Photo by Frank Couch.
Besides beer can candles, Homewood resident Britney Cowart’s Wax & Tin candle company has a line of formal tin cans in white and gold.
Most people either recycle or throw away empty beer cans. But Homewood resident Britney Cowart found a new life for them — as candles.
Cowart had a desire to own her own business, but wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to do.
One night, when brainstorming ideas with her husband, he asked her what she liked. She looked over at a candle burning in her den and decided to turn her love of candles into her new business.
“I have friends who own small businesses, and they have been successful and give back to the community,” she said. “I thought it was neat and wanted to do something myself.”
With no prior experience in candle making, Cowart watched videos on YouTube to learn the process. She bought the supplies and made a few samples for friends, but was still looking for her niche.
“I wanted to think outside the box and separate myself from other candle companies,” she said.
When she started in February 2015, her husband helped her with marketing and a website, and a friend helped her with her logo and graphic design.
A few months later, her cousin, owner of Singin’ River Brewing Company in Florence, asked Cowart if she would pour candles into beer cans for her brewery. She began making those in the fall, as well as cans from local Birmingham breweries that she buys or gets from friends who save them for her.
“I did a pop-up shop with some friends and had my beer can candles, and people thought they were great,” Cowart said. “After that, they took off.”
Originally named Light the Fire, Cowart changed the name of her company to Wax & Tin to give herself a small niche to focus on. Besides the beer cans, she has a line of formal tin cans in white and gold, and also empty paint cans with artwork featured on them.
She has three lines: brew, fresh and canvas collection. Cowart also has seasonal scents, including citronella for the summer, cinnamon and spice in the fall, and Christmas scents in the winter.
With seven scents available year-round, her most popular are rosemary mint, cashmere, linwood linen and lavender chamomile. Cowart said she wants her candles to be a unique and personal gift, for both women and men.
“Men are hard to buy for,” she said. “I wanted to get in the male market with something manly and unique.”
Cowart said she wants her business to be purposeful and to give back to the community. She has done fundraisers for several friends who have children with special needs. She also plans to partner with The Wellhouse, donating candles as a gift to new residents.
Wax & Tin candles are available online and also in Neighborhood Brew on Valleydale Road and Painted Shovel in Avondale. Cowart also has applied for a few markets around town and hopes to do more markets and art festivals.
“It’s been really awesome to be a stay-at-home mom but still have a business on the side I can do,” she said. “It’s been really fun and neat and a big undertaking. Hopefully, people will find it unique and fun.”
