Tampa’s first pour-your-own custom candle experience is something to add to the bucket list

If you live in Tampa and are obsessed with candles then keep on reading.

For someone who has lived in Tampa for almost four years now, I thought I had done it all. From hammocking in Plant Park to visiting the Tampa Museum of Art to having sunset picnics on Davis Island.

Well, I am here to tell you that Tampa’s first pour-your-own candle experience has opened in 2019 right in Hyde Park Village. Music to my ears. When I found out this place existed I called right away and scheduled a reservation at The Candle Pour for my roommate and me.

The best part is that it is SUPER affordable. Pricing depends on what product you choose to make and ranges from $20-55.

You are paying for not only something that will look and burn cute in your apartment or house but for the experience of creating your own unique scent. Here’s how it went down:

Booking my appointment.

It was super simple. I went to thecandlepour.com and clicked on ‘Book an In-store Experience’. From there I was shown a calendar where I was able to choose a time and date. I entered my information and it was booked!

When we arrived.

Due to COVID-19, you have to knock on the door to be let in to avoid unnecessary gathering inside. Masks are even available by the door along with hand sanitizer.

Inside was super clean and in the center of the room was a long bar with stools to sit at. The store had a very modern boho feel and overall felt aesthetically pleasing. Behind the bar stood the lovely scent specialists who greeted us and were extremely helpful.

They ran us through what the experience would be like and we got started!

Picking my scents

I honestly had no idea what kind of candle I wanted to make. Something fruity? Florally? Or did I want to go for a winter season vibe? We were given these trays that would act as our workspace. The trays contained a sheet with all the different scents (there were over 100!) a measuring glass and a spoon. Each scent specialist took the time to personally go over the scents you were interested in smelling. I chose about 10 scents that I wanted to smell knowing that about only 3-4 scents would be used. You are asked to ‘yay’ or ‘nay the scents as they circle around the bottles of fragrance oils by your nose. Eucalyptus, Lavender, Gardenia and Pear were my final four, and wow did the four smell amazing together. The eucalyptus gave off a fresh minty scent, the gardenia brought in floral notes, the lavender was more subtle and earthy and the pear (though very strong) added a hint of fruitiness to top it all off. The smell gave off spa total spa vibes.

Choosing my vessel.

After you get your scents picked out they ask you what size and what vessel you want your candle in. There are four different candle sizes ( 8 oz, 12oz, 2-wick, 3-wick). You even have the option of creating reed diffusers, fragrance oils, room/linen spray, or wax tarts!

I decided to choose the 12 oz candle because I knew that I wanted to have a candle that would last me a while and also wouldn’t break the bank. If you’re like me, you know how easy it is to burn through an entire candle.

There are four color options to choose from clear, white, matte black, or amber. Amber was my pick since I felt that it would match my room better.

Pouring my candle.

We used the little glass containers that were given to us on our trays and were told to fill the entire thing with the oils. Once that was filled into the amber vessel filled with wax it went. Stirred it for a good five minutes and it was done.

I am so not creative with coming up with names so I named my candle ‘Italian spa’. Seriously don’t know why since I’ve never been to Italy or an Italian spa but I think I was thinking about Italian food so that’s what I named my candle.

Finished product.

Our candles were ready within a couple of hours. So after grabbing a bite to eat we picked them up. They packaged them so cute as you can see and even threw in a little box of matches!

The Candle pour is a perfect place for an outing with friends or date night. Who needs Bath and Body Works when you can make your own custom candle?

Customizing your own candle can be for yourself or can make a gift for your mom, dad, roommate, boyfriend or girlfriend! Since the holidays are coming up they are equipped with every seasonal scent you can imagine; sugar cookie, pine, winter snow (the list goes on). Just think what a cute stocking stuffer one can make.

So, next time you are bored in Tampa or looking for a fun and inexpensive DIY experience check out “The Candle Pour” in Hyde Park Village. You will not regret it. Parking is also free.

And, if your hungry afterward or want to stick around the village a bit, grab a bite to eat, go shopping, or hang out by the fountain. Trust me you can have a whole fun-filled day in Hyde Park. It is one of my favorite places to hang out in Tampa and they are constantly holding events so be sure to also check out hydeparkvillage.com to see what’s happening!