Becoming Chandlers at Paddywax Candle Bar

My sister, Madelyn, and I are 5 years apart, which has sometimes put a strain on our relationship. It seems that she is always growing into the stage of life that I have just grown out of. However, since Madelyn has grown into her teen years, our relationship continues to evolve from a strictly older sister- younger sister relationship to a friendship.

To commemorate this, we began going on what we call, “sister dates.” Usually, I treat Madelyn to lunch or a fun experience so we can have intentional time together while I’m home from school. When her birthday rolled around this year, I wanted to take her on an elevated sister date instead of giving her presents.

I decided to take her to the Paddywax Candle Bar in Reston Town Center. Along with selling candles and incense, this shop hosts classes that walk you through making your own candle— or, becoming a chandler (candle maker). This was a perfect place to take Madelyn because she’s put a lot of work into decorating her room recently. I knew adding a homemade candle would help her room feel more complete while also giving her options. Plus, the class gave us a shared memory and gave her a personalized gift that would mean more than unwrapping a candle I picked out.

After making our reservation, we were each assigned a station with our candle-making tools. This included a fragrance list, vessel menu, beaker, wick holder, scale and candle identification stickers. All of the ingredients Paddywax uses are natural— the wax is soy based and all of the scents are created with combinations of essential oils.

The first step was picking our fragrance. Paddywax offers 42 different scents to choose from including spicy, woody, sweet and fresh smells. Once we chose our fragrance, we took the coordinating blue bottle back to our station. Madelyn chose a woody smell called Cotton & Teak, and I chose a sweet smell called Bordeaux Fig & Vetiver.

Next, we went to the other side of the shop to pick our vessel. Madelyn chose a green peak style, which is fashioned for a wood wick, and I chose a pink sonora style. Paddywax highly values recycling the vessels once the candle has burned out, so each vessel can be reused in a specific way. For example, some vessels are oven safe for cooking and some are good for potting plants. They also offer a candle refill for empty vessels. You can reselect a fragrance, and they will fill it for you for $20.

After placing our wicks, we were able to mix the fragrance and hot wax according to the measurements for our specific vessel. Then we poured the wax and the vessels needed 3 hours to cool. Paddywax offers a discount on all of their wholesale items after the class is over, which we took advantage of by buying another candle and incense. To kill the time, Madelyn and I ate at one of our favorites— Bartaco.

After our delicious meal including guacamole, plantains, tacos and churros, we went back to pick up our finished candles. Madelyn and I really enjoyed this day together and loved coming home to burn our candles for the first time. Madelyn loves how hers looks with the green colors in her room, and she thinks the wood wick is perfect for her “vibe.”

Paddywax includes a candle care card so each customer can get the most use out of it. I highly recommend taking your loved ones to Paddywax Candle Bar for any special occasion! I know we will definitely be back!