Thursday, June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson dies and passes from this world into the next. Memorialize and pay tribute to Michael Jackson with a specially inscribed memorial candle holder and floating candle.

This has nothing to do with candles, other than the fact that the Christmas holiday season is an excellent excuse to enjoy a richly scented candle. But I found a blog that is giving away a set of 10 free Christmas Cards. Follow the links below to learn how to enter.

Please visit JenuineJen.com to see the Handmade Christmas Cards for yourself.

Any time my wife and I pass a richly scented candle display in a store we stop and spend a few minutes sniffing them. We’ve probably tested them all out about a hundred times, but we just can’t resist the lure of a fresh richly scented candle.

One of the places that we most often end up spending 20 minutes or so popping off tops and inspecting the whole richly scented candle inventory is at a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. When we’re taking a long trip we intentionally take our rest stops at Cracker Barrels along the way. And we inevitably meet up at the richly scented Yankee Candle display after we’ve taken care of business and stretched our legs.

On our most recent visit we perused the fall and holiday flavors in the richly scented candle section. And I made note of my favorite Yankee Candle fall and holiday richly scented candle aromas:

1. Mistletoe Richly Scented Candle
mistletoe, berries, pine boughs, and holly

2. Farmhouse Apple Richly Scented Candle
Cider-pressed apples and a hint of Clementine spiced with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

3. Spiced Pumpkin Richly Scented Candle
Pumpkins baked in simmering spices of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and sweetened with brown sugar.

4. Sparkling Cinnamon Richly Scented Candle
real imported stick cinnamon with a hint of cloves.

5. Christmas Eve Richly Scented Candle
warm hearth, sugared plums, and candied fruits.

6. Holiday Home Sweet Home Richly Scented Candle
cinnamon, cloves, pine, cedar, smoked firewood and vanilla.

7. Christmas Cookie Richly Scented Candle
Buttery rich, vanilla scented, holiday sugar cookies.

8. Gingerbread Richly Scented Candle
spicy warm gingerbread rich with nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar.

9. Christmas Wreath Richly Scented Candle
Fresh-cut boughs and branches of pine, balsam, and holly berry.

10. Home for the Holidays Richly Scented Candle
cinnamon and clove, mixed with earthy cedar wood and balsam.

11. Balsam & Cedar Richly Scented Candle
Balsam, aromatic cedar wood, and juniper berry

12. Autumn Wreath Richly Scented Candle
autumn leaves and cinnamon apples.

13. Frosted Pumpkin Richly Scented Candle
A warm, delicious recipe of pumpkin, spices, honey and maple topped with sugary vanilla frosting.

See my post, Richly Scented Candle.

The power that a Richly Scented Candle has over the mood of a room is undeniable. A properly chosen richly scented candle can stir up vivid memories and evoke positive emotions that reduce stress, increase happiness, and create a more pleasant atmosphere for just about any situation.

For years, scientists, psychologists, and experimenters have been aware of the influence that a Richly Scented Candle or a pleasant aroma has on the individual psyche. The fragrance of vanilla has long been the standard used when an experiment requires a scent that is universally regarded as pleasant. In one study, patients with cancer who were going through MRI scans (a highly stressful procedure) indicated 63% less discomfort when the scent of vanilla (similar to that used in a richly scented candle) was used in the procedure room.

So with the strong emotional reactions that a richly scented candle can produce, a lot of people are using them to improve their lives and even their businesses in a variety of ways. A richly scented candle filling the room with the aroma of freshly baked cookies might make everyone in the room feel relaxed, warm, comfortable, and at peace. People in the positive state of mind induced by that Richly Scented Candle will be more likely to enjoy the company of and leave with a more favorable opinion of the others in the room with them. If used in a store or shop, the mood created by that richly scented candle may also make people more likely to buy products and spend money. The same richly scented candle placed in a classroom could ease the tensions of the students and allow them to perform better on tests and retain knowledge more effectively. The benefits and possible implementations of the richly scented candle go on and on.

