2013 Featured Sponsor: Dapper Ink

IT'S OFFICIALLY FESTIVAL SEASON!! We're so excited!

With the 2013 Indie Craft Parade just a couple of months away, we get to start introducing all of the people who make it possible--vendors, sponsors, even food providers and musicians. Once the applications close at the end of this month, we'll start giving sneak peeks to who will be joining us. But for now, we want to show a little sponsor love.

Today, we're sharing Dapper Ink--our go to business for local printing. For the past three years, Dapper Ink has been our source for tee shirt printing and more recently letterpress and banner printing. For the upcoming festival we're excited to announce that Dapper is partnering with us to run a print-your-own screen print and letterpress station (more details to come). And when you arrive at the festival you'll now know where the volunteer tees, directional banners, and other printed goods came from.

A little more about them...

Welcome to Dapper Ink. We're your one-stop-shop for all things print and design. Working since 2007 in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina, we serve our local and regional community by providing top notch artwork and printed goods. With small minimums and complimentary design services, we're the perfect source for providing apparel and accessories for schools, youth groups, small businesses, summer camps, and local events. We pride ourselves on creative designs, timely service, and great customer experiences. Almost all of our work is handled start to finish in-house, which guarantees our careful attention to detail throughout production.

We have a great team at Dapper Ink. Staffed by artists, graphic designers, and print specialists, we're a creative place to work and do business. When not at the shop, you'll find us biking the Swamp Rabbit Trail, playing with our pets (we have a Dapper Dog!), obsessing over new Apple products, getting lost in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or geeking out over foodie trends and the perfect cup of coffee.

Each tee shirt is printed by hand.

Dapper ink has a great shop location not far from Downtown Greenville. If you visit, you can also check out their collection of letterpress goods in the front studio. They have a 100 year old press that they use to produce greeting cards and post cards as well as custom work such as wedding invitations, birth announcements, and business cards.

Thanks Dapper Ink for all your work for Indie Craft Parade!!

Applications are Now Open!

We are officially accepting applications for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade!

Applications must be submitted before midnight EST on June 23, 2013 so tell all your creative friends and family members. If you have any questions about who can apply or what kind of handmade goods we're looking for, check out our Participant FAQs and then apply here!

Applications for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade: Stand out from the crowd!

Photo: Finkelstein's Center

Each year, more talented artists are competing for the same number of Indie Craft Parade spots. The jury may change each year, but what they're looking for doesn't. As you prepare your applications, we wanted to share a few tips that could help you stand out from the crowd.

We state that work will be selected based on how well it aligns with the vision of Indie Craft Parade, as well as its: · originality · quality · uniqueness · innovation

Here are a few ways you can showcase your strengths in these areas with your application.

Photography: This the primary method jury members use to determine the quality of your work. Two years ago, we did a short series about ways to improve your product photography. If you feel that your photos don't portray your work accurately, brush up on these basics or ask for tips from someone you know who takes great photos.

Some other ways to ensure your photos show off your work:

Show more than one product. Photo: Merciful Hearts Farm

Use a neutral background. Photo: Rachel Feece Pottery

Give your product context. Photo: Pogoshop

Or let it have the spotlight. Photo: Lily PotteryThe vision of Indie Craft Parade: We are looking for the highest quality handmade goods in the realm of modern craft. The emphasis is on quality and modern. Experience and background aren't a deciding factor; if you create the most amazing handcrafted work, we don't care if you’ve been doing it for 30 years or 3 months, we want to see it! This isn't your grandma's church bazaar, not a place where you'll find "country crafts" or monogrammed tupperware. We feature modern craft; high quality work with a fresh and unique spin.

Also, as a sidenote, if you typically participate in art shows, you already know you'll want to have a varied price range, with plenty of items that can be sold at an affordable price point. One of Indie Craft Parade's goals is to make art more accessible, which means the average price of goods sold at our festival maybe lower than other Fine Art shows. No matter how well made your items are, remember they need to be a good fit for the audience. That doesn't mean that all your products should be $20 or under, but just be aware that for our show, the more affordable items sell better. So bring those beautiful big ceramic vases or original framed paintings, but also have plenty of mugs or prints that are offered at a lower price point.

2011 Booth: Illyria Pottery

Originality, Uniqueness and Innovation: You want your work to stand out from other applications, especially if you're entering a competitive category like To Wear. Our best advice is to show the jury something they haven't seen before. An item made with an unexpected material or color is going to catch the jury's eye a lot quicker than something they've seen a hundred times before. Also, our jury loves seeing a fresh, modern take on a traditional craft... like a dip-dyed woven basket or a carved wooden pedestal with clean lines.

