Kelly’s Candles turns wax into works of art

For Kelly, the owner of Kelly’s Candles, a candle is never just a candle. It’s a sculpture, a keepsake and for some customers, a way to hold onto the memory of someone they’ve lost.

Kelly has run the business for four years, drawing on a lifelong love of art to create pieces that go far beyond a standard jar candle. Her signature pieces include peony candles, each one hand-shaped after being poured, and Roman-inspired statue candles that reflect her fondness for classical sculpture.

“I really love the peonies,” Kelly said. “I know they take tons of time and back pain, but it’s so worth it,” she said, referring to the delicately peony shaped candle art.

Each peony candle takes two to three hours to make. Kelly pours the wax into a mold, then goes back in by hand to carve and refine every petal so the detail holds up under a close look.

“Sometimes people don’t even believe it’s an actual candle,” she said. “The texture is so amazing.”

That reaction is part of what drives her. Kelly said she never wanted to make a plain candle. She wanted to make something people could decorate with, learn from or simply sit with.

“I’m very fond of arts, and I wanted to create something people can decorate with, can learn, or something that can invoke memories,” Kelly said.

Evoking memory through custom scents

That intention carries into her fragrances, which she hand-picks one by one. She said the feedback that means the most to her comes from customers who tell her a scent brought back a memory of a loved one who had died, or of someone else special in their life.

“I feel like that alone is one reason that people should get these candles in their home, and you will not regret it,” Kelly said. “It’s really the fragrance, you will not regret it.”

Kelly said the extra time she puts into each piece is what sets her candles apart. Whether it’s a peony or another design, she reworks every candle after it comes out of the mold so the finished piece can stand out on its own in a customer’s home.

“I take extra time to make sure that my candles look the way they are,” she said. “It’s either they add an accent to your home or they become the attraction in the home.”

The business also holds to a broader environmental commitment. According to Kelly’s Candles’ mission statement, the company uses all-natural, biodegradable wax to minimize waste and its carbon footprint, relying on coconut and soy wax that is gluten-free, toxin-free, vegan and paraben- and phthalate-free. The wax is sourced from an FDA-approved supplier that shares the company’s environmental goals, according to the mission statement.

Customers can find Kelly’s Candles beyond its appearances at the Minnesota State Fair, where the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder originally found her, at the Grandstand. Kelly also sells through her website and out of a studio in Bloomington.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.