What began as a fun and interesting hobby is now a small business held by one of our fellow Burroughs students.

With a container, a bucket of wax, and an appealing scent, senior Gia Cross-Peterson started her own handmade candle company, Gia’s Candles, from the ground up. The inspiration of a cold winter morning and the tools made available to her were enough to make creating candles a reality.

“During the colder seasons, I always find myself wanting to light a candle in my room. Every time I stepped into a store, I’d always find myself in the candle section, which was the beginning of my obsession,” said Peterson.

Peterson crafts the beginning of each candle through a cup of wax and fifteen minutes to spare. As the candle sets in place over the course of a week, Peterson prepares the labels and baskets for the upcoming candle.

“Getting the formula exactly right and making sure the candles burn with a good hot throw so the scent can roam around the area it encompasses was a challenge for me initially,” said Peterson. “It’s taken much trial and error, but I have overcome this difficulty. However, there’s always room for improvement!”

In terms of making her sales, Peterson started at the local Farmers’ Market. There, local residents gather together to provide not only fresh fruits and vegetables but unique handcrafted items.

Peterson felt an instant amount of satisfaction her first Saturday at the market, as she made several sales.

In addition to the Farmers’ Market, Gia relied on the power of social media. In order to reach out to a broader audience and attract local customers, Gia’s Candles is predominantly featured throughout her multitude of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

“Initially, I used social media to just get my name out there but it also helped make some sales for me online!” said Peterson. “It is definitely convenient that social media has such a growing nature.”

With a combination of customers reaching out to her through social media and sales every Saturday at the Farmers’ Market, Peterson began to broaden her selection of candles.

Since beginning her journey last November, Peterson has offered a great variety of fragrances.

Because of the business’s November beginning, the majority of Peterson’s candles were winter-themed, encapsulating the holiday’s seasonal warmth. Fragrances included Pumpkin Spice and Chai, Peppermint Mocha, and Cranberry Woods.

As the business began to blossom into new seasons, Peterson sought to incorporate more timeless scented candles applicable to any season, including Birthday Cake, Creme Brûlée, and Mixed Berry. Gia not only allocated her time to seasonal and traditional fragrances but also created some of her very own original scents.

“Perhaps the most interesting scent I would say I have created is Lavender Lemonade, as not many people expect it to come out the way it does.”

As Peterson continues to grow her handmade business, she encourages fellow Burroughs students to come out and give her candles a try.

For more information, students can visit the local market every Saturday morning or support Gia’s Candles on Instagram @gias_candles.