lot, so I wanted to create a space where anyone can just come, create and enjoy life. It’s a space to tap into your creative side and put your phones and electronics away.

My goal was to create something that I would go to. If I was out trying to find things to do, this is something I would love to do.

I also have kids, so I wanted to have something that was kid-friendly, where families can bring their kids one day and then come back themselves for date night or with a group of friends.

What else does Candles by Candy offer?

Mobile candle making. If you have the location, tables, seating and everything else, we’ll bring the experience to you. We also do corporate events.

We also host plenty of kids’ birthday parties. Come into the shop with your food and decorations and celebrate.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.