Designing My First Candle Collection

A quiet look behind the scenes of the Lil & Dot candle collection, and how four atmospheres began to take shape.

There is something quietly special about lighting a candle.

The small pause before the flame catches. The soft shift in the room as the light settles and the scent begins to unfold. It is such a simple act, yet it has the ability to change the atmosphere around us almost instantly.

Candles were always something I knew I wanted to include in Lil & Dot.

In the very early days I started with just one, The Wintering Candle. At that point most of the products were, and still are, pieces created using my own hand-drawn textile designs. Candles felt different though. They felt like an experience rather than an object. A moment.

Building a business from home is an interesting journey. I am still at the beginning, but you go through stages. Moments of clarity about what you are building and why. Those moments only come from starting and trying things.

I have always loved candles. They feel like such a treat. A small but special moment when you light them. My mum was always lighting candles when I was growing up, and she is still collecting them now.

As Lil & Dot began to find its direction, candles started to feel like an obvious addition. They expand the world of the brand beyond textiles and artwork. More than anything, they help complete an atmosphere of home.

The First Candle: Wintering

If I am honest, the Wintering candle began as something for myself.

I was going through a period of burnout and struggling with anxiety, insomnia and overwhelm. It was winter, and I have always found the darker months difficult. I was feeling hesitant about the season ahead.

So I made a quiet decision to try to embrace it instead.

I started looking for reasons to appreciate winter rather than resist it. There were more than I expected. I cooked hearty food. Stews, soups and pasta. I did a bit of baking. I went on crisp morning walks and tried to notice how the landscape was changing day by day.

And of course, I lit candles.

Lighting them slowly became one of my favourite rituals. If I was feeling stressed or low, lighting a candle became a moment to acknowledge how I was feeling and gently let it go for a while.

It became a signal to rest. Permission to rest.

I think many of us feel guilty when we stop, as if it is wasted time. But from experience I know rest is not wasted at all. It is necessary.

From One Candle to a Collection

As Lil & Dot continued to grow, the Wintering candle started to gain a little attention. It showed me that candles could sit naturally within the brand.

At the same time I began to feel I could take the candle further. I wanted to create something of higher quality that I could truly be proud of. I wanted more control over the scents, the vessels and the overall atmosphere the candles created.

Working on a small business from home also means navigating practical challenges. Most manufacturers require minimum orders of hundreds or even thousands of products, which simply was not possible for me to store.

After a lot of research I eventually found a candle studio in Surrey that works with independent brands. Each candle is hand poured there with care and attention, which felt very aligned with the slower, more thoughtful approach I want Lil & Dot to embody.

That discovery opened the door.

The Craft Behind the Collection

Finding the right maker was only the beginning. Getting the candles right took considerably longer.

Natural soy wax was always the starting point. It burns cleaner and more slowly than paraffin, with a softer scent throw that builds gradually rather than filling a room all at once. It felt aligned with the pace I wanted the candles to embody. Unhurried, gentle, considered.

The vessels took even longer to get right.

I knew from the beginning that I did not want a standard glass jar. I wanted something that felt like an object in its own right. Something you would keep long after the candle had burned down.

The ceramic vessels are handmade in the UK. Each one is slightly different, the nature of working with clay and human hands. The exterior has a raw, matte finish in a soft nude tone. Somewhere between warm stone and off-white. The texture is visible if you look closely, and in certain light you can see the marks of the making process on the surface.

The interior is glazed with a clear glaze, giving it a smooth, glossy finish in a warm cream tone that contrasts gently with the raw exterior. It was one of the reasons I chose this particular vessel. The glaze makes it easier to clean out completely once the candle has burned down, and it means the vessel can be refilled. Something I hope to offer as the collection grows.

I spent a long time looking at the first sample when it arrived. Turning it over in my hands. Reading the affirmation on the reverse. It was one of those moments where something you have been imagining for a long time suddenly becomes real and solid and true.

The slight imperfections in the ceramic, the way the ink settles differently into the texture on each vessel, the fingerprints from the hands that made it. These are the details that tell you this was made by a person. You cannot replicate that at scale, and I would not want to.

