What Happened to California Handcrafted? Everything Happens for a Reason

Hey friends — it’s been a while.

If you’ve been wondering where California Handcrafted has been these past few months, I wanted to take a moment to catch you up. The short version? I’ve been healing. The long version? Well… let’s just say 2025 came in swinging.

Back in January, I broke my leg — and not just a clean break. I also tore the meniscus and MCL in my left knee, which has made recovery a slow, frustrating process. For a one-man operation like this, that meant I had to hit pause on everything: candle production, shipping, customer service — all of it. It was hard to shut things down, but there really wasn’t another option.

But while I’ve been laid up, I haven’t been sitting still (at least not creatively). I’ve used the time to take a hard look at California Handcrafted from top to bottom — the products, the collections, the shopping experience, even the wax itself. I didn’t want to just restart where I left off. I wanted to come back stronger, clearer, and better than before.

A total website refresh.

I rebuilt the site from the ground up. It’s cleaner, easier to navigate, and more enjoyable to shop — especially on mobile.

Better collections and candles.

I reorganized my entire lineup to focus on what makes each collection feel distinct. That means more intentional fragrances, tighter curation, and a simpler, more thoughtful browsing experience.

An upgrade to the wax.

I’ve officially moved from soy to coconut apricot wax. It burns cleaner, holds scent better, and gives each candle a richer, more even finish. I’ll be sharing more on this soon, but I’m really excited about the switch — I think you will be too.

Improved wicks for a cleaner burn.

We’ve also upgraded the wicks across the entire line. The new wicks produce less soot, reduce mushrooming, and create a steadier, cleaner burn from start to finish.

New product photography.

Every candle now features updated photography that better reflects the scents, the vibe, and the small-batch care behind each one.

Same small-batch care.

While a lot has changed, what hasn’t is how I make these candles: one at a time, right here in California, with care, intention, and the same high standards I’ve had since day one.

Through all of this, the support from my family has meant everything — especially from my wife Zanne. She’s been the rock holding everything together: working full time, taking care of me and our girls, and somehow still running her own amazing shop, Wander Together Outfitters. If you like the vibe of our candles, you’ll love what she’s built — it’s full of accessories and goods inspired by the outdoors and adventure, all with her signature style.

Soft launch + a thank you gift.

I’m calling this a soft relaunch. Everything should be working just fine, but I’m still polishing a few things behind the scenes — and I’d love your feedback if you spot anything that seems off.

To celebrate being back, I’m sending out a 10% off coupon as a thank-you for your support. If you're subscribed to our email or SMS list, you'll get the code automatically. If you haven’t subscribed yet, just use the popup on our site to join and your code will be on the way.

More than anything, I just want to say thank you. Whether you’ve been a longtime customer, a wholesale partner, or someone who’s just been following along — your support means the world. I’m incredibly grateful to be back.

Take a look around the site, and if you feel like treating yourself (or someone else), well… you know where to find me.

– Greg
Founder, candle maker, and guy who’s very glad to be on two feet again