Handmade • Heartfelt • Holiday Ready
The holiday season is the busiest — and most magical — time of year for small businesses. While big stores flip a switch and suddenly everything becomes festive, handmade brands like CL Candles & More start preparing months in advance so every candle, every gift set, and every cozy detail feels full of heart.
Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes to show what holiday prep really looks like for a handmade shop — the planning, the pouring, the late nights, and the joy that goes into making your season warm and meaningful. 💛
🎁 1. Planning Holiday Scents & Collections
Before the weather even cools down, I’m already dreaming about winter scents.
Should Twisted Peppermint make a comeback? Is it time to add a new warm, cinnamon blend? What packaging feels festive without losing that farmhouse charm?
Holiday planning often starts in early fall with:
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Scent testing
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Label design
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Packaging ideas
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Themed gift sets
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Limited-edition items
💛 Behind the Scenes: My kitchen becomes a candle lab, with rows of jars, notes, testers, and scent strips everywhere. It smells like Christmas weeks before December arrives.
🕯️ 2. Stocking Up & Pouring Around the Clock
Once the scents are finalized, it’s time to pour. And pour. And pour.
Holiday demand is no joke — between craft shows, online orders, and custom requests, candles and wax melts fly off the shelves.
Behind the scenes, it looks like:
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Stacks of jars waiting to be filled
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Cooling racks full of fresh pours
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Labels being printed nonstop
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Wax deliveries coming in by the box
💛 CL Candles & More Truth: There’s a moment every season where my whole home looks like a miniature candle factory — and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
🎨 3. Creating Gift Sets That Feel Thoughtful
Holiday shopping is emotional — people want gifts that feel meaningful, personal, and cozy.
That’s why holiday gift sets are one of my favorite parts of the season. I love curating:
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Candle + wax melt combos
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Hostess gift sets
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Hot cocoa + candle boxes
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Self-care baskets
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Seasonal bundles
💛 Behind the Scenes: I lay everything out on a big table, mix different scents and colors, and build each set like its own little experience.
Every bow, every label, every detail is done by hand — because handmade gifting deserves handmade wrapping.
📦 4. Preparing for Holiday Markets
Holiday markets are their own kind of magic — festive music, lights, and people walking around with cocoa in hand.
But before the first customer arrives, there’s a lot that happens behind the curtain:
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Booth planning
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Inventory prep
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Display building
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Table layout design
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Price tags & signage
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Packing bins and crates
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Early morning setups (with coffee!)
💛 CL Candles & More Routine: I always light a candle at my booth before the market starts — it sets the mood and creates that cozy, welcoming aroma right away.
💌 5. Prepping Packaging for Online Orders
Online holiday rush = shipping central!
I spend time prepping:
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Tissue paper in festive colors
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Handmade thank-you cards
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Bubble wrap
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Custom stickers
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Sturdy shipping boxes
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Holiday freebies
💛 Behind the Scenes: Every order gets packed with care by hand. I imagine the moment someone opens it — the scent, the smile, the excitement. It’s the best feeling.
🎉 6. Staying Organized (or Trying To!)
Behind every smooth holiday season is a lot of lists:
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Inventory lists
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Market schedules
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Supply checklists
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Production timelines
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Daily to-dos
My planner and my phone notes become my lifelines.
💛 Small Business Reality: Some days are perfectly organized. Other days? Controlled chaos. But every candle poured and every order packed brings a little more joy.
🤎 7. Finding the Joy in the Busy Season
Even with the long days, late nights, and back-to-back markets, the holiday season is my favorite part of the year.
Why?
Because it’s full of connection.
I get to see customers choose gifts for their families.
I get to hear stories about scents that bring back memories.
I get to watch people smile when they find the perfect gift.
💛 CL Candles & More Reflection: Handmade businesses don’t just sell products — we help create moments. And the holidays are full of them.
🕯️ Thank You for Being Part of the Magic
Holiday prep isn’t easy — but it’s overflowing with meaning. And every candle poured, every market attended, every package shipped happens because of you.
Your support makes the handmade holiday season possible.
Every purchase, every share, every kind word fuels the heart behind the work.
From our cozy little workshop to your warm holiday home — thank you for choosing handmade.
🕯️ Explore our holiday scents, gift sets, and cozy favorites at CLCandlesMore.com
and help make this season warm, bright, and full of love.