If you're afraid your product may get overlooked, consider other ways you can innovate, maybe with interesting packaging. Branding is something our jury considers, so a well-designed logo and packaging will certainly work in your favor.

Photo: Sweeteeth

Quality: The jury is looking for signs of craftsmanship, so if an application is completed haphazardly — the description unclear or photos out of focus — this reflects poorly on your work. Take an extra minute to re-read what you've written and make sure you submitted the best photos. This extra attention will convey that you care about what you do.

If you have tiny details that can be missed from far away, consider using one of your images for a close up shot that will show off your skills.

Photo: Royal Buffet

We hope these tips help you put your best foot forward, and we can't wait to see all the submissions! You can apply online from June 1 to June 23.

Are you an experienced exhibitor? Share your tips with us in the comment section!

Look Ma, we're on TV!

Just kidding! But we are on an episode of Smart Creative Women, a wonderful video interview series that the lovely Monica Lee hosts on her blog. Elizabeth and Erin, the 2 founders of Indie Craft Parade, get chatty about everything from the story behind the festival to what new adventures the future might hold.

Who knew we could talk so much! Huge thanks to Monica for featuring Indie Craft Parade. Make sure you check out all the great stories shared on Smart Creative Women!

Meet the 2013 Jury

Today, we are thrilled to introduce our 2013 Indie Craft Parade jury members! Each year, five artists from our local community are selected to sit on our jury because of their experience and skill as well as their commitment to the expansion of the Greenville art scene. These artists will anonymously review the applications submitted and select participants according to the quality, innovation and uniqueness of their work. Without futher ado, meet the 2013 Jury:

Diane Kilgore-Condon

Diane Kilgore-Condon is an artist based in Greenville, South Carolina, who creates imaginative oil paintings with a surrealist feel. She is member and founder of ArtBomb Studios, a collaborative and visionary studio space established twelve years ago in what is now Greenville's Art District. Diane is best known for her paintings and mixed media pieces as well as her great love for rescuing dogs.

Marco Suarez

Marco Suarez is an artist and designer living in Atlanta, GA. Marco's artwork combines landscape photography with digital techniques that he has developed as a graphic designer. He creates digital collages incorporating photography, ink, watercolor, inkodye, and other textures and mediums. He is also the Art Director at MailChimp.

Barb Blair

As a designer, Barb specializes in redeeming found goods and furniture that inspires one-of-a-kind design stories. She is an avid lover of color and has a fresh eye for unpredictable combinations of style and texture. She also loves being behind the lens, carrying her camera everywhere. The art of capturing everyday beauty and detail strongly influences her design concepts. She is the author of Furniture Makeovers, published this spring by Chronicle Books.

Teresa Roche

Teresa Roche is an artist, a gallery curator, and an interior designer. As an artist, she creates mixed media collages primarily working with thin layers of acrylic paint, vintage paper and fabric. Art & Light is Teresa’s fusion gallery/home accents boutique featuring local artists and mid-century modern furniture and lighting. Her particular knack in interior design is the use of re-worked, previously outdated, odd or unusual pieces (from industrial material to old signage or a clock piece!), children’s art, the work of art students, etc. in order to maintain modest price points on furnishings and accessories.

Dan Marinelli

After completing a three-year residency at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, N.C., Daniel relocated to the Greenville area with his wife and children. Daniel has set up his shop and studio in the Old Southern Bleachery in Taylors, S.C., where he makes custom architectural work, sculpture, paintings, and objects for the home.

June 1st is the date applications open, so tell your crafty friends and get your products and cameras ready to apply for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade!

Product Photography Class!

Although a cliche expression, when it comes to product photography, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Whether you're trying to stand out on Etsy, pitch your product to a wholesaler, or simply apply for a craft show (hint hint), most often your work is only as good as your photographs. If people can only see your work...they can't touch, try on, or experience how great your stuff is...they WILL make judgments only on what they see. Perfect example, for the jurying of Indie Craft Parade participants, everything is anonymous. The jury can only see the photographs of artists work. No names, no extra information.

So obviously, we think this issue of product photography is a big deal. Therefore in the month of May we will be addressing it as we help people prepare for Indie Craft Parade applications and beyond. Expect guest bloggers, example works, and other tips to make your application the best possible.

