WACO, TX — Samantha Jones loved making candles, she started Waco Handcrafted in January of 2019 as a hobby. It wasn't until her husband, Shawn Linafelder, was laid-off from his job due to the pandemic.
Jones quickly realized her hobby is turning into a full-time job. She created a website and started producing more candles. Sales started to come in and quickly rose within a few weeks.
"We just always have candles burning in the house, always. I was spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars burning in the house and I thought I could do better," Jones said.
Candles have brought Jones comfort, during a time where many of us need a bit of extra comfort she wanted to share her love of them.
Jones may be the owner but, Waco Handcrafted has become a family affair.
A collection of candles called "The Boss Collection" is dedicated to her daughter Chloe. Chloe enjoys making the candles with her mom and her favorite is Apple Cider Donut.
"Just spending time with my mama because she loves doing it and I just like doing it too," Chloe said.
Linafelder has even become a candle connoisseur but doing a bit more of the heavy lifting.
" I go through her orders, and pretty much packing and ship out the orders for her so she can focus on making the candles," Linafelder said.
So proud of his wife, he can't believe the business has grown to the size it has in just a few short months. Jones is thankful for the community that has supported and helped not only her but her family.
"It is supporting a family, it's supporting my daughter it's supporting us whenever my husband has been laid off. And our money goes back into small businesses in Waco," Jones said.
VisitWaco Handcrafted online for the most recent selection of candles. Jones also sells in bulk to stores and boutiques around Waco so you could run into them next time you're supporting another business. You can also follow them on their Facebookpage.
