How Our Hand-Poured Candles Are Made

Latviski · Français

A factory candle is made by a machine in minutes. Ours take considerably longer, and every step is done by hand in our small studio in Riga, Latvia. This is how a Vilma candle goes from an idea to something you can put on a shelf.

1. It starts with a shape

Every design in our collection is our own. We do not buy ready-made moulds from suppliers. A candle begins as an idea for an object we would want to exist – an animal, a figure, a flower, a pinecone – and we sculpt the original ourselves.

2. From sculpture to mould

The finished sculpture is turned into a mould, so that the same shape can be cast again and again with all its detail. This is the slowest part of the process, and it is why our shapes are not found anywhere else.

3. Pouring the wax by hand

We use only 100% soy wax: plant-based, renewable, and clean-burning. No paraffin and no synthetic additives. We also add no fragrance, so the candles are unscented. Each one is poured by hand, in small batches.

4. Cooling, finishing and packing

Once poured, a candle has to cool and set before it can leave the mould. Then it is checked, finished, and packed by us. Nothing is outsourced.

Why small batches matter

• Detail. Sculpted shapes need attention that a production line cannot give.
• Character. Each candle carries the small marks of being made by hand, so no two are exactly alike.
• Range. Working in small batches lets us keep more than 100 designs and add new ones regularly.

How to burn a sculptural candle

Our candles are designed to be seen. Many people keep them unlit as decorative objects, and that is a perfectly good way to enjoy them. If you do light one:

• Place it on a heat-resistant plate or tray – a sculpted candle changes shape as it burns, and wax may run.
• Keep it away from draughts, which make any candle burn unevenly.
• Trim the wick to about 5 mm before each lighting.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended.

See them for yourself

Browse the full collection online, or visit our shop at Krišjāņa Barona iela 28 in Riga, where the selection is even larger. Looking for a present? Read why candles make the perfect gift.