The make-your-own shop's mission melts hearts.
“I wanted one of these candles, but they were so expensive,” Courtney Miller, a 2014 graduate of Plant City High School, said. “So, I bought material. I was doing it for a hobby for me and my family—to be able to gift candles for Christmas. Obviously, I didn’t know what I was doing. I spent six months learning how to do it. Once I got it down, I started selling them.”
“Me and Scarlett started the business a couple of years ago. She was one, and she helped me make all the candles. I went to a Publix parking lot. Someone posted about my candles on Word of Mouth, and I sold out in about an hour. I didn’t know they were going to be liked as much as they were. So, Plant City has been really amazing.”
In May, Miller opened a storefront for Fire Flower Candles in downtown Plant City. “What we do, no one else does,” she said. “You can’t find it anywhere. It is something different—something new. What is different is that we hand-make all of our bowls—and we make our wicks—and the decorating factor of our candles. It is something new for everybody. Other places can’t do it because they are not making their bowls, which is making their candles triple my prices.” Fire Flower uses only soy wax. It is non-toxic and is one of the most costly waxes. Fire Flower candles cost from $25 to $40.
Fire Flower has a candle bar where customers can come in anytime the shop is open. “I love seeing people decorate their own candles and gift them to other people, because they are excited to show people what they created,” Miller said. The business also has space for 40 people for birthday parties, baby showers, and candle parties. Miller also puts on candle parties on weekends at people’s homes. One hosted 100 people.
Because her vessels are so large, people can’t pour their own candles at this time, they can only decorate them. However, Miller is perfecting a smaller vessel. “We are hoping within the next month to be a candle pour, so people can pour their own candles too,” she said.
“I like that these candles are different,” Miller said. “They are pretty. That is what I decorate my house with. I love seeing my candles in people’s homes. The only problem we’ve had is that they are too pretty for people to burn. So, then, we came out with the glass vessels so people will want to burn them.” Fire Flower customers can bring the vessels back for wax and wick refills.
Miller uses part of Fire Flower’s revenue to support her horse rescue, which she has run for four years. She is currently caring for 11 horses on land off of Knights Griffin Road. “We used to train them and sell them,” she said. “But we ran into issues of people neglecting them, so now we just take horses in and fatten them up a little bit. It is something I do because I enjoy doing it.” Miller does the hard work with the horses, but has opportunities for volunteers to help with giving the horses attention, such as brushing care just to let them know they are loved.
Fire Flower is so new it doesn’t yet come up on Google Maps. The address is 103 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. The shop hours are M-F 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
