For Rebekah Owen, an artisan at the Heritage Candle Shop, the warmth and light of her candles is a reflection of the warmth and light she’s found in the Homestead Heritage community. Her candles are handcrafted in small batches with all-natural ingredients, casting warm light and filling homes with delightful fragrances.
Rebekah Owen is a candlemaker who hand-crafts all-natural candles sold at Homestead Craft Village in Waco, Texas. Courtesy of Homestead Heritage 2024
“Candles create an ambiance and contribute to a great first impression. When you walk into a home, to a dinner – the first thing you notice is how it smells,” Owen said. “This is due in part to the use of essential oils and fine fragrance oils, and partly from the negative ions created by candles made with all-natural beeswax.”
Rebecca grew up in Austin and in her teens, accompanied her mother on visits to Homestead Heritage. She later fell in love with her future husband, Jed, who introduced her to the craft of candlemaking.
“I’ve always loved candles, but I never considered making candles myself,” Owen says. “I remember walking in that first time into the shop and feeling a little scared, but also really excited to learn a new craft.”
Today, she makes candles and teaches the craft to others, putting the warmth of her personality into each candle.
Heritage Candle Shop sources natural ingredients including beeswax from American honeybees and all-natural wooden and cotton wicks to produce high-quality, eco-friendly candles. Shortcuts such as paraffin wax from petroleum, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances are not used since they produce candles that don’t burn as bright or as long as natural waxes, and produce harsh, chemical scents. The old ways the community preserves have proven to be the best.
Homestead Heritage operates on principles of individual ownership coupled with community collaboration, seen daily in the shops and especially evident during large community events such as the yearly Thanksgiving weekend festival. “Everyone contributes, from setting up food stalls to organizing music and building booths,” Owen says. “It’s a collective effort that makes you feel part of something much larger.”
Read the full press release here.
