PHOTO BY JACOBSON PHOTOGRAPHY Leslie Streeter of State Center enjoys dreaming up new scents for her business Hometown Glow Candle Co.

STATE CENTER — Ask Leslie Streeter what she most enjoys about the candlemaking process and she’ll say it’s all about the fragrances.

Like perfume, candle scents have top, middle and base notes.

“I’m a creative person and the candles give me an opportunity to be creative with making scents and coming up with names for them.”

She established Hometown Glow Candle Co about a year ago out of her home “laboratory.” Without a brick and mortar location, she mainly sells via social media and at area farmers’ markets including Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market and Maxwell’s Market in the Park. She’s a native of Melbourne and is a West Marshall grad and MCC alum.

“Candlemaking is a hobby. I’m an LPN at UnityPoint State Center. My kids are busy and I want to be there,” she said. “Being there for them is my priority and my career as a nurse is very important to me as well.”

Her venture began out of her kitchen. But when candles began taking over her dining room table, she and her husband Jim decided it was time for her to relocate her operation to their four-season porch. There, she crafts small batch candles using organic soy wax, cotton wicks and fragrance oils. She also makes her own labels. Wax derived from soy is free of toxins and carcinogens. It also has a lower melting point than paraffin wax and will burn slower and longer. Cotton wicks produce less smoke and soot than most other materials.

“I didn’t seek out organic, but it’s such a bonus that it is,” she said.

Getting the correct proportions is key.

“There’s a lot of chemistry involved between the size of your vessel, the wax that you’re using, the type of wick and size, and how much fragrance oil,” she said. “That’s what makes it really special — you can’t get (my) scents anywhere else.”

Ongoing candle testing helps ensure quality control.

“As I change fragrances each season and sometimes upgrade my ingredients, occasionally I come across an issue. Please always reach out with any product concerns, I genuinely want to know about it, and even more so, make it right,” she said.

Cold throw refers to how a candle smells when you go to sniff it unlit. Hot throw describes the smell once you’re burning the candle.

“Cold throw is an important part of candlemaking because that’s what your customers smell. I’ll light some during open houses, but the cold throw is what sells your candles,” she said.

Every 30 days, Streeter releases a new candle named for the month. If it proves popular, it will then be renamed — reflective of its smell or mood – and put into her inventory.

“I really like to switch things up seasonally,” she said. “And of course, people love candles in the fall and winter the most.”

Her “Starlight” candle is crafted with lavender, vanilla and vetiver, while “Iowa Nice” keeps it simple with vanilla and cinnamon. “Fraser Fir” is a popular scent year-round. Her new “Strawberry Tart” combines the aroma of strawberries, cream, sugar and graham crackers, while “Dry Gin & Cypress” marries botanicals and aged woods.

“Minimalism is huge right now. Candles are consumables so you don’t have to keep it on your shelf the rest of your life. Use it and then move on,” she added.

Streeter said one of the most important things to remember when it comes to caring for a candle is ensuring the wick is trimmed to one-fourth of an inch after each burn.

“The longer the wick, the hotter your flame will be,” she said.

An untrimmed wick can also generate excess soot and smoke during burning. While most any pair of scissors will work, some people prefer wick trimmers because they’re useful when the wick starts deeper in the jar. Also, she advises against letting a candle burn for more than four hours at a stretch.

Building a rapport with customers has been a gratifying aspect of the business.

“It’s rewarding realizing people enjoy your product and are willing to seek you out,” she said. Streeter will host a Spring Fling Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 17 at 203 E. Main St. in State Center (EES Building). There, attendees can smell her new spring candle line and shop gifts for graduates and for Mother’s Day. Light refreshments will be served. Products can also be shipped.

Streeter may be reached at: 641-485-4389 (call or text) and hometownglowcc@gmail.com. Visit Hometown Glow Candle Co. on Facebook.