Step inside Kristin Bivens’ Niles home and the air permeated with the warm smell of cinnamon, vanilla, apple and a host of other fall candle inspired scents.

That is because Bivens’ kitchen serves as more than a place to cook up homemade meals, it is also the place where she crafts candles for her business Wick-ed Pop Up Candle Co.

Bivens began selling the candles at the Brass Eye this summer and then expanded her customer basis by creating an Etsy Shop online in September.

While the handcrafted candles’ signature scents like orange jalapeno or cinnamon vanilla might be unique enough, the fragrance it is not the only thing that draws people to her products.

Bivens is a fan of pop culture, who loves spending her free time indulging in episodes of the “Gilmore Girls” or classic Christmas movies.

Those who know the “Gilmore Girls” know that one of the main characters, Lorelai Gilmore, has a penchant for smelling the first snow of the season. Bivens ran with this character trait and created an “I Smell Snow,” candle that contains hints of cinnamon, vanilla and a musky scent. 

“I really like all that stuff, like Harry Potter and nerdy pop culture,” Bivens said. “I was thinking if I could make a candle … with pop culture references that would be an important part of the design.”

Customers can also find Star Wars influenced candles or candle warmer products inspired by the TV show “Parks and Recreation.”

For the holiday season, customers can find candles such as the maple syrup scented candle inspired by the Christmas movie “Elf.” Other candles dubbed “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” reference the popular movie “The Christmas Story” or another candle called “Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal” pays homage to the movie “Home Alone.”

While pop culture is the predominant motivation, Bivens’ candles are also influenced by other Niles businesses. Such can be seen — or rather smelled — in the jalapeno orange scented candle, which was created after a cocktail that is made at the Brass Eye.

Since she was a child, Bivens has always found crafty ways to combine entrepreneurship and art.

“When I was little, I used to have like a little business and I would sell [painted] magnets to my family,” Bivens said.

Throughout her adult years, Bivens would use her talent to create a multitude of unique, artistic items. In 2016, she created approximately 4,000 wooden kitchen spoons, all hand painted and sold to the celebrity brand name Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The idea to create her own candles was sparked while working for a fragrance house as a marketing coordinator in Indiana. During a training one day, a perfumer visited the business to teach employees about the science behind creating the perfect candle: a product that has just the right amount of scent and artistic quality.

“I thought it was really interesting that you really have to figure out the equations and make sure you have the right wick, wax and fragrance amount,” Bivens said.

It took a couple of months of testing various waxes and wick sizes, but after some trial and error, Bivens found her own perfect recipe.

Bivens now crafts her candles from sustainable soy wax and uses fragrance oil to scent the candles. She also designs and creates her own labels, where customers will see the pop culture references.

“I don’t know if you have ever used a paraffin candle, but it [creates] soot sometimes and gets black,” Bivens said. “Soy wax doesn’t do that.”

For Bivens, running the business has so far been a side job. She manages social media and graphic design for Kinexus in Benton Harbor. Eventually, Bivens said she hopes to run her own arts and crafts store, where she can sell her candles and other one-of-a-kind products.

The candles are available at Bivens’ Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/WickedPopCandleCo. They cost $12 each.

Bivens will also be selling the candles during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25 in Niles, where candles will sell for $10 a piece.

As to who her candles will appeal to most, Bivens said those who share her passion for pop culture, whether young or old will likely find a candle just for them.