After walking by a new place called Wax and Wine on Pine Street in Philadelphia, my co-workers and I decided to give it a try. The cozy-looking new space is dedicated to DIY candles . . . but with a twist. Guests are encouraged to bring their own beverages to enjoy while sniffing various oils to create their perfect candle.

We walked in and grabbed a seat by the window. A staff member quickly found us, introduced herself and began explaining the process. After visiting the website in an attempt to book our appointment and get an inside look at the scent options, I felt like I was already a little familiar with the process.

Once our wine was opened and poured, we grabbed our clipboards and pens and headed to the scented oil room. Each wall of scents is dedicated to a different scene theme like fruit or nuts and nature that change seasonally. I landed on a fruity Cashmere Cedar blend, picked out my jar and headed back to our table. We handed our lists over to a helpful staff member, and she quickly came back with the oil, wax and instructions. We poured and mixed and that was basically it. We sipped our wine while the candles were taken away to be freeze-dried in the back.

After about 20–30 minutes, our candles were bagged up for us. We were instructed to not light the candles for at least 24 hours to make sure they set, and that was it. We were on our way to dinner.

It was so easy, any experience level in DIY should feel welcome. The entire process was maybe 45 minutes from beginning to end. Each reservation includes 75 minutes at a reserved table. We opted for the single candle purchase of $35, but there is the option for two candles at $45.

It was a cute venue and fun activity for a night out with friends and a great break between the work week. It definitely left me with the thought, “Why am I not making more candles at home in my free time?”

— Angelique Platas, associate editor