Meet You Me and Bones: Candles for lovers of Kooky

If you’re a candle addict like me, then you’re always on the hunt for the next high; a fresh and interesting candle that’ll take you to a whole new level of nostril nirvana. That’s what I’m serving up in today’s post, Creatives, as I introduce you to Melbourne candle brand You Me and Bones.

You Me and Bones: Candles for lovers of Kooky

The brainchild of Waan Pivasiri, You Me and Bones is a candle brand with a kooky, almost creepy twist. Originally specialising in candles shaped from dolls heads, Waan tells me that the idea for the business stated back in 2013. She was eager to gift friends with presents she had created herself, making a New Year’s resolution to stop buying mass-produced pressies.

“I really enjoy making candles, but it wasn’t making and burning them around the house that I enjoy,” Waan tells me, “it was the process of creating something from scratch, seeing the end product and seeing the reaction (good or bad) from those who were gifted my creations”.

I first saw Waan’s doll head candles on Instagram and couldn’t help but get swept up in their unusual beauty. I had to ask Waan if she’s drawn to the creepy and the kooky in general, because I believe that it’s this striking aesthetic that makes You Me and Bones so special.

“I guess so, yes – I’ve always been drawn to the strange and the curiosities,” she says. “I like things that don’t make sense; things that make you look twice to understand. Dolls in general are so creepy for some reason, and I’ve always been (and still am) scared of them actually. But in a candle form however, they’re just so cool and interesting – cute and creepy”.

Waan not only sells her range online – which extends beyond the doll head candles – but at markets locally. She admits that while the JJ Doll Head candles you see in this post are by far the most popular, they haven’t come without their fair share of feedback, both good and bad.

Waan tells me that although she fell in love with the skull candle design the first time she de-moulded it, she’s copped some flack from people both online and in-person.

“There are a few who are not really into it, which is totally fine, each to their own and I totally respect that,” she explains. “A lot of those who are not into in are usually nice and polite, but there are also a handful who makes rude comments both online and to me at markets”.

Working from the candle room in her North Melbourne home, Waan tells me that she’s slowly migrating from her kitchen into the new space. She’s spent a while getting it just right and now has a dedicated studio she can create in.

“I’ve always been an organised mess, if there’s such thing, and having my workspace nice and neat is super motivating”.

Waan also teaches candle making classes through Work Shop (click here for details), so if you’re eager to meet her and get your own candle making brand going, why not book yourself in to the upcoming June class? I’ve spent time making candles of my own in the past, and I can assure you that it’s so rewarding to see the finished product – made from your very own hands!

If you’d like to stay up to date with Waan and her You Me and Bones creations, why not click here and follow the journey on Instagram, or click here to visit her website.

This is an Aussie brand I cannot get enough of and I hope you get on board and support them too.