The most positive experiences with the fragrance and aroma of a Richly Scented Candle can be achieved when the smell used is something that people are familiar with, can quickly identify, and associate with fond, happy memories from their past. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what richly scented candle fragrance will be a hit with each person because everyone has different tastes and experiences. But in general, it’s safe to assume that the aromas of popular foods, particularly those that children might associate with a joyous holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or see as a treat or reward like cake, cookies, ice cream, etc., when used in a richly scented candle will take people back to a happy place and achieve the desired mood.

Some ideas to get you started in your quest for the right Richly Scented Candle are vanilla (hard to go wrong with the basic), pumpkin spice candles, apple pie, strawberry, cherry, cinnamon, peppermint, mint, amaretto, bread (yes bread), cloves, citrus, coffee candles, ginger bread, nutmeg, lemon, orange, peach, spiced cranberry, and sugar plum. But the list of scented oils available is so extensive that you can likely find a richly scented candle in just about any flavor you want.

One of the hot new “Green” marketing campaigns is that of BP Candles. No, these are not British Petroleum Candles (as in the BP gas stations). BP Candles are made by a company called Beanpod Candles. The BP in BP Candles stands for Bean Pod as in Soy Bean.

The recent BP Candles ad blitz urging you to “Go Green with Beanpod” has generated quite response as more and more people try to adjust every aspect of their lives to be more environmentally conscious, including the types of candles they use. It turns out BP Candles are 100% Soy Wax, and as we’ve mentioned in many previous posts here, candles made with soy wax are far better for the environment than the more common petroleum paraffin based candles.

BP Candles makes a great product. At BP Candles they have a huge variety of colors, fragrances, sizes, and shapes. If you’re looking for a nice Richly Scented Candle that is also environmentally friendly, there’s a good chance BP Candles makes a richly scented candle that you’ll be happy with.

But BP Candles is not the only game in town, and they’re certainly not the first when it comes to 100% Soy Candles. There are numerous richly scented candle makers who use 100% soy wax and sell their richly scented candle products conveniently via the internet. Whereas most BP Candles are sold through individual retail stores. Do yourself a favor and shop around at several of the websites where you can buy scented soy candles. You’ll find some great prices and a tremendous variety of richly scented candles that are pure soy and just as “green” as BP Candles.

While you’re at it, take a look at our post on Coffee Mug Soy Candles and the benefits of a Richly Scented Candle. Thanks!

Coffee Mug Soy Candles are simple, inexpensive, and people love them. The basic idea is a coffee mug filled with a scented soy wax candle. The soy candle wax is usually colored to look like the mug beverage that its scent imitates. Some of the more popular Coffee Scented Soy Candles are Cappuccino, Dark Roasted Coffee, Crème Brulee Coffee, French Roast Coffee, Hazelnut Cappuccino, Hazelnut Latte, Hot Chocolate, Mocha Mint, Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, and the list of rich candle aromas goes on. They even top some of them with wax that looks like whipped cream!

Soy Coffee Mug Candles may be the solution to your Christmas gift giving quandary for one or more people. If you work in a busy office, in sales or service with a long client list, or in any position where you’re going to have to give gifts to several people, Coffee Mug Soy Candles could make your holiday season easier and create lots of good will with the people on your list. The pluses of giving coffee scented soy candles in mugs is that they’re cheap, small, easy to handle in bulk, they smell great, they look great, and after the candle is gone the coffee mug can be washed and used over and over again.

If you’re planning to give Coffee Mug Soy Candles on behalf of your business, there are a number of online ad specialty, marketing, and promotional item companies that will be able to supply you with a large number of coffee mugs imprinted with your company logo. Some of those companies will be able to provide the coffee mugs already filled with the scented soy wax. But if you prefer to fill the mugs on your own, that’s fairly simple too. Just purchase the soy wax chips or soy wax flakes, the fragrance oil of your choice, and a roll of wicking from any candle making supply website and follow the easy melting instructions which appear in our Pumpkin Candle post. Your Coffee Scented Soy Candles and mugs will be a hit.

Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t just treat yourself to a gift of soy coffee mug candles. Decorating your house with Scented Coffee Mug Soy Candles will not only beautify the place, but the scent of warm, rich, fresh coffee emanating from your candles will fill the house with comfort and joy for the holidays or at any time of year.

Also check out our comparison piece on Scented Soy Pillar Candles, BP Candles not British Petroleum Candles, and the mood enhancing qualities of a Richly Scented Candle.

This is a fun scented soy candle project that you can do on your own or with your kids, to exercise your creative juices and decorate your house for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the fall.

The finished product will be a real pumpkin filled with a pumpkin spice scented soy candle. It makes an excellent autumn centerpiece. Or line a walkway with several of them to create beautiful nighttime luminaries that set the mood for Halloween parties and trick-or-treating.

You will need:

Soy Wax Chips or Flakes (for container candles, not pillar)
Pumpkin Pie Spice Fragrance Oil
Wicktabs
Wicking Roll (51-32-18 Zinc Core)
Pumpkin - Small or Medium
Pencil
Large Saucepan
Large Metal or Glass Cooking Bowl
Large Wooden Spoon

The first four items can be found on any candle making supplies website or at your local craft store. Shop around at the various online candle making supply sites to compare prices and find the quantities that best suit your needs.

STEP 1 – Prep the Pumpkin

You should select a small to medium pumpkin because you’re going to have to hollow it out and fill it with wax. A great big pumpkin will just require too much wax. Plus the small pumpkins are just easier to deal with.

For safety, your pumpkin should be stable and not prone to rolling over at the slightest bump. You don’t want a flaming soy candle rolling around in your house!

Using a knife, cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin. The opening should be at least 2 inches across (for very small pumpkins) and no more than 4 inches across for larger pumpkins.

Remove the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin. Just get the bulk of them out, but don’t make yourself crazy getting every scrap.

STEP 2 – Prep the Wick

Measure out enough candle wicking to reach the bottom of your pumpkin plus 3 more inches to stick out of the top, and cut it off.

Insert one end of your wick into a wicktab and anchor it firmly in the bottom center of your pumpkin.

Center the top of the wick in the opening at the top of your pumpkin and wrap it around the pencil to hold it in place. Sit the pencil across the top of the opening making sure the wick is lined up right in the middle.

STEP 3 – Melt the Soy Candle Wax & Fill the Pumpkin

Be very careful here. Soy wax is flammable, so don’t spill it onto the cooking element. See my post on candle making safety.

Fill the saucepan about half full with water and bring it to a boil on the stove.

Pour the soy wax chips or soy wax flakes into the metal or glass cooking bowl. Don’t fill it more than two thirds full.

With a pot holder, hold the bowl over the top of the boiling water (using it as a double-boiler) and stir the soy wax chips constantly with the wooden spoon until the soy candle wax is completely melted.

Quickly mix a generous amount of the Pumpkin Pie Spice Fragrance Oil into the melted wax. Then carefully pour the wax into the opening at the top of your pumpkin.

If necessary, repeat this process until the pumpkin is filled to the top.

STEP 4 – Trim the Wicking

After the soy candle wax has cooled and solidified, use some scissors to trim the excess wicking off the top of your new scented soy candle. Leave about 1 inch of wick exposed at the top.

Your candle is now ready to light and enjoy! Stay tuned for other fun, free Halloween crafts for kids and their parents.

Visit our home page for more on Scented Soy Candles. Also check out How to Make Candle Molds, Scented Candles for Fall, the emotional effects of a Richly Scented Candle, and Coffee Mug Soy Candles.

And visit the blog Rocks In My Dryer to see other “Works For Me Wednesday” posts.

One more Halloween thing, JenuineJen.com has a fun Halloween game to play with your neighbors called “You’ve Been Spooked!” Give it a look.

