How a candle business is burning brightly for a Perth mum

Some of the most successful businesses started in a garage, from Steve Jobs and Apple, Jeff Bezos and Amazon, and now Perth’s very own Amy Crellin could be the next, with her Burn Baby Candles.

Although candle making runs in her veins — her mum was teaching candle making at high school — Crellin didn’t find her passion for it until she went through some personal struggles.

Heavily pregnant with her second baby on the way, a recently single Crellin moved back home where she picked up candle making as a therapeutic outlet.

“My world came crashing down … I had nothing behind me … I lost myself a little bit and then this candle business, I just found myself again and it’s allowing myself to be creative, it’s like my outlet,” she said.

The business is kept in the family, with Crellin and her mum working together in partnership.

The mother of two said she gets her inspiration from baking.

“I just kept on seeing like boring candles. I mean they’re aesthetically pleasing as such, and with all the neutrals but I just wanted to have a fun brand that was just something a little bit different,” she said.

“It takes a lot of testing, like months and months and months … with candles it’s so hard because the environment is so important. Sometimes the shed’s too cold, so we have to bring it inside. It’s very temperamental.”

Although her business is young — she started it in September — Crellin has already hit some major wins including a partnership deal with Perth’s Insta-famous FRY’D dessert franchise.

“We designed a custom candle just for them,” she said.

“It’s (The brand overall) been really popular so far, Christmas was crazy which was hard because we’re such a new business.”

Her goal for the future is to open her own store, and also hold workshops for fun events like hens and birthday parties.

“I’m also starting to venture down the body product line starting with whipped body butters, foaming body scrubs in all dessert flavours,” she said.