At the heart of Downtown Winter Garden, the second location of a new candle shop made its grand opening in late 2022, but it’s not your average candle shop. It’s Orlando’s first DIY candle-making experience. After passing by the store numerous times during Winter Garden’s Saturday farmer’s market, I finally decided to host my sixteenth birth- day party at Artifact Candle Foundry.

Established in 2019 by brother and sister, Sean Kowalski and Heather Boadella, they opened up their first location in Thornton Park. According to their website, the two, “Sought to create an interactive, handcrafted experience that is stylish and welcoming.” They said that, “At Artifact Candle Foundry, the experience is different every time, but always created with memories in mind.” Their small business was a success from the beginning, attracting residents from Orlando and beyond. On November 16, 2022, they decided to expand and open up a second location in Downtown Winter Garden. With it being so close to my house, I knew I had to give it a try.

As I entered Artifact Candle Foundry, I was immediately welcomed by the friendly staff, as well as the smell of gingerbread cookies, reminding me of Christmas just weeks away. The modern scene and furniture created an inviting setting, which was highlighted by the staff’s willingness to help me create my first DIY candle. I couldn’t wait to get started.

First, I was given a clipboard to jot down some of my favorite scents out of the 60 choices that they had. My friends and I were able to smell as many sample candles around the store as we wanted. This was a fun experience, as we gave each other suggestions and our opinions on the scents that we liked the most. Then, I met with a member of the staff at their fragrance bar to discuss the overall scent I was going for, and the scents I wanted to mix together to create my own unique aroma. My instructor also gave me her personal suggestions until I came to a consensus.

After picking my candle vessel, I was given a small cup to add in my chosen essential oils (fresh linen, raindrops, elderflower, and jasmine) to whatever ratio I desired, a plate to put under them to ensure I didn’t spill anything, and a spoon for mixing. It was fun adding drops of the essential oils, smelling them, mixing them, and repeating the process until I created my perfect scent combination. Finally, I was given a measuring cup of hot wax to add my scent mixture in and pour that into my vessel. This would soon be known as my finished candle.

One of my favorite parts about this process was making up my own name for my candle. The staff even provided us with different colored markers so that we could decorate our labels. I labeled mine, “Birthday Wishes,” thinking that it was fit for the occasion. Since the candles take about two to three hours to fully set, my friends and I went out for lunch to pass the time, and then we came back to see the end product. I couldn’t have been happier when I was handed a gift bag with my candle inside and a brief birthday message.

As a crafts lover and a hands-on person, I thought this was the perfect activity to do for my sweet sixteen with my best friends. It was easy, enjoyable, and so memorable. I could see myself coming back on a regular day with my mom just to do something fun. I hope to maybe pay a visit to their first location soon. Artifact Candle Foundry is the perfect place for any special occasion and is open to all ages. According to their website, “The candles themselves are premium quality, decorative, 100% cotton wick, free of harmful contaminants, strong-scented, and slow-burning.” I also like how their candle jars are recyclable and reusable. This will
definitely be an experience that I will never forget, and I couldn’t recommend it more.