A crafter at heart, Amara Aigbedion began experimenting with candle-making when she was in college. She recruited her sister-in-law, Bukola Aigbedion, and the duo started hosting pop-up shops in 2017.

“I got the idea when I was in business school,” Amara Aigbedion said. “We had a fundraising thing where I donated a candle-making workshop as the gift, and someone bid on it.”

The pop-ups were popular from the start, and the Aigbedion sisters turned Love & Make into the business it is today, which is open seven days a week, even as they both work full-time jobs outside of Love & Make.

How it works

Love & Make hosts do-it-yourself workshops for candle-making, perfumes, colognes, soaps, diffusers and bath bombs.

Workshops are open to the public, but classes can be reserved for private events, such as corporate gatherings, baby showers and birthdays. Walk-ins are also welcome to come in and create if there is space.

“It's kind of like a cooking class,” Amara Aigbedion said. “You're learning about the materials, you're learning about the process of how things work and then you get to dive in and be a little bit hands-on, making your candles and exploring.”

The store hosts public workshops, corporate outings and private events. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
The store hosts public workshops, corporate outings and private events. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)

Diving deeper

The main point of Love & Make is to bring people together and foster community through learning and exploration, Amara Aigbedion said.

Workshops are designed to be accessible and not overwhelming, allowing the focus to stay on bringing people together and the meaning behind the craft.

“We're really about breaking it down so that you kind of understand what it takes to compose one of these, what are all the ingredients and the necessary equipment that we need to actually construct this, so that next time you're a more conscientious consumer as well,” Amara Aigbedion said.

Amara Aigbedion founded the business with her sister-in-law, Bukola Aigbedion. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
Amara Aigbedion founded the business with her sister-in-law, Bukola Aigbedion. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)

The impact

To keep the company as accessible as possible, Amara Aigbedion said Love & Make is mobile and will travel to host pop-ups at private events around Houston.

She said she keeps the products customizable, allowing customers to craft personal items from the heart, and tying back to the meaning behind the business.

“I'm making something from my heart or with colleagues or friends, connecting and bonding, making memories, but I'm also making something that I'll be able to cherish and use later, or I can give it as a gift,” Amara Aigbedion said.