Reigniting a fire through candle making

During a hard season of life in 2020, exhausted from the pressures at her job as a child abuse investigator and the emotions of a hard divorce, Rachel Cox, owner of the Girl on Fire Boutique, needed a new hobby – something that could relax her after a long day and take her mind off life.

“I started making candles just for myself,” Cox said. “It was a very therapeutic. It was really good for me to be able to come home at night and turn my brain off and focus on a hobby that was productive.”

After learning the ins and outs of candle making for about five months, one her friends told Cox she should sell candles on Facebook for Mother’s Day.

Cox decided to do just that. She posted on Facebook, “I made candles if anyone wants to buy one for mom,” hoping to sell 20 candles. She sold 200.

She created a website and began selling her candles in boutiques in Waxahachie, at different shows, like the Texas Country Reporter Festival, and at the Waxahachie Farmers Market.

“It’s been really successful and all from a fluke of someone mentioning you should do it on Facebook,” Cox said.

Girl on Fire Boutique was born.

“This boutique is dedicated to every girl who found herself lost and needing to start over, who was let down, but bounced back, who was underappreciated yet underestimated,” her website reads. “This is for the girl that came back from the ashes and showed the world she still had ‘fire in her.’ ”

Cox remarried, and her husband, Brandon, has become the main candlemaker, slicing 40-pound bricks of wax and melting them down, distributing them to holders at the exact right temperature and mixing the fragrance.

The candles are made from a soy mix wax, safe in front of cats and birds, and have a 60-hour burn time with a wooden wick that crackles like a fireplace. Cox has a signature collection, an empowering women collection and new scents every spring.

Cox visits a supplier in Texas for new scents, perusing its wall of hundreds of scents and picking out the best ones.

This year, Cox introduced a new item to her business – freeze dried candy.

She wanted to try something different, especially during the summer months because candles are difficult to bring to shows in the heat. While visiting Corpus Cristi, Cox tried freeze dried candy and was inspired to try it in Waxahachie.

“It’s different,” she said. “No one’s ever had it before, so they try it, and they love it.”

Using a freeze dryer, Cox places candy like Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, Nerd Clusters, saltwater taffy and more in the machine for about four hours.

“It sucks all the moisture out of the candy and fills it with air,” Cox said.

Since starting her small business in 2021, Cox said it’s taught her that there are always people supporting you, even if you don’t see it.

“It made me realize how much support I had from people I didn’t realize I had,” she said. “Even if you’re feeling really bad, there’s people out there rooting for you. That’s really what I learned. There were people rooting for me who helped me get through my bad times, and now I have a fun hobby.”

All of Cox’s candles and candy can be purchased online for local pickup or at the Waxahachie Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Cox said they often do giveaways and raffles on Facebook.

For more information, visit https://www.girlonfireboutique.com/ or follow @girlonfireboutique on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Originally published online July 17, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/reigniting-a-fire-through-candle-making/article_2bf2ab10-24d0-11ee-9923-4717cbffe967.html