We’d never made candles before, but we like to use them. Large candles are usually expensive to buy, so we were happy to have the chance to make our own using the Nature’s Blossom Soy Candle Making Kit. We like a fun hobby-like project to get our minds off our work week, so we tested a few craft kits for adults. The Nature’s Blossom Kit comes with just about everything you need to make three candles. The product description says anyone can do it; we figured we’d give it a try. Here’s what we thought.
Ease of Use: Anyone can do it
We were surprised by how simple candle making is. It makes sense: Candles aren’t incredibly complex. The Nature’s Blossom kit was especially easy to use. A few steps are done for you before you even open the box. Unlike other kits, the Nature’s Blossom Kit comes with three prepacked bags of solid wax. While other kits require measuring and cutting wax to melt, this step is done for you. All you need to do is empty the bag into the melting pan. The candle wicks come pre-cut and attached to its metal base. The kit includes popsicle sticks with holes in the middle to lay across the candle (to keep the wicks upright.) Prepping the included tins to be filled with wax couldn’t be easier. The clear instructions make it easy to find the answers to any questions. Older children and teens could safely participate in this activity. The only difficult part of the candle-making process is the process of melting the wax. The kit comes with a useful pouring pot for melting the wax, but it doesn’t come with the other two pans you’ll need for the process. You will need a large pot to fill with boiling water and a small metal bowl to set in the boiling water. The instructions say to set the melting wax on the small bowl to keep it a bit raised out of the water. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a small bowl that could withstand being submerged in boiling water. We repurposed a stainless steel travel coffee mug and turned it upside down. It was about five inches tall, which meant our pot with the wax was balanced rather high. We had to hold the handle during the entire process to prevent the pot from falling off the coffee mug. If it had fallen, it would have dumped the melting wax into the boiling water. We strongly recommend using a potholder. The wax needs to be heated to 190 F before the scent can be mixed in. Once the wax is poured, it takes a few hours to dry. Nature’s Blossom recommends waiting two full days for the scent to be absorbed before lighting the candle. Spoiler alert: The candles come out smelling amazing while they burn.
Quality of Included Tools and Materials: No complaints on quality
A great thing about this kit is that you don’t need to make all three of the included candles at once. The kit contains three bags of wax, three empty tins, three scents, and six wicks (two per candle.) It’s easy to make just one and leave the rest of the materials for later, which is what we did. We had no concerns surrounding the quality or durability, the included ingredients and materials worked well. We thought the included tins were charming. Once done, they looked like you spent $20 for them at a bespoke artisan store. While the kit recommends working on a protected, 3-foot square workspace, instead, our work area was a large cutting board. Because everything is pre-packaged and pre-measured, the process was mess-free. Even pouring the melted wax into the tin was a drip-free step since the popsicle sticks keep the wicks in place. Our only complaint was subjective. We didn’t like the “lemon blossom” scent, which smelled too much like cleaning supplies. We did like the other two (lavender and chamomile), which were noticeable without being overpowering.
Entertainment Value: Okay for what it is
We didn’t find the Nature’s Blossom Soy Candle Making Kit as entertaining as the other craft kits we tested (a stitching kit and a paint-by-numbers kit). However, it’s not fair to compare apples to oranges. If this is an activity for passing the time or hours of mindfulness on a project, this is not the best choice. It took us about 30 minutes to make one candle, and it would take far less time to make the second and third once we knew how to do it. After the wax is poured, the process is pretty much done. Each candle burns for about 20 hours. The other crafts engaged us for much longer. It took far more time to stitch and paint than it did to make the candles. The best part about the candles is their usefulness after they’re made. Meanwhile, we’re not really sure what to do with our finished cross-stitch.
Price: A fair price for everything you need
The kit is a bit pricey compared to other craft kits we tested, but it’s at a nice price point for gift giving at just under $50. It seems like a good value for the price as it comes with all the ingredients for three large candles. If we were shopping for one of the handcrafted candles in the store, we would expect to pay at least $20 each. The kit packaging is modern and whimsical. Throw a bow on it, and you’ve got an excellent gift for any crafty gal or guy.
Competition: Different kinds of crafty kits
We tested two other popular adult crafting kits. Here’s how they stack up. Enjoy the Ride Cross Stitch Kit: The “Enjoy the Ride” Cross-Stitch Kit took us about 10 hours to complete. The Nature’s Blossom Kit, by contrast, only takes about 30 minutes to use, although the end product is more useful. The cross-stitch kit was more of an ongoing project, a nice way to pass the time, and far cheaper at just $8. Colour Talk Oil Painting Kit: We preferred candle-making to paint by numbers, but that may be because the candle kit is made for beginners. Candle making was more fun and novice-friendly, whereas the Colour Talk kit required a steady hand and patience that we don’t necessarily have. If you’re looking for an activity on a budget, though, the Colour Talk Kit is far cheaper at just $13. If you’re planning on getting a gift for someone under $50 or you want to make several candles as gifts, this fun, easy-to-make craft makes a quality product in minutes.
