402 Candles made locally for 10 years

Candles have been providing light, celebration and a feeling of security to humankind for more than 5,000 years. Nikki Holling Femlee has not been around quite that long but she shares this feeling and passion for candles.

Nikki is the owner and operator of the She Shed in Superior. She is a 2003 graduate of Superior High School. Her 402 Candle brand is featured prominently in her shop. Each candle is hand crafted by her. She has been making candles for 10 years. Nikki has perfected the process through much trial and error.

The Romans are credited with creating the wicked candle. They dipped rolled papyrus in tallow. They used the candles to illuminate their homes, aid in guiding travelers at night and in religious celebrations.

Many civilizations created wicked candles on their own. From China to India, wicked candles were made from materials as diverse as tree nuts and cinnamon tree fruit.

Candles figured prominently in Jewish religious ceremonies, especially Hannukah, the festival of lights. Candles were extensively used in Christian religious celebrations over the centuries.

The introduction of beeswax as a candle making material was a major breakthrough in the middle ages. Beeswax candles burned cleanly unlike tallow candles which produced a smoky flame. These beeswax candles were expensive and were used primarily in religious ceremonies.

Candle making in the United States began in colonial times. The first scented candles came courtesy of nature. Berries from the bayberry bush were boiled to produce a sweet smelling wax. This was a tedious process and the bayberry trend was not long lived.

The next major advance in candle making coincided with the rise of the whaling industry in the 18th century. Spermaceti was produced by crystallizing sperm whale oil. It was clean burning and bright. It was a hard material which did not soften in the summer months. However, the supply source of sperm whales was not infinite.

A French chemist discovered a method to extract stearic acid from animal fatty acids. This discovery led to the making of stearin wax. This burned cleanly, was hard and durable.

Mechanized candle production appeared in the 1830s. This enabled low-cost production and availability.

Paraffin wax was introduced in the mid 19th century. This product was derived from petroleum. Paraffin wax was easy to produce and was less expensive than other candle fuels. It had a low melting point, a problem which was resolved with the addition of stearic acid as a hardener.

The introduction of electric lighting led to the decline of candles as a lighting source. But candles did not fade away. They were used as secondary lighting source. Their place in religious ceremonies and churches assured their continued use.

The 1980s saw a resurgence of candle use as decorative items and mood setters. They were infused with scents.

New types of candle waxes were developed from soy beans and palm wax.

Nikki became interested in candle making in a round about fashion. She was using a brand of scented candle which she liked but the scent was not strong enough for her liking. So in the time honored tradition of I can do it better, she began her journey into candle making.

There was much trial and error involved. The sourcing of material was a voyage of its own.

Now that she is 10 years down the road, Nikki has her trusted sources for all her candle making needs. The internet and its attendant web shopping have made the sourcing of materials an easier task than it was when she began.

The candle making process is time consuming and demands attention to detail. This reporter was treated to a lesson in candle crafting with Nikki.

The process all begins with the wax. Nikki utilizes soy wax for her candles. This wax has the advantage of burning without smoke, longer lasting and free of impurities. The wax is shipped in bulk. It arrives at her shop already shredded. Nikki carefully measures the amount of wax needed for the product she is making. In addition to candles, she produces wax tarts for use in wax warmers. These devices melt scented wax without the open flame of a candle.

Nikki prepares the container or containers for the candles she is making. She makes candles with one to three wicks. The wicks are wood which burn cleanly. The wick is trimmed at an angle for a neat look and then placed in a metal wick clamp. The clamp is positioned in the bottom of the container to await the pouring of the wax.

The wax is slowly heated to a specified temperature at which point the liquid scent is added. She prefers scents which evoke feelings of a cozy home, memories of childhood kitchens and secure comfort.

After the wax is poured into the container, a waiting game ensues. The wax must cool to a certain temperature to assure the scent does not drop to the bottom of the container rather than being diffused throughout the candle. When the desired temperature is reached, the wax is poured into the container. It then rests until the wax is congealed. The candle is then ready for retail.

Her wax melts are produced separately. Nikki adds three times as much scent to the wax melts.

Each of her candles is hand made which ensures they are of the highest quality. She can produce 40 candles on a normal day. We didn't discuss an abnormal day.

Her candles are the 402 Candle brand. When this reporter questioned her as to the esoteric meaning of term, she replied "it's our area code." So much for the mystery of candle names.