Cottage Melts was born out of a love and passion for creating. As a hobby, Dillon was a soap maker while Jonathan was a candle maker. That hobby eventually turned into an experimental business, taking our soaps and candles to craft fairs throughout southern New England. Finding success at both events and with online sales, the experiment morphed into a full-fledged small business.

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After years of Dillon teaching as a 7th grade history teacher, and Jonathan working over a decade in public health, we both decided to switch career paths and jump full-on into Cottage Melts. In 2025, we took a huge leap of faith and purchased a property in western Massachusetts that contains our new home and a storefront.

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On August 15th, 2025, Cottage Melts candle & gift shoppe opened it's doors. With additional room and capacity, we now share our space with 35 other local artists who sell their handmade goods on-site as well. The entire operation; from coordinating artists' goods to hand-pouring every candle, waiting on customers to packing orders, is done solely by the two of us. It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of reward. 

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When not working: Dillon enjoys knitting, playing video games and seeing friends and family. Jonathan enjoys playing and making music (guitar and banjo), feeding the birds in the backyard and hiking. We're also proud rabbit dads to Joseph and Julius.