To start off with we've had a great offer from local photographers Michelle and TJ Getz. Michelle knows the value of good product photography, and she came up with the idea of hosting/teaching a product photography class while attending The Makers Summit. On Saturday May 18 Getzcreative Photography will be hosting a limited attendance class to help people get the most out of their product photography. They have a keen eye for details, and for all of the skills you could develop from the class, the price really is a steal.

See the details from Michelle below:

Product Photography Class

Attention Crafters! Let us teach you how to take good product photos on your own! Learn how to use background, props, and available light. Avoid the common photography mistakes. Bring your own product, bring your camera (yes, even iPhones will work), and we will help you use what you have to showcase your particular product.

When: Saturday May 18; 10 am to 12 noon Where: Getzcreative Photography Who: Open to anyone, but there only 10 spaces available How Much: $45

Email shootme@getzcreative.com or call 864-354-2548 to reserve your spot today!

Furniture Makeovers Launch Party

We'll be introducing our 2013 jury very soon, but in the meantime, we want to share and celebrate a huge accomplishment by one of our previous jury members and a longtime supporter, Barb Blair. We select each Indie Craft Parade jury member because of their involvement in the Greenville art scene as well as their contribution to the creative community at large. We think these folks have a lot to offer, so we're thrilled when they get recognized well beyond the scope of our city. This weekend, Barb will be celebrating the release of her first book, Furniture Makeovers, with a book party at her studio. The celebration starts Friday at 5pm, complete with amazing freebies for the first 100 guests in the door! Check out all the event details here.

If you're not familiar with Barb or her work, she specializes in redeeming found goods and furniture, often giving discarded pieces new life. More about the book from Chronicle:

Furniture Makeovers shows how to transform tired furniture into stunning showpieces. You’ll never look at a hand-me-down dresser the same way again! The book offers 26 easy-to-follow techniques that can be applied to all different types of pieces, from bookshelves to desks: painting, applying gold leaf, wallpapering, distressing, dip dyeing, and more. In addition to the core techniques, author and Knack Studios founder Barb Blair shares 30 beautiful before-and-after makeovers from her studio and outlines how to achieve each look. With helpful step-by-step photographs, a visual glossary explaining all the tools and materials needed, and a lovely contemporary aesthetic, Furniture Makeovers is a treasure trove of ideas and instruction for the home decorator.

Join us at Knack Studios this Friday to see Barb's work in person and celebrate with one of Greenville's many creative entrepreneurs!

School Scholarship: Artists Day

It's been a while since we've given updates about our school scholarship program, but today, I'm really excited to share some photos from this past Monday when three Indie Craft Parade participants shared their skills with the students of Gateway Elementary in Traveler's Rest. This post is also a really good opportunity for us to say THANK YOU to everyone who financially supports Indie Craft Parade. These are the kinds of projects that we can do because people and companies sponsor us. We're working really hard to make sure your investments are worth it, and we think that immersing kids in the arts is one of the best things we can do.

I spent the better part of the day with the artists and students, and I really had a great time. There's nothing like seeing kids discover something new. I loved hearing the questions they had for the artists. And I especially enjoyed watching the kids learn that art is a much broader field than they may have thought.

We coordinated 3 local artists to demonstrate their craft/trade throughout the day: Cory Godbey showed 4th graders and kindergarteners his work as a professional illustrator. Deb Potter brought her spinning wheel and felting supplies to 1st and 2nd grade. And Matt Moreau let 3rd and 5th graders try their hand at letterpress printing.

Cory shows the 4th grade class how he paints digitally. They were completely mesmerized by his work...particularly with this video that he designed and animated. They couldn't get enough of it.

Cory's presentation to the kindergarteners, however, quickly turned into a game of pictionary. "Draw a snake!" "Draw a dog!"

Deb taught the kids how she spins the wool that her husband shears into yarn. One girl told us it was "the best art class she ever had."

They particularly loved touching some of the dyed wool.

Muscling the Kelsey letterpress. The kids did a great job!

Numbering and signing their prints.

Thank you again to the art teacher, Joanne, for helping us coordinate the day. She's doing a great job with her students!

The Spring Flea at Swamp Rabbit Cafe

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday? Walk, ride, or drive over to our friends at Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for The Spring Flea!

Winner: The MaieDae Mixer

And the winner is... Brittany! (Chosen at random thanks to random.org.) Hooray for Brittany and The MaieDae Mixer! Brittany, we've just emailed you to arrange your free ticket.

