Sawdust & Embers / Behind the candle
Inside the Studio
From an idea to a finished candle, follow the places, materials and stories that shape Sawdust & Embers.
Chapter 1 of 4: Inspiration
01 / Inspiration
It begins with a feeling.
A place, a material, a memory or a story can become the starting point for a candle. We build a fragrance around that atmosphere, layering individual scent materials to give it structure and character.
Sawdust & Embers began in 2016, when John and Brett Marquez turned a candle-making hobby into a small business in Garland, Texas.
02 / Fragrance
Built for the candle.
We evaluate how a fragrance behaves with our 100% soy wax, cotton wick, vessel and intended fragrance level. Cold scent, scent while burning, wick performance and flame behavior all help us understand how the fragrance lives in a room.
Scent notes describe the fragrance experience. They do not necessarily name every literal ingredient in the formula.
In the film, liquid is measured from an amber bottle into a glass beaker and mixed. A metal pitcher then pours into white Folklore candle vessels with wick holders.
03 / Pouring
Made in Texas.
Our candles are developed and hand-poured in Texas. Preparing vessels, measuring and blending, pouring, setting wicks and allowing candles to cure are all part of the work.
Wax, fragrance, vessel and wick work together. The making process gives each part the attention it needs.
04 / Finishing
The final details.
The work continues after the pour: inspecting the finished surface, trimming, labeling and packing. From fragrance development to label design, every collection carries the people and ideas behind Sawdust & Embers.
A finished candle brings the fragrance and its visual story together.