When you are next thinking of good fundraising ideas for churches, make sure to summon the expertise of some of the oldest members of the church. As this is a world full of disposable goods, one might forget the good old classic fundraising items that were easy to make but still affordable and pretty to have in your home. One thing that comes to mind is fundraising through home-made candles.
If you purchase candles in the supermarkets nowadays, especially if they are scented, this means they are only pumped full of harsh chemical perfumes. This often gives them a poorer burning quality as well as a “plastic smell” in your home. This is because they are made with petrochemical artificial wax which is cheap to use.
The art of candle making has been used for centuries, with often bees wax being the main ingredient of the candle itself. They were made plain, with the comb of the honey still showing or they were made to be luxirously scented. They came in frangrances like vanilla, coffee, lavender, lemon verbena and many other. All of these frangrances were totally natural and the plant or herb that holds the fragrance inserted into the candle.
For instance, if it was a vanilla candle, a stick of pure vanilla was inserted into the candle and as the candle burns, so does the vanilla, making for a wonder natural vanilla scent through your house.
The same goes for things like lavender, rose geranium, lemon and all the other. They not only served their fragrance purpose but looked pretty inside the candle as well.
What better than to be able to purchase one of the stunning candles for you and your loved ones?
When you arrange for a fundraiser of this sort, you are free to use your creativity and imagination. You can make a whole antique and “years gone by” theme for the day. Have posters printed with scenes from the olden days, when there was nothing but gravel roads and ox wagons. If possible, have the volunteers all dressed up in clothing from past years to give it a more antique and aged feel.
As the candles are home made, make sure not to have them wrapped in plastic like cellophane as this will not match with the theme. Home made paper pulp is very easy to make and will be the perfect wrapping that will complement the look and feel of the candles.
Just be sure to, as with any fundraising event that you market your fundraising day properly so as to be sure that it will be both a success for your church and the community.