For everyone else, hurry over and buy a ticket, they're going like hot cakes! The MaieDae Mixer is must-not-miss event for bloggers, small business owners and creatives. Get the details here and get your party on!

Craft night workshops hosted by the SC Etsy street team

Listen up, South Carolina Etsy Shops! There is a special event, just for you, organized by the SC Etsy Street Team. On April 27 in Greenville, SC and on May 11 in Charleston, SC, the Etsy Street team will be hosting workshops to benefit fellow Etsy shops. Each Craft Night Workshop is an opportunity to network, learn some ways to improve your shop, see a product photography demonstration, and make an awesome craft! On top of that, food and beverages will be provided, and the whole thing is free! Simply register in order to attend. (Don't forget this part.)

Also, to get more information about the event, pop over to the Etsy Team Page and check out the Discussion Thread. And don't foget, if you decide to attend, make best use of this opportunity. Be ready to discuss your shop. Find out the successes and difficulties of fellow shop keepers. And of course, come armed with business cards to trade with other attendees. You don't want to forget all of those cool people you're going to meet (and vice versa).

The MaieDae Mixer & Ticket Giveaway!

Have you heard about The MaieDae Mixer? It's "an annual fancy networking event for bloggers and creatives in the Southeast," and it's all the rage. It's going to be held on June 1, 2013 in beautiful Rome, Georgia, and you don't want to miss it. Pssst - keep reading, we're giving away a ticket!

From their website: We are incredibly excited to launch the first annual Maiedae Mixer event! Hosted by the owners of Maiedae: Jenny Highsmith & Savannah Wallace. This excitement is rooted in a passion to create a community of bloggers and creatives in the southeast region. Because, let's face it...we are a pretty small community and it's time to get out, mingle, and make this side of the states more "known" for its blogging and creative community! It's a time to celebrate, meet new friends, and spur one another on towards great and exciting things! Plus, it's going to be a *great* excuse to buy a new dress, put a little lipstick on, and get yourself gussied up for a fancy evening.

So to break it down a little more for you. This is a "Get Fancy, Get Connected" (as we like to call it) networking event for bloggers with delicious desserts, great music, swag bags, giveaways, crafting time, photo-booth...and a couple more surprises. It's a time to pamper yourself, meet creatives and best of all, dress up!

T I T L E : The Maiedae MixerH O S T S : Jenny Highsmith & Savannah WallaceL O C A T I O N : 7-Hills Fellowship Hall, 538 Broad Street Rome, Georgia 30161D A T E  &  T I M E : Saturday, June 1st, 2013 - 6:30PM-10:00PMT I C K E T S : $95.00 - Only 50 available! Purchase yours here.T H E M E : Will be announced on April 15th!

Jenny and Savannah from MaieDae are not just completely adorable, they know their stuff too. These girls are a ridiculously talented team; check out their blog, design studio, and photography. The MaieDae Mixer is sure to be a splendid evening of meeting, making, and partying! You can see more fun details about the event here.

They have graciously offered us a ticket to give away, so one lucky winner will get a free ticket to The MaieDae Mixer!

TO ENTERComment on this post! Tell us about the best party you ever went to. The winner will be drawn at random and announced on Tuesday, April 16.

Guidelines:- The free ticket is not transferable, so don't enter unless you know you would be able to attend.- If you've already purchased a ticket, you can still enter! If you win, MaieDae will refund your original ticket.

UPDATE: This giveaway closed on Monday, April 15. Congrats to Brittany, our winner!

Studio Tour: White Whale Studios and Gallery

Today we're taking you on a tour of one of Greenville's most unique artist co-op spaces, White Whale Studios and Gallery. Caroline George Lott is the owner of White Whale, a large house-turned-studios located about a mile from The Pendleton Street Art District. We asked her to share the story behind White Whale with our readers.

Indie Craft: When was White Whale founded, and was it always a dream of yours?

Caroline: Our Grand opening was October 2nd, 2009. Being an active part of the local artistic community was always a dream of mine. Owning and operating a studio was something that became a reality when we purchased a historical house in the Monaghan Mill community. We did not want to "ruin" the house by turning it into a multi-family house or just rent it out. We wanted to to have it live on as a place to serve the community.

One of the White Whale artists hard at work in his studio.

Indie Craft: We love that you turned a house into a group of artist studios. How many artists call White Whale home right now?Caroline: We currently have 7 fabulous artists. Most of the artists are full-time professional artists.

