Molding Mississippi

By Staff
UNIQUE CANDLE – This Mississippi candle is a one-of-a-kind made by Brandon candlemaker Daniel Johnson. Submitted photo
By Penny Randall / staff writer
Feb. 16, 2003
Daniel Johnson just returned from England last July when he sat down in the Jackson International Airport, waited for his family and caught an episode of "Mississippi Roads" on television.
The popular Mississippi Educational Television show highlighted the 10 most endangered sites in the state. Johnson was fascinated. He said it was fate that he was watching the show.
While watching "Mississippi Roads," Johnson had an idea: Make a candle molded in the shape of the state of Mississippi and donate most of the profits from the sales to help the threatened sites.
The one-of-a-kind candles are 5 inches tall and 31/2 inches wide with the word Mississippi down center in raised lettering. The candles are made of crystal wax or soy bean wax.
They sell for $9.95 each; he spends about $5 to make each candle. While several people have asked him to make 25 copies of the same identical Mississippi candle, he said that is impossible.
Johnson said he visited stores to find out what types of items were currently made representing Mississippi and didn't find anything that he thought symbolized the state.
Johnson even went one step further to make his candle special.
The Mississippi candles are placed on a small podium atop a bed of fire-proof silk leaves and flowers. Johnson uses flowers and leaves native to Mississippi such as muscadine, dogwood, black-eyed Susan or peach blossoms.
Johnson, 40, said creativity runs in his family. He and his mother, who is his business partner, also create goat's milk soap in the same Mississippi mold as his candles.
Johnson has also created candles in the shape of pine combs and sports mascots for area schools in Brandon to sell as fund-raisers.
But he is most proud of his Mississippi candles.
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?
Contact candlemaker Daniel Johnson at 404 Cannon Drive, Brandon MS 39042; call (601) 825-3424; or e-mail him at countrycuzns@aol.com