This video is just shy of 10 minutes long, but it is as entertaining as it is informative. (Which, I guess, is why Martha Stewart is so successful.) In the video she teaches Kelly Ripa how to cast a mold of any small object (they use types of decorative squash) and then use the mold to make a candle.

The soy wax chips, colors, scents, wicks, and casting material are all available for easy order online through a variety of candle making supply websites so that you can make your own scented soy pillar candles.

Enjoy:

Also view: Holiday Scented Soy Pillar Candles

And visit the blog Rocks In My Dryer to see other “Works For Me Wednesday” posts.

Also checkout Halloween Crafts for Kids and Halloween Candles.

One of the best things about the fall and autumn is the abundance of fantastic smells that are in the air. Here in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in north Georgia, where I live, fall is when all of the apple farms bring in their crops. So there is no shortage of apple recipes (especially apple pies) being cooked in just about every kitchen. The rich scent of apple pie with just the right spices floats around giving everybody a reason to smile.

And of course, with the approach of the autumn holidays everybody is preparing their Halloween and Thanksgiving treats that almost always include spiced pumpkin pie!

If you can make a trip to north Georgia to enjoy all of our fall scents, I highly recommend it. But if you cannot, or if you want to recreate the experience in your own house, the easiest way to do it is to stock up on a selection of scented soy pillar candles.

Recent advances in candle making technology have resulted in near perfect replication of just about any delicious aroma you want. So now when you light up an American Apple Pie Candle, anyone who walks into your house will think you’re actually baking an apple pie. The scent is that authentic.

Here’s a list of my favorite fall holiday scented soy candles. Stock up on this inventory and this will be the best smelling fall you’ve ever had.

Gingerbread Spice Candle
Pumpkin Spice Candle
Clove Candle
American Apple Pie Candle
Cinnaberry Candle
Mulled Cider Candle
Spiced Apple Harvest Candle
Super Cinnamon Candle
Evergreen Candle
Christmas Tree Candle
Cranberry Candle
Peppermint Candle
Hot Chocolate Candle
Spiced Cranberry Candle

Plus check out this cool pumpkin candle craft idea and get the down-low on Coffee Mug Soy Candles.

The first thing you need to remember when you’re melting the wax for your scented soy pillar candles is that it’s flammable. Duh, you’re making a candle. So be careful, have a fire extinguisher nearby, and/or be prepared to smother the fire with a wet towel or the lid of metal pot. DO NOT USE WATER to put out a soy wax fire. Soy wax is basically hydrogenated soybean oil, so it behaves the same as other oils when on fire. Oil and wax float on water. If you dump a bunch of water into a pot with burning soy wax, the water will sink to the bottom. Then, because it’s trapped between the wax and the pot, it will quickly become superheated and vaporize, shooting an explosion of burning wax straight up and out of the pot, burning down your house, your neighborhood, and several thousand acres of surrounding forest land.  So for the love of all that is pure and holy, do not put it out with water!  Got it?

Now that you are gripped with terror at the thought of setting off a violent flaming explosion, let’s start melting the wax for your scented soy pillar candles.

Double boiling is the way to go. To do this, you need two pots. In the first and largest pot, you bring a few inches of water to a boil. In the second and smaller pot, you put the wax you’ve chosen to make your scented soy pillar candles. Sit the smaller pot inside the first pot so that it touches the boiling water but not the bottom of the pot. Putting something in the boiling water to support the second pot is a good idea. I use a biscuit cutter. Lower the heat to simmer. Also, be sure to monitor the water level so it doesn’t all boil away. Add more as needed.

It shouldn’t take long for the wax to melt for your scented soy pillar candles. You will need a thermometer to keep track of the temperature and get it to just the right level (this varies by the type of wax, so check the manufacturer’s instructions on your wax package.)

Later we’ll address adding color and aroma to your scented soy pillar candles.

Also check out this Candle Joke.