Where to Start with Sandy Allison
Sandy Allison is a craft author who specializes in making hands-on skills accessible to complete beginners. Her work on “Candle Making Basics” in the Stackpole Books How-To series brought the same clarity and methodical approach that defines the best instructional craft writing: clear photographs at every step, honest advice about what can go wrong, and a structure that builds confidence before ambition.
Start here
Candle Making Basics: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started
Sandy Allison · 184 pages · 2018 · Easy
Themes: candle making fundamentals, tools and materials, tapers and pillars, container candles, beeswax candles
The definitive beginner’s guide to candle making. Sandy Allison covers every type of candle a newcomer might want to try, with step-by-step color photographs that make each technique feel achievable from the very first attempt.
Why Start Here
This is the book that makes candle making feel like something you can actually do, not just admire from a distance. Allison assumes you know nothing and builds your skills from the ground up: choosing materials, setting up a workspace, understanding wax behavior, selecting the right wick, and working safely with heat and fragrance.
What makes the book stand out is the photography. Every major step has a clear, well-lit photograph showing exactly what your hands should be doing. For a craft where small details matter, like wax temperature and wick centering, this visual approach eliminates the guesswork that text-only instructions leave behind.
The book covers tapers, molded pillars, container candles, and rolled beeswax candles, giving you a solid foundation across the full range of candle types.
What to Expect
At 184 pages, the book is thorough without being overwhelming. The progressive structure means you can work through it chapter by chapter, building skills as you go, or jump to the specific candle type that interests you most. A project gallery at the end provides inspiration for once you have the fundamentals down.