By JP Phillips
Contributing Writer

Brittany and Tom Watkins have that “can-do” spirit. She bakes bread and tackles anything to do with home decorating. He is game for any home repair or improvement project. It is this type of attitude that helped them turn a craft project with their kids into a candle-making business they called White Clay Wicks.

By day, Brittany is an English teacher at the Delaware Military Academy, a charter school in Wilmington. “I absolutely love it, but I was looking for something kind of creative,” she said. “And then when we started redoing the home, I was like, okay, I love decorating. I love creating things.” She recently received a diploma online in Interior Design from the Interior Design Institute. 

They are not originally from Landenberg. Tom is from North Carolina and was transferred to the area by his employer Public Service Energy Group (PSEG), and Brittany was from New Jersey. But while dating, they went to Paradox Winery and fell in love—with each other, yes, but also with the area.  

Tom explained, “Eventually we were married and she said, ‘If I found a place in Landenberg and it was perfect, could we look at it?’ And I said, ‘sure.’ Then she found this house. It was not perfect, but the price was right.”

The property is up on a hill surrounded by woods, overlooking the White Clay Creek. Tom said that the home had good bones and great details, but needed all new mechanical systems and serious updating. It was left empty for years and in foreclosure, but priced well. They have now lived here for eight years. While the house is still a work in progress, it has come a very long way—with Tom and Brittany doing all of the work and decorating themselves.

White Clay Wicks started when Tom was browsing YouTube, trying to think of fun ways to occupy their two daughters (Peyton, now seven years old, and Tenley, five). He came across a video showing the candle-making process and how quick and easy it was.  

Around that time, Brittany returned from a shopping trip with approximately six expensive fall candles for the house. At that point, Tom suggested that they try to make them instead of buying them and he showed her the video.

It was trial and error to determine the best formula for their candles. “We did start with a soy paraffin blend,” Brittany said, “and we ended up not liking it.” They had one of these candles in their bathroom, and it left soot marks on the ceiling. They now use 100 percent coconut and soy-blend wax for a cleaner burn. They said that Yankee candle, for example, uses paraffin which smokes more and leaves a tunnel as it burns through the wax.

They also make sure the thickness and number of wicks is appropriate for the size of the candle so it burns right to the bottom. As for scents, they add as much as the wax will hold.  

“We add until it would separate, basically,” Tom said. 

“So that you're actually getting your money's worth,” Brittany added.  

They stand 100 percent behind the quality of their candles. “I feel like our customer service is really good,” Brittany said. “If anyone ever said there was any issue, didn't burn the way that they wanted it to, we would have just hundred percent send them a new one.”

Brittany designs the beautiful labels and Tom uses a laser to engrave the wood caps that cover each candle jar.

White Clay Wicks sells their products through several avenues: Rooted store locations in Lincoln University and Newark, on-line, through candle-making parties and fundraisers.

The cottage on the property was in poor condition, so they fixed it up and Brittany’s parents lived there for six years. After they moved out, they decided to use the space for candle parties. Guests bring their own drinks and snacks and can relax and socialize in the cozy space while Brittany guides them through the candle-making process.  

“We can hold eight people in the cottage,” Brittany said. “Everybody gets their own little setup.  They can decide how many candles they want to make, they pour their own wax, they put their color, whatever scent they want in, mix it up, learn how to pour it. Everybody just seems to have such a good time.” Brittany hesitated, and then said, “I don't want to say girls' night… because guys have done it too, but we tend to get a lot of girls’ nights.”   

She will also come to a client’s location, and has also hosted parties at a local winery.

They partnered with their first school for a fundraiser this past winter, and hope to do more of them. Their goal is to make things easy for the organization. The customers order and pay on-line, and White Clay Wicks ships directly to each home. The organization gets a nice percentage of the sales. Their brochure lists a variety of sized and colored candles with 53 scents to choose from—anything from lemon drop, to Kentucky bourbon butterscotch, to ginger and spice. Brittany explained that because they are hand-poured in small batches, it’s no problem to create just one or two of a one-off scent. Pointing to the next room where the scents are stored, Brittany said, “When you see that room, you’ll understand. I have a scent problem and I buy all of them.”

Outside, there is a shed and barn that was completely renovated by Tom, where they keep chickens, ducks, pigs, a rabbit and goats. They sell eggs at the foot of their driveway (“White Clay Chicks”) and are hoping that their two goats will mate so the female produces milk. When asked if they will try their hands at cheese, Tom enthusiastically said, “I will, absolutely. I don't know if she (Brittany) will participate, but I will definitely figure out how to make goat cheese.”  

For more details or to place an order, visit their website at Whiteclaywicks.com.