When I say that we are going all out this year on fall candles, I certainly mean it and you will see why. I feel like I need a chart to map out your fall candle journey with us. Instead, I will use my words (with a hint of gratitude) to reveal what we have been working so hard on. 

For those of you who are new here, about 80% of Des Moines Mercantile’s inventory is locally made or sourced. Even more than that is women-owned. Among one of those is me, Mallory, owner of Des Moines Mercantile and creator of our in-house candles. When I’m not behind the counter, I’m tucked away in our back room pouring and concocting. 

This all started with a vision of selling refillable candles (keep reading, we will get back to this) in beautiful pottery that could be used again and again for your favorite candle. In the last 5 years, the need for more options to shop from has been clear. The people have spoken, and I have complied! 

Without further ado, say hello to our scents of fall. 

The Great Pumpkin Waltz has notes of pumpkin, carrot seed, persimmon, and smoke. It's great and it will make you want to do a little dance. Our elevated take on a classic pumpkin spice candle. The goal was to come up with an aroma that even folks who hate on pumpkin spice might like. It's warm, well-rounded, and perfectly festive.

Autumn Fig has notes of fig, brown sugar, amber, and currant. We like to think that it encapsulates the smell of baking that wafts out of the house when you open the front door on a brisk fall day. 

Apple Harvest has notes of apple, honey, and tonka. This one is a shop favorite. As one of our customers says, "It smells like apple juice, but somehow very cozy." We agree. 

October Fog has notes of turmeric, earl grey, bergamot, and cinnamon. Imagine taking a walk on a cold day with a fall-inspired London Fog in hand. If that sounds as lovely to you as it does to us, this candle is for you. 

We’re excited to offer all of these options in our refillable pottery candle, double wick 11oz. jar, and single wick 6oz. jar. Refillable Pottery Candle $36 

We are so proud of these. They are offered just a couple of times a year and sell out quickly. We partner with The Pottery Collective at Kunzler Studios in West Des Moines to bring these to life! This round is a lovely black just in time for spooky season. 

How does the refill process work, you ask? We will only refill your past and present pottery vessels that you purchased here for the refillable candle. It is $10 when you drop off and takes 1-2 weeks before it is ready to pick up again. You will have 4-5 scents to choose from and they change with the season. Please ensure that you have burnt through your whole candle before returning or clean out most of the wax from the bottom. This saves us a lot of time in our cleaning process! 

**This is something we only offer in person, so if you order one from afar, keep that in mind. There are endless ways to reuse your candle vessel in other ways! 

Heirloom Jar Candles $16 - $25 

These come in an 11oz candle with two wicks or a 6oz candle with a single wick. Whatever size or scent you choose, these jars with gold lids are sure to elevate your space! 

Glass Pumpkin Candle $38 

The most lovely bonus candle we are offering this year! This one only comes in The Great Pumpkin Waltz scent for obvious reasons. It is complete with THREE wicks and is 14 ounces of fall goodness.  

Hang in there because I have one more creation to tell you about! 

Wax Melts $10 

For those of you who use wax melters at home, these are for you! Each box comes with 12 wax melts. So plug in your melter, sit back, and go about your autumnal day. 

This is truly our favorite time of the year and each day the shop feels a little more like fall. Sure, the weather may be in the 80s again, but you are welcome to live vicariously with us through a warm drink, the perfect cozy playlist, and fall candles. 

LASTLY, I’m going to leave this here as a reminder of how to care for your candle. Please allow your wax to melt all the way to the edge of your candle every time you light it but especially the very first light. This prevents tunneling and allows you to enjoy your candle at its full capacity. Trim your wick! Before you light it each time, cut off the loose black portion to ensure a clean burn. Keep away from kids and furry friends.