The COVID-19 lockdowns meant spending a lot more time at home. During the pandemic, Kelsey Williams of Cedar decided to take up a hobby: candle making. Her interest in making candles rapidly developed from a way to pass the time indoors to selling her products to retailers, and now she owns her own store, Leelanau Candle Company, in Cedar.
Part of what makes each of William’s products unique is that they’re themed around specifi c places in the county. Some candles represent well-known locations like Pyramid Point on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, while others are named after more obscure “hidden beaches” and “secret hiking trails,” Williams said.
Williams said she knows all these locations well, as she’s lived in Cedar for her whole life. And she says that she doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon. Ultimately, Williams says, she opened Leelanau Candle Company to make things that represent a place that she loves.
“I started making candles during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when the restaurants shut down,” Williams said. “I was working for my aunt, who owns North Country Grill and Pub, at the time. So, we shut down. I wanted to do a hobby to keep myself busy, so I made a sample batch of candles and gave them to my family members. They were kind of blown away by how good they smelled, and how well they burned.”
“I’m just a girl who wanted to start a hobby, but I’ve never been good with sports or things like that. So, I started making candles,” Williams explained.
Another motivating factor was learning about the negative environmental impacts of burn- ing certain candles, which can release harmful chemicals, and a desire to make safer products for herself and others, Williams said.
Williams says that it’s difficult to find all the ingredients and materials that she needs locally, but she tries to purchase everything from vendors in the U.S. The candles are all handpoured by Williams in Cedar, though, and she makes the accompanying dust covers. The candles’ stickers are printed locally, with Williams putting the labels on the candles herself.
Some of the candles come in clay vessels produced by local ceramic artist Amy Gilmore of Traverse City. Williams said that she formed a business partnership with Gilmore after being familiar with her work, and they pride themselves on working together as two women who own their own businesses.
“I have a candle that suits everyone, and I think that’s why Leelanau Candle Company has grown so much in the past couple years,” Williams said.
Williams started selling her candles in spring 2021. In addition to her store in Cedar and website, leelanaucandleco.com, Williams said that she’ll be attending several art festivals in Traverse City this summer, including the National Cherry Fest on June 30 and at Jacob’s Farm on July 6.
