EAGAN, Minn. — What happens when you quit your job as a teacher, but you still want to give back to those champions of the classroom? You start a candle company! At least that’s what Carl and Kari Palmborg did. Chalkboard Candle Co. was born in 2020. The couple turned their garage into a space where they create, pour and package the goods.
“All of our candles are school-themed,” says Kari Miller-Palmborg.
The cute black containers with white writing feature names like “Pop Quiz,” “Recess,” and “Summer Break.” They are made with coconut wax, and each have a delightful scent to match their description.
“My favorite one is Class Clown which is the fruit loop scented candle because it reminds you of your childhood,” says Kari.
Her husband has a different opinion. “My personal favorite right now is School Days, and it’s coffee scented, and I’m just a sucker for anything coffee scented,” says Carl.
But these candles give off more than just light. They give back. Directly to teachers.
“At checkout you can enter the name of your favorite teacher, and then randomly we will do drawings for checks, and then we send those out to teachers. And our hope is that they spend the money on themselves because we know often times educators can be given checks that are for the classroom, or the students, and we just want it to be something for them to say thank you and show them how much we appreciate them,” Kari says.
So far, they have given out more than $5,000. That’s no small feat for a small company just starting out. And the company is a chance to do some teaching too. Especially to the Palmborg’s daughter.
“It’s just amazing that when we believe in something it an actually come true,” says Carl. “We get to show our daughter, and she’ll just know that if you believe in something, and you really want to work for it, it is possible to make it happen.”
The couple has given a coupon code for 25% off your order. It's "Kare11"