Four Atmospheres

Then the idea began to grow.

What if there was not just one candle, but a small collection. Each one supporting a different moment or feeling in the home.

Wintering was about rest. But what about the feeling of a new morning. Or the quiet calm of a reset space. Or the warmth and joy of late afternoon light.

That is where the four candles began to take shape. Each one represents a different atmosphere. A moment you might want to create within your home.

Wintering

Low light. Soft shadows. A slower rhythm.

Lamps lit early. Curtains drawn before dusk. The room settling into warmth.

Wintering belongs to evenings that ask you to move gently. When daylight fades and the edges of the room soften.

Lavender and thyme create a calm herbaceous base, deepened by ylang ylang for quiet warmth beneath.

On the back of the vessel, a quiet line reads: I honour my need for rest and renewal.

Daybreak

Early light. Open windows. A gentle beginning.

Curtains drawn back. Cool air moving through the room. Morning light across wood and linen.

Daybreak belongs to the quiet optimism of a new day. When everything feels possible simply because it has not yet begun.

Neroli and petitgrain bring brightness without sharpness, softened by lavender.

On the back of the vessel, a quiet line reads: I radiate light and possibility.

Sanctuary

Soft light. Still air. The space to exhale.

A window opened just enough to let the air move. Linen shifting gently. A room returned to itself.

Sanctuary belongs to the moment after everything has been set back in place. When surfaces are clear, the light is soft and the atmosphere feels lighter.

Sea salt and wood sage create a mineral, fresh base, coastal and grounded at once.

On the back of the vessel, a quiet line reads: I make space for stillness.

Wildflower

Warm light. Open air. Something unfolding.

Late afternoon light stretching across the room. Windows open. The day still warm against the walls.

Wildflower belongs to golden hour. When conversation lingers and time loosens its grip.

Rose and patchouli bring depth and character, warmed by tonka bean beneath.

On the back of the vessel, a quiet line reads: I bloom boldly and beautifully.

Designing the Candle

I decided to keep the vessel the same for all four candles. It creates cohesion and helps build a clear identity for the collection. Instead of changing the vessel colour, the packaging carries the variation. Muted shades of green, blue, pink and sand.

The typography is simple and elegant in a warm tone.

The goal was always for the candle to sit quietly in a space. Something timeless, calming and quietly considered that would not clash with someone's home or style.

Each candle also carries a small affirmation on the back. It is a gentle nudge. A reminder to breathe, to pause, or to go a little easier on yourself.

It is something I personally would love to see on a candle, so it felt natural to include it.

Small Rituals

The candles are made with soy wax and designed to bring a small moment of calm, joy or support.

I hope they become part of people's daily or weekly rituals.

Lighting one while making a morning coffee or while reading in the evening.

Lighting one as part of a slow night time routine.

Small moments that quietly elevate ordinary days.

A Personal Reminder

This collection began almost as a symbol of self care during a difficult moment in my life.

Creating it taught me a lot about what matters to me as a designer. The importance of quality and craftsmanship. Where I am willing to compromise and where I am not. And having the confidence to stand by that.

It also reminded me why small rituals matter.

Often it is the little things we squeeze into our days that make the biggest difference.

Creating objects that support wellbeing feels important to me because I know I need those reminders too. And I imagine others might as well.

Our homes are a wonderful place to begin.

A small affirmation. A gentle nudge to breathe deeply.

A candle lit at the end of a long day.

Sometimes that is more than enough.

Coming Soon

The first finished candle samples are on their way, and I cannot wait to see the complete collection in person for the first time.

The collection will be launching with a waitlist. It is a small first run, hand poured in limited numbers, and waitlist members will have early access before the collection opens to everyone else.

If you would like to be among the first to know when the waitlist opens, join the Lil & Dot Circle below. I will be sharing updates there first, including a first look at the finished candles when they arrive.

I would also love to know — do you have a favourite candle ritual at home? Sometimes I light one in the morning before I start work. On the days I do, it makes a difference I cannot quite explain.