Receiving a keepsake candle after a loss can be a precious gift. It allows us to hold onto their memory and the moments we cherish deeply. At laurelbox, custom keepsake candles don’t have to sit unused on a shelf gathering dust. Personalized memorial candles can be burned and then refilled again and again! This blog will walk through the materials needed to refill custom candles, the available scents you can choose from in our candle refill kits, and the exact steps you will need to follow to refill your candles and keep relighting your loved one’s memory.

Confession: I am a candle collector. If I see one that would look “perfect” in my house based on the color, smell or another unique attribute, it’s most likely going home with me. I have them in every room. I will also confess that some of these candles have been in my home for years, maybe even decades (I’m also maybe a hoarder, but that’s a separate blog.) My candle collection is because I’m also a reluctant candle burner for fear my beloved candle will run out of wax and I’ll be *gasp* forced to throw out the special memento of our trip to Hawaii or that visit to Home Goods and all those special memories will be lost forever. I hope that reads as crazy as it sounds but it’s the truth. I don’t normally burn candles because I love them too much to burn them - which is so silly since their intended purpose is to be lit and enjoyed. Does this happen to anyone else? If you have ever received a custom memorial candle in memory of a lost loved one, maybe you can understand the fear of lighting it too much and the wick eventually going out. That moment might feel like a death all over again because the candle represents, in a small way, their life. The genius folks at Laurelbox know and understand grief so well that they have solved the burning question (see what I did there) “Is it okay to burn a keepsake candle?” Their answer is a resounding “yes!” because they’ve created reusable memorial candles. 

If you look across the Internet, there are no shortages of ways to commemorate a loved one. I happen to have a few favorites I have discovered along my various grief journeys and they mostly all come from laurelbox. The team members at laurelbox pour their heart and soul into each box that leaves their boutique operation in Ohio because they have walked through grief themselves and have supported friends and family carrying loss. They constantly look for new and unique ways to offer hope and healing in this grief gift space and one of those is through their variety of custom keepsake candles. I just checked and they currently offer over 20 beautiful keepsake candles, most of which can be personalized with a loved one’s name. Some speak to the loss of a pet, others the loss of a pregnancy and others for a parent. No matter who you are mourning, there is a beautiful hand-poured candle that can encourage yourself or a loved one experiencing grief. 

Why, I’m so glad you asked! I’ll walk you through the steps for refilling a Laurelbox candle you’ve purchased or received. Once you’ve burned through your custom memorial candle - or better yet order a replacement *before* you get to the end - remove the wick clip and follow directions on the kit to refill your candle. All laurelbox candles fit our replacement kits so no need to worry about sizing. However, you should consider which scent you would like. Our current offerings include:

• Citrus + Fruits:  Fragrance notes include orange and lemon peel with finishing aromas of grapefruit, mandarine, tangerine, lime and peach. Similar in fragrance to the well loved Volcano scent.
• Unscented: A popular choice for those who prefer a non scented candle.
• Redwood + Birch: Fragrance notes include natural botanicals, juniper, and cypress. This fragrance is also infused with natural essential oils, including cedarwood, patchouli, cypress, geranium, and mint.
• Oakmoss + Amber:  Fragrance notes include oakmoss and amber with notes of tonka, lavender, orange, grapefruit, and sage. 
• Moonflower Nectar: Fragrance notes include florals and fruits with notes of pear, agave, marine, and a powdery blend of dark musk and amber.
• Sel de Mer: Fragrance notes include complex, mineral-rich sea salt, with notes of  cardamom, orange, aqua, palm, light musk, and amber.
• Solar Sands: Fragrance notes invoke a warm day on the beach. Includes a rich heart of coconut milk, warm amber, citrus palm, teakwood, salt, and dark musk.
• Fraser Fir: Fragrance notes invoke an evergreen tree, with notes of cypress, lemon peel, evergreen, and cedar. 

Each kit includes 10 ounces of 100% all-natural soy wax. Made exclusively for laurelbox in small hand poured batches, the eco-friendly refill kit provides you with the comfort of a clean burn. It contains no additives or dyes, is made from the finest premium grade essential and fragrance oils, and features a wick made with all-natural ring-spun cotton that contains no lead, zinc, or any other metals. Don’t forget to add some gorgeous and thoughtful matches like “Their Light Remains” or “Light in Dark Places” matches.

I hope this custom keepsake candle refill tutorial has been helpful. Now that I know my candles that honor our son Cooper can be reused and refilled, I’m going to burn them more frequently this next year. Remember, having these sort of memento tributes around our houses make great conversation starters. So many people don’t know how to bring up grief and loss but hosting people while burning a memorial candle could create a great opportunity to talk about your grief journey and share some memories of your loved one. If you have a special story regarding your custom memorial candle, let us know! Drop us a line via IG, Facebook or send us an email to info@laurelbox.com.