Custom packaging for Wattle and Wax’s handcrafted, luxury candles
AUTHOR Tracy Kenworthy
DATE 24 October 2025
It can be daunting for small to medium sized business owners, who are looking to improve their branding and packaging to know where to begin. Custom packaging can be tricky and an expensive exercise if it is not carefully considered.
I spoke with Renelle, the new owner of Wattle & Wax, asking her about the design process for her custom candle packaging and what benefits the new product packaging created by Dessein had brought to her brand.
Q: Earlier this year, late February in fact, you came in to discuss your custom packaging and design needs with Dessein for a new Wattle & Wax range of diffusers. Can we start by asking how you found us and did you meet or look at any other design studios and consider working with them? If so, what made you choose us to create your designs for your new product packaging?
Yes, I was referred to you from Percival Print, who gave me a bunch of details and because I was just really looking at one piece of packaging, he suggested individual contractors, and I’ll be honest, I couldn’t find anything on these contractors. I couldn’t see what their work looked like, and the couple that I did contact actually didn’t get back to me, and some of the emails were actually incorrect. So, then I thought, okay, and because budget was also a major thing, it would be a cost-effective option for me at the time.
Then I started looking at graphic design studios in Perth, and I did look at a couple, and I’ll be honest, some of them just seemed a bit masculine for me. It didn’t really feel like it was going to be a good fit, however Dessein was one of the few studios that I looked at. It is actually the only one that I actually liked the look of. I was looking at the images of the brands on your website… There was one product in particular that I thought you guys did so well, and how tricky a product to market for them would be to package in a luxurious way.
It was the Yoni branding and packaging designs you did for their glass pleasure wands.
From there, I rang up, and I was… like, ugh, not sure. And, yeah, I was worried about the initial investment, and, did I have enough money, and was this the right thing to do? Until finally, I made the phone call and we met.
Q: Okay, so initially you came to us to discuss the packaging design of the Wattle & Wax diffusers. However, after getting to know you and your newly acquired brand, Wattle & Wax, Dessein recommended a brand refresh for the entire Wattle & Wax product range. I know this was not on your initial radar. How did you react to our suggestions and what made you decide this was the right direction for you?
Okay, and this is where I’m going to be completely honest. I was almost expecting that coming into a design studio, right? That’s because coming from a hairdressing background, if someone walking in and went, “Oh, I just want a French trim,” I’d be like, “Really? I could do so much more for you,” and it’s like, “This is what I can do.” So, I was expecting it, but i was ready to “Here, I’ve got my brand in hand already, I don’t need it,”
(Tracy) And that would’ve been okay too, and if we thought that was going to be something that we could work with which would in turn give you your best results, we would have, but at the end of the day, that’s why we go to a professional, isn’t it?
(Renelle) Absolutely. So I wasn’t surprised by that and, I think it was after sitting down, having the conversation and listening to the ideas that Dessein offered, I walked away and knew, “I just need to make this happen.”
Q: We’re glad you did. So, having made the decision to proceed with the brand refresh and exploration of new custom packaging box designs, Dessein presented you with a new logotype, monogram and a number of secondary brand assets supporting a two-part structural design for your two different size candle packaging with customised sleeves. This solution brought more consistency to the brand with cost-effective printing. In actual fact, I believe that there was not a lot of cost difference to your previous packaging. Is that correct? And, what do you think may have been the top benefits of the new custom packaging?
The costing is fairly similar. I’d say.
Well it looks spectacular. You know I was blown away, as to how impressive I thought the new packaging design looked.
It is so efficient. When you are packaging 200 candles, not only does it have to look great, but the printed boxes arrived to me in a collapsed form. The previous packaging was palletised, so trying to find space for them was a hassle. It’s also so much faster to assemble. They really work well and save me so much time packing.
No plastics. Another packaging box I considered included a clear, plastic window on the front. So, the packaging design not only removed the plastic, but it also protects my product on shelf as it can be affected by light, so now it doesn’t matter where it is in the shop, it’s protected in the fully enclosed, durable packaging, which is also great for shipping.
Feature photography. I think when Dessein suggested putting a candle on the front of it, it’s… it’s quite funny. I was thinking “Ooh, that’s a horrible idea” but, essentially it’s what I have now and I love it because it’s so clearly identifiable. When you’ve got them all, blocked together on the shelf, it’s very easy to see the range and they just blend together beautifully. Having the shells and the crystals as part of the design really showcases the colouring and textures of the products themselves and eliminates the need of a window on the box to see the products.
Flexibility was also a bonus. Having the base box designed specifically without any printing and just featuring the lovely embossing along the side meant that I could use the box as a base for multiple solutions. This was one of the priorities I needed for the new packaging. It had to feel connected and flow across all the different colours and scents, because I can bulk buy them, which is more cost-effective. So that flexibility was a high priority.
Every detail tells a story, explore Wattle and Wax’s new brand identity, packaging design and product photography.
Q: Perfect. So I’m trying to be transparent about all the good things that I believe we were able to deliver, but we also did have some hiccups along the way. As previously mentioned, we started the process in late February and you had just seven weeks before Mother’s Day, which being one of your key sales periods, was an important deadline you couldn’t afford to miss. In addition to the diffuser products, you now, as a result of the branding, needed 12 SKUs of custom packaging for the candle boxes designed and printed. Did you anticipate it would take a full six weeks to get them?