Common gallery spaces are located throughout the house.

Indie Craft: This big white house is such a beautiful and inspiring place. Do you know much of its history?Caroline: Yes, it was built circa 1890, even before the textile mill that is right down the street. It started out as a teacher's boarding house, and has been used in many different ways since. Anything from a boxing training facility to a bed and breakfast.

Indie Craft: What is the significance of the White Whale name?Caroline: The studio's name harkens back to Melville's infamous tale of a determined white whale (Moby Dick) outwitting the relentless Captain Ahab, just as the artists, within the walls of this old white house, battle the odds to pursue their work and life's calling.

You can visit White Whale Studios and Gallery during Greenville Open Studios.

The good news is that White Whale does have an available studio at the moment! If you're an artist in need of working space, you can email your portfolio to whitewhalestudios@gmail.com or visit the White Whale site to learn more about their mission in Greenville.

Available studio: 12 ft ceilings and plenty of natural light.

Also, be sure to follow White Whale on Facebook to keep up with their resident artists and find out about upcoming art shows.

South Carolina etsy street team

Did you know that there's a local network of etsy sellers that you can get involved with? Whether you want to learn to better present and sell your own crafts or just make connections with other local makers, the South Carolina Etsy Street Team has something to offer everyone. Led by our friends Jessica Sharp and Brooke Jones, the SC Street Team's goal is to help improve members' Etsy shops and business practices through discussions, meetups, mentoring, shop critiques, team promotions, and information sharing.

A treasury of handmade goods by Street Team members.

They just finished their 2013 Team Survey, the results of which can be found here. The survey results will help Jessica and Brooke guide the team for the year. They've informed us that they'll be making some exciting changes soon, like adding regional leaders to help team members outside of the Upstate feel more connected and engaged. They're also hosting a series of craft night workshops with opportunities for networking and mentoring.  The workshops will help participants improve upon skills like photography, product styling, pricing for profit, and other important issues for crafters. (Stay updated on these workshops via Twitter.)

The Street Team might hold some exciting potential for your Etsy shop. To learn more about the Team or to get involved yourself, check out their page on Etsy's website.

Dates for the next Makers Summit

The first ever Makers Summit was such a success, we've decided to do it again next year!

We'll be updating the website with more info about tickets and speakers in the coming months, but in the meantime, you can check out photos and video from our first event.

Indie Craft Parade is getting an office!

Though we love our job, we sometimes feel as though Indie Craft Parade makes migrants out of us. Our collection of events throughout the year is organized from our living rooms, local coffee shops, or a corner in our respective workplaces. However, when we learned that there was space available at The Forge in Downtown Greenville (the newest endeavor of the Iron Yard), we jumped at the opportunity. The Forge is currently under construction/renovation, so they've offered to let us tackle our new office space from the ground up. This afternoon our team went to our future location to take measurements and draw a rough plan. Our little 135 square feet has a long way to go, but we think it's going to be an awesome space to work and dream when it's finished.

View from outside office. mmmmm...purple...

Check out this crazy carpet!

And now for our vision of the space. Here's a glance at the inspiration for the new office. You can find these and lots more on our Pinterest Board!

We love the clean white spaces with touches of color.

Lovely craft organization and monochromatic wallpaper...but with ELEPHANTS!

Chair and chalkboard, oh yes.

No worries, we'll document the process as we go. You'll see us carry out a host of DIY projects we've been dreaming of.

Live Art Installation

We have a very fun public art project to share with you today!

In anticipation of their new store opening, Anthropologie has partnered with the Fine Arts Center to create a temporary art installation in downtown Greenville. A team of artists will work alongside high school students from the Fine Arts Center to create a large-scale piece of art and we're all invited to come watch.

This Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10, head to the site of Greenville's new Anthropologie (at the corner of Coffee and Main Streets) to observe as the project takes shape.

A note from Anthropologie:

"The piece will be painted on the barricade currently outside of the Anthropologie store location at 1 North Main Street on the weekend of March 9th and 10th. The 20’ by 8’ painting is designed and conceptualized by the students of the Fine Arts Center and we invite the community to observe as the students, along with the team of artists who will work full-time at the Greenville location, progress from first brush strokes to final touches. The painting will be on view at 1 North Main Street until the store opens at the end of March."

Mark your calendars and head downtown this weekend to see the artists in action. This should be a lot of fun!

