Sugarberry Creek article in the Feb/Mar 2025 Lakes Country Journal Magazine.
BUSINESS
Sugarberry Creek Candle Co.
WRITTEN BY FELICIA SCHNEIDERHAN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY GARY GUDERIAN
Scent is one of our most powerful senses for evoking feelings and memories. Maybe it’s your grandmother’s apple cake, your spouse’s soap, or your lake cabin. Whether that scent is from decades ago or last summer, a certain scent can put us right there, reminding us of the place and people we care most about. Karla & Craig Axelson—owners and originators of Sugarberry Creek Candle Co. in Brainerd—know how important scent can be. Their candles and body care products bring to life a sense of place and connection through the mystery of scent. “When we started our candles, we wanted candles that reflected this region. We wanted to reflect our love for the area,” says Karla. Their signature candle line, Lakes Country, includes scents named for the things many of us love: Lakeside, Whitecaps, and Cabin Fever, to name a few. Capturing the feel of the place is more important than the actual scent, they say. Sun Glitter is one of their most popular. “Its citrusy scent, with a little agave, is meant to give the feel of that moment when the sun comes down and reflects on the water, glistens, and jumps and dances on the lake—that’s Sun Glitter,” says Karla. Sometimes, they aim for a specific scent in a specific place—and hit the mark exactly.
“We try not to go specific with [place] names, but we went with Paul Bunyan Trail because in the Lakes Region it stretches from Brainerd all the way up to Walker. We wanted one that reflected the smells on the trail—pine, nature,” says Karla. Craig continues, “We were selling at a farmer’s market in Nisswa. The Paul Bunyan Trail is beside the farmer’s market. We had two preteen girls come up. They said, ‘Hey! Paul Bunyan Trail! We were just on it and that smells just like it!’ That was really cute.”
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Karla and Craig Axelson outside their Sugarberry Creek Candle Co. workshop.
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Craig practices creative chemistry as he painstakingly perfects every recipe.
Karla places candle wicks tested for durability and consistency.
High quality ingredients and just the right fragrance oils capture the region’s essence.
to promote local vendors. Their first wholesale order came from Loco Espress Coffee House and Boutique in Brainerd, followed by an order to MN Traders Co. in Pequot Lakes. More stores followed. Last year, a buyer from Bachmann’s saw their candles and ordered some for the fall and winter seasons. “He came back again this summer and said they were popular, and they want to do it again,” Karla says. “I was so excited when I got that email.” The Axelsons make everything—including the labels— in their shop at their home on the old McKay Dairy Farm. “That’s where all the fun happens. That’s where we do everything,” says Craig. He handles the chemistry and creation; Karla joins him after work to help with the finishing, PR, and paperwork. Their skills complement each other, and sharing the business “adds a new dimension and richness to the marriage,” says Karla. Because it’s just the two of them, they can be creative and flexible with their roles. “Craig was hunting one weekend, and I decided to experiment with a body balm. He took that and perfected it. We sell a body spray now, and that was my thing. I come up with ideas. He’s the one who puts it into action. I thought we should have a beard balm for men. He perfected it.” “It took eight months on that,” says Craig. His perfect day in the shop unfolds when everything is laid out ahead of time and goes as planned, beginning to end. “It’s not difficult,” he says, “but you have to have all
Candle making has been a fascination of Craig’s since he was a child. When he and Karla got together in 2017—a second marriage for them both—candle making gave their blended families a fun activity to share at the holidays. “Craig would order all the goodies—wax and oil and jars and fragrance oils. The kids picked out the oils for their own candles. Craig would usually do the pouring.” Everyone walked away with their own creation, and often gave them as gifts, too. The Axelsons’ candles were a big hit. Then their kids started saying maybe they should start selling candles and make a go of it. Craig’s work as an electrician had taken its toll physically, and he was considering scaling back. Candle making paved the way for that option. Karla could bring her expertise in public relations and marketing, which she does full-time with Brainerd Public Schools. The Axelsons took the leap and, in December 2020, launched Sugarberry Creek Candle Co. Karla recalls the two of them sitting together at the kitchen table and the fear she felt posting the first time on social media. “I do this all the time for work, but it was different to market ourselves,” she recalls. They’ve come a long way in just four years. The couple sells at local events and maintains direct- to-customer sales through their website. They’ve recently begun teaching a candle making class. Their biggest success has been wholesale orders from area businesses seeking
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Choose the Right Look for Your Entire Family
The Axelsons make everything on site, including their specialty labels.
Over 30 Years of Experience Handles Insurance Same-Day Appointments Available — EYE EXAMS — — EYEWEAR — — CONTACT LENSES — Now offering in-office thermal dry eye treatment
Paul Bunyan Trail, a signature candle, pays tribute to a favorite local trail.
the temperatures right, the percentage of fragrance oil right. Everything needs to come together, plus the amount of time you let the candle cure.” Research and development are key to perfecting a recipe. Consistency in their product line is a priority that they work hard to maintain. “The biggest thing for me is getting a product we’re happy with,” says Craig. “That [requires] consistency in raw materials and research and notes on everything I do so I can replicate, add, or take away from whatever formulas I’m using.” Because the end result—the scents—are as meaningful to Craig and Karla as to their customers. “In our Winter Collection, we have a candle called Scandinavian Christmas,” says Karla, who is of Scandinavian heritage. “To me, it smells like Christmas. We have another candle that smells like gingersnap cookies.” Karla pauses briefly, then says, “My mom recently passed away, and she made the best gingersnap cookies you have ever tasted. When I smell that candle, it brings back that memory. I get emotional—it’s a reflection of her, it’s a reflection of my family growing up. It reflects a mood and memory.”
Dr. Jackie McCall Dr. Torvin Rajala 218.828.9545
7870 Excelsior Rd, Baxter, MN 56425 MidwestFamilyEyeCenter.com
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