No. I guess you do expect that things are going to just happen, but… isn’t it funny? It’s like going back to that now. Um, yeah, that was certainly not something I anticipated. I assumed once everything was in place it was like bang, it’s going to happen quickly. Obviously it wasn’t the case. And, being through the process now, I guess I have a better understanding. There’s just so many different considerations I wasn’t aware of.
Q: There were some hiccups in production. The stock originally ordered to print the diffusers was pre-ordered, but I believe it wasn’t quite the right weight and it had become unavailable. With not enough stock available to complete the job, we worked with the printer, Percival Print & Packaging, and between us, we were able to source an alternative stock. Having an in-house digital printer, we were able to test print on a few paper stocks to do some comparisons. It didn’t end there, though. Once we were on the press, the stock colour influenced the soft colours we had printed for the background, intensifying it, and being able to press check it, we were able to stop production, rectify, and resolve in the same day. How important do you think it was to have Dessein on hand at this stage of the project?
Oh, invaluable. There is absolutely no way, I could have dealt with that without having a complete breakdown. Not having knowledge… I mean, I’ve got colour knowledge, but not for print. It actually didn’t really affect me. I only knew about it because I was informed, but otherwise, it actually didn’t affect me. So yeah, it potentially could have arrived on my doorstep not looking anything like what I expected. It would have been devastating.
Q: The shortfall of stock availability meant that the diffuser packaging was not ready for your pop-up store in time for Mother’s day. And, I understand you advised the printer to concentrate on the delivery of the candle packaging as a priority, as you had none left. So finally, you had the delivery of your boxes just in time to pack and set up show. What was the reaction to your refreshed branding packaging?
I couldn’t have been happier. Stockists, loved them too, featuring them at the front of the shop, purely because they look so beautiful. And I’ve since had feedback, that they sell so well because of the new branding and custom packaging design. Stockists actually feel like they can sell them so easily because they sell themselves.
(Tracy) Well, it is a beautiful product too. They do smell amazing and they do look beautiful. So, it made our job easier.
Q: So, with Mother’s Day done and dusted, the diffuser packaging completed, we turned our attention to the product photography and a product catalogue. These were created simultaneously so you could update your website and promote the Wattle & Wax brand through distributors etc. From our perspective, we really appreciated the freedom and trust you instilled in us to undertake the creation of the bespoke photography befitting the luxurious qualities of your brand. I know you also had some other product photography completed with another studio. How did we compare?
There really isn’t a comparison. They’re two completely different things. One is literally a photograph of the product, while the photographs Dessein created are a piece of art. Visually incredible, they evoke emotion and feeling and really connect to my customers.
Q: Did you think that was important as well for your brand to have that?
Absolutely and, I think now, looking at it, I think I needed both. They both have a role to play. One purely for the website where it literally just shows the product with a very basic background, and that’s it. But the stylised photography for the website, the catalogue cover pages and for use across social media… all of that… the positive reactions I have received has really helped to build the brand and bring it life.
Q: It’s been nearly five months since Mother’s Day. How has the brand refresh and new custom packaging design performed for you?
Look, it’s been difficult because I have only owned the brand for a year, and I bought the brand during a retail downturn. So, time will tell, but having said that, I have still managed to sell even during the poorest months of the year, where other brands have dropped off and the diffusers have really gained traction.
Q: Awesome. Okay, so Christmas is fast approaching, and I know you’re very busy preparing for it. Thank you for taking the time to discuss your branding and packaging experience with me today. One last question, what’s next for Wattle & Wax?
Oh, what’s next? The world. No. Well, the plan is to launch Australia-wide, which I now feel very comfortable doing. The branding and packaging now has the feel and look I needed and now I’m ready to go forward nationally.
Personally speaking… I do not think, I would be a mentally sane person right now, if I hadn’t have found you guys.
There is absolutely no way, my product would be where it’s now if I hadn’t committed to the new branding and packaging. I still pinch myself when I see all my boxes around me. I still… actually, it’s only now as I talk about it that I remember throwing away $8,000 worth of old candle boxes, and that’s huge. And it was because I’d actually prefer to just wrap the candles than use the old ones.
It actually terrifies me where the brand would be now, if I hadn’t gone ahead with the rebranding and redone the boxes and just made do.
(Tracy) Well, thank you for trusting us, because, obviously we really enjoyed doing it and we get great pleasure from seeing the final product come to its realisation, and ultimately, you being happy with it, and then you coming back to us and saying the reactions you have received as it has, and the products ultimately returning good sales, as that’s what it’s all about.
(Renelle) Absolutely. It definitely was, it was money invested exceptionally well.
(Tracy) Awesome, thank you Renelle.
Author: Tracy Kenworthy
Tracy Kenworthy, partner to Geoff Bickford in both life and work via Dessein a boutique design studio in Northbridge, Perth is a Graphic Designer, who loves intelligent design solutions and concepts that deliver the wow factor and admires those who have the ability to create them.
“It amazes me that these creations can come from the most unlikely of sources and pleases me when I discover them,” says Tracy. “I love it when my family share life's discoveries together and marvel at the world we live in. I try to remain positive through all of life's ups and downs and remember that the journey of our life is of our own choosing. What we get out of it is only as good as what we put into it and the values and morals by which we live.”
Feel free to connect with Tracy on LinkedIn.
Like to talk to us about your packaging needs?
Drop me a line tracy@dessein.com.au or call +61 8 9228 0661