Hand-poured in Portland, Maine
Candles that smell like the Maine coast
Free shipping on orders over $60
Sea salt and cedar
A foggy morning on Casco Bay, in a jar
Small batches
Poured by hand, one batch at a time
Sending a gift
A gift set, wrapped and on its way
- Free shipping over $60 USPS Ground Advantage, anywhere in the US.
- Shipped from Portland Ground Advantage $5.95 or Priority Mail $9.95.
- Local pickup Free, from the studio on Commercial Street.
- Poured by hand Soy wax, in small batches.
The shop
Three scents, four ways to enjoy them
Candles in three sizes, reed diffusers, wax melts and a gift set.
Sea salt · Driftwood · Cedarwood
Sea Salt & Cedar Candle
from $12.00
Balsam fir · Spruce needle · Amber
Maine Balsam Candle
from $12.00
Wild blueberry · Vanilla · Soft musk
Wild Blueberry Candle
from $12.00
In all three scents · No flame, no power
Reed Diffuser
$32.00
In all three scents · Six cubes of soy wax
Wax Melts, Six-Pack
$9.00
Three travel tins · One six-pack of wax melts
Gift Set
$48.00
The scent library
Choose by the notes
You can't smell a candle through a screen, so here is each scent the plain way: what you smell first, what comes through, and what stays.
-
Sea salt · Driftwood · Cedarwood
Sea Salt & Cedar
A foggy morning on Casco Bay
- Top
- Sea salt
- Heart
- Driftwood
- Base
- Cedarwood
Fresh and woody, never sweet. Good in a bathroom, a hallway or anywhere you want the windows-open feeling.
-
Balsam fir · Spruce needle · Amber
Maine Balsam
The fir woods inland, in December
- Top
- Balsam fir
- Heart
- Spruce needle
- Base
- Amber
Green and resinous, like bringing the tree indoors. A living room scent for long winter evenings.
-
Wild blueberry · Vanilla · Soft musk
Wild Blueberry
The blueberry barrens Down East, in August
- Top
- Wild blueberry
- Heart
- Vanilla
- Base
- Soft musk
Fruity and warm without being sugary. A kitchen scent, and a summer one.
Sizes
Which size is right?
Every scent comes in all three sizes. Burn times are a guide: they depend on how long you burn it each time and on a spot out of drafts.
Travel tin
$12
- Burns for about 20 hours
- Best for A desk, a trip, or trying a scent
- Yes In all three scents
8 oz jar
$24
- Burns for about 45 hours
- Best for A bedroom or a bathroom
- Yes In all three scents
16 oz jar
$36
- Burns for about 90 hours
- Best for A living room or a kitchen
- Yes In all three scents
The maker
Hannah Morse, Studio 4, Commercial Street
Saltbox is Hannah Morse, pouring by hand in a small studio on Commercial Street in Portland, along the working waterfront.
Every batch is small enough to watch: the wax melted, the fragrance stirred in, each jar poured and left to set before it is labeled and packed. Then it goes in the mail to you, wherever you are in the US.
- Soy wax and cotton wicks
- Small batches, poured by hand
- Packed and shipped from Portland, Maine
Sending a gift?
The gift set holds three travel tins, one of each scent, and a six-pack of wax melts. Add a note on the product page and we will ship it straight to them.
Candle care
Four habits for an even burn
A soy candle remembers its first burn. Do these and it will burn evenly all the way down.
-
Let the first burn reach the edges
Burn it until the melted wax reaches the sides of the jar, usually two to three hours. Stopping sooner is what causes tunneling.
-
Trim the wick to 1/4 inch
Before every light. A short wick burns cleaner and keeps the flame steady.
-
Burn up to four hours at a time
Then blow it out, let the wax cool and set, and start again next time.
-
Stop with 1/2 inch of wax left
Keep it out of drafts and away from children and pets, and never leave it burning in an empty room.
Journal
Notes from the studio
-
How to get an even burn from the very first light
Tunneling is the most common candle complaint, and it is almost always decided on the first burn. Here is how to get it right.
-
Travel tin, 8 oz or 16 oz: which candle size suits your room
Bigger is not always better. How to match a candle size to a room, a habit and a gift.
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Candle, reed diffuser or wax melts? How to choose
Three ways to scent a room, each with a different job. Which suits which room, and why many people end up with all three.
Get in touch
Questions about an order?
Write to us about an order, a scent or a gift, and Hannah will get back to you. For local pickup, choose it at checkout and we will email you when your order is ready.
- Phone
- (207) 555-0187
- The studio
-
Studio 4, 85 Commercial St
Portland, ME 04101