At this Sandusky candle shop, you can blend more than 200 fragrances into a custom scent and choose a vintage or eclectic vessel to make it your own.
No boring candles allowed. That’s the unofficial rule at Island Sham Farmhouse in Sandusky, Ohio, where owner Julia Nickell invites customers to blend custom candles from more than 200 fragrances. Think a scent called Saturday Morning Cartoons that smells like Fruit Loops, Mohave Monsoon inspired by Arizona desert rain or Olive Oatman, a warm blend of orange, clove, cinnamon and whiskey named for the legendary Western pioneer.
Nickell started pouring candles during the pandemic after researching the ingredients in many popular brands. “What I found terrified me,” she says. Now, every candle she makes is hand-made with 100 percent soy wax, cotton wicks and thoughtfully sourced fragrance oils.
You can buy one — or pick from more than 100 vintage, modern and eclectic glass vessels and create your own custom candle in the shop. “We always tell people to pick more than one scent,” Nickell says. “Pick three, four or five. Make it you.” islandshamfarmhouse.com
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