New Giveaway! Paper Wreath Kit

You know we love to get people crafting, so why don't you spend part of your weekend working on an awesome project like this paper wreath we're featuring today. You can either make your own from scratch using our instructions, or you could be the lucky person who wins a craft kit all your very own. All you have to do is comment at the end of the post. You'll be automatically entered in a drawing for the craft kit. Here's another project from The Best Craft Party Ever: Paper Wreaths. The coolest thing about this project is it's inspired by crafty maven Mollie Green. This is one of the wreaths she included in her awesome book, Sweet Paper Crafts, published by Chronicle books, releasing in June 2013 (available for pre-order now).

Supplies: · various papers · pencil · scissors · templates · glue stick · glitter (optional) · glue dots · wreath form

The following instructions are specific to the butterfly cutout, but the same instructions apply to any of the templates.

1. Trace templates onto paper.

2. Stack two papers together and cut out the butterflies, keeping each butterfly pair together. Depending on the size of your templates, you will need anywhere from 12-20 butterfly pairs.

3. (Optional step) When you’ve cut out your pairs, apply glitter to the wings of one of the butterflies in the pair.

Pour the included glitter onto one of your large scrap pieces of paper.

Using a glue stick, rub a small amount of glue around the perimeter of the wings.

Gently press the glued portion of the wing into the glitter and tap off the excess. Repeat this step for as many or as few of the butterfly pairs as you like.

4. Adhere the butterfly pairs to the provided wire wreath form: Take a pair of butterflies and apply 3 or 4 glue dots to the body (not the wings) of one butterfly and place it under the wire form, pressing to adhere.

Take the other butterfly body and attach it to the wire directly above the first butterfly, lining up the bodies and the wings.

**NOTE: The glue dots have a double sided adhesive, so the easiest way to transfer them to the butterfly is to take a single dot (with the backing still on) and press the exposed sticky side into the paper. Once secure, peel the backing away, and the glue dot should remain on the butterfly.

5. Continue gluing butterflies to your wreath until you are satisfied with the arrangement. You can go for a full look, or an open, airy feel.

6. Once you’ve finished, bend open the wings of each butterfly for a fuller, more fluttery wreath.

PFor the templates to Mollie's wreaths, check these out: Paper Wreath Templates.

And don't forget to comment below for a chance to win a kit!

Giveaway #2 Winner

Congratulations, Jackie! Winner of our beeswax candles craft kit. We'll be in touch about picking up your prize. Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Craft Kit tutorial and Giveaway, Part 2

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! Hope it's a very special day. To celebrate, we're giving away our 2nd of 4 craft kits that were featured at the recent Greatest Craft Party Ever---Today, Handmade Beeswax candles. This craft is quite fun and rather easy. Here are the steps. Don't forget, if you would like to win your very own kit, simply leave a comment below.

Supplies: · 4 8x8 sheets of beeswax · 3 yards of candle wick · scissors –provided by Dritz · small knife · cardboard cutting mat · velvet ribbon · muslin bag

Notes: The instructions are for making a set of 8 taper candles, but feel free to experiment. You can make a large pillar candle, a set of small birthday candles, or any assortment of sizes you like!

1. Take one sheet of 8x8 beeswax, and place it on the cutting mat. Cut it in half, so you have two 4x8 pieces (or cut into any size you’d like for custom candles).

2. Lay the cut piece of beeswax onto your table surface. Unroll a length of wick, and cut a section 1 inch longer than your candle height. (lay it on top of the beeswax to measure, you want it hanging off the top about an inch but flush with the botton edge).

3. With your wick lined up along the 8 inch side of beewax, begin rolling it up. Try to keep it rolled as tight as you can, especially the center with the wick. Roll it into a cylinder form gently. If the wax starts to crack just push it back together and keep rolling.

3. (continued) At the end, gently push and pinch the seam into the candle to seal. If the bottom of the candle is uneven, trim it on the cutting mat.

4. Repeat until you have finished making all your candles!

5. To package up pretty, place candles into a bundle and tie up with velvet ribbon. Slip the bundle into the muslin bag, perfect for safekeeping or gift giving.

6. Before burning, trim the wick. The wax is a little sticky so you can use a glass dish as a candle holder by pressing the candle into the bottom dish and making in stick in place.

S0 simple, so fun! Leave a comment below and win your own kit!

PLEASE NOTE! The craft boxes are available to people within driving distance of Greenville, South Carolina who are willing to pick them up in person. The craft kits are NOT available for shipping.