Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Elliott.
Hi Teri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
MELT. was born during quarantine in April of 2020. I remember the day Abbott announced the second stay-at-home order like it was yesterday. As soon as I heard the news, I remember thinking, I’ve GOT to get a hobby.
I am a teacher in Dallas ISD and when I’m not teaching, I love to be out and about, surrounded by my friends. Quarantine stopped all of this and I found myself home alone for weeks, completely out of my comfort zone. My mental health was begging me to do something productive and my liver was begging me to stop thinking mimosas at 9 AM on a Tuesday was acceptable.
I have always loved candles and was interested in learning how to make my own, so I did research, ordered supplies, and made my first candle. I knew if I ever started selling them, I wanted my focus to be sustainability. Initially, my goal was to only use jars I had or collected from friends and neighbors. I was having fun but never fell in love with any of the candles I was making nor were they something I would purchase.
I was thoroughly enjoying the process and after a few months, was sure I wanted to turn it into a business. I started looking at candles online for inspiration. My first thought was WOW, quality candles are expensive. My second thought was, what a shame that you spend so much money on a beautiful candle and it only lasts for a short period of time.
While browsing online, I saw a picture of a candle in a concrete vessel and immediately fell in love. This sparked the idea that although I wouldn’t be reusing jars and vessels, I could create a vessel people would want to keep after their candle melts away.
I ordered concrete and a silicon mold and started learning how to mix concrete, something I never imagined myself doing. I’m still not sure how I’m going to explain the spilled concrete on my balcony when I move out of this apartment, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
It took a lot of trial and error, but I slowly learned how to make the vessels level, using slats. I learned that concrete needs to be vibrated before it hardens to remove air bubbles that could cause the vessel to crack. I also started using wooden wicks and found the perfect soy wax blend and several fragrances that I loved. My candles were getting better and better so I set up an Etsy account and people really liked them. I was selling a few a week without much advertisement and was excited to see where it would lead.
I spent a year experimenting and perfecting my candles and was enjoying it more every day. I knew it was something I wanted to do full time, so in June of 2021, I built and launched a website of my own. My vision has evolved and I now focus on making sure each piece I create is more than a candle. It’s a work of art. Usually, when your candle melts away, you’re sad to see it go. With MELT. candles, I want people to be excited about turning their empty vessel into something useful. This is how my slogan, “MELT. More Than a Candle,” was born.
I currently create 100% of my products and sell online and at markets and events throughout Dallas. My next goal is to sell MELT. candles in local stores specifically stores with a masculine feel because I lean towards masculine fragrances and designs and this industry isn’t saturated with candles.
I am thankful every day that I found my passion. My mental health has never been better and I encourage everyone to find a hobby they enjoy and see where it leads.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have definitely experienced a few bumps in the road. When I first started making concrete vessels, the vessels cracked very easily. I was having to ship people new candles when this happened, making it impossible to earn a profit. Thankfully, I discovered that vibrating the air out as the concrete is poured, alleviates this problem.
Website creation was the most difficult hurdle for me. It is no easy task and I admire anyone who has accomplished this. The vision I have for my brand is very specific and I had to make sure each word and picture reflected this, or I wouldn’t be happy with it. Reaching out to friends who had created their own was a lifesaver for me.
I also had to relearn quite a bit of math. I was the kid in school who rolled my eyes in math class and told my teachers I was never going to use this. Never say never. I need to call some of my math teachers and apologize now that I’m thinking about it. My refrigerator is now plastered with measurement conversion charts and my calculator is my new best friend.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Each candle is handmade from top to bottom. Without getting too “woo woo,” a term used to describe astrology, crystals, etc., I truly believe the items we own carry energy. I credit this outlook to watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. She says that each item you own should spark joy. When you purchase something handmade and hold it in your hands, you can feel the love the artist poured into it. It definitely sparks joy! I spend a lot of time and energy on each piece and create them out of love. No two pieces are identical and no two pieces had the same journey as they were created. They each have their own story… definitely wah wah, but I’m here for it.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up on a dairy farm and am the youngest of six siblings. Being from such a large family definitely turned me into a people person. I can relate to pretty much anyone which has made selling at events and markets so much fun.
We lived out in the country so we had to learn to entertain ourselves. I have always been creative and enjoy new projects and getting my hands dirty. Being assigned chores on our farm gave me a very strong work ethic. As much as I complained about it back then, I am so thankful my parents taught me the value of hard work. I love the woman it turned me into.
Contact Info:
- Email: burn@meltcandles.co
- Website: www.meltcandles.co
- Instagram: @melt.dallas
- Other: TikTok – @melt.dallas
Image Credits
Justin Taylor
