Elena Martarello
Bellanina Creations
location_on Sydney
local_activity classes: Candle Making • Soap Making • Skincare and Haircare
4.9 (304)
1k followers
Hi there
My name is Elena and I start my business Bellanina Creations in 2016 making candles
Candle making is a form of art and in one that I have a wealth of knowledge and expertise gained over many years of candle making. My expertise goes far beyond wax and wicks. I have hosted many classes and met many wonderful people and each time it truly brings so much joy to my heart just by seeing people from all walks of life including first-timers, hobbyists and entrepreneurs enjoying my class making candles.
Throughout my class, I ensure everyone is involved and engaged having a hands-on experience at making candles. I discuss how different ingredients react and how to work with them safely, how candle testing is conduct and all the troubleshooting you might encounter on your jorney. At the end of my sessions, I only hope that I made a difference to someone not only by improving their knowledge and skills in the subtle art of candle making but also ensuring a fun weekend experience had by all.
I must also mention that I do my absolute best in protecting our beautiful planet. I make every endeavour to ensure the products and the ingredients I use is sustainable and ethically sourced where possible. I would like to add for your peace of mind - my fragrances are completely vegan and cruelty-free and adhere to RIFM and IFRA standards for safety and purity.
My candles and my soap is created with passion and represents my craft.
With that said, I hope to see you on my next workshopand get your feedback on board as I always aim to improve.
Classes
Gallery
Reviews
(304)
Sara Badavi • Nov 2023
Elena was a great teacher who has a passion for helping and teaching. She was knowledgeable and great help at providing feedback and having certain questions answered. Elena made everyone in the class feel comfortable so even if you are attending alone just do it. Elena herself is very interactive and great energy! The class itself was informative and fun! Good techniques learned and valuable knowledge! Will be practicing to get better. Thank you Elena
Melissa Tulk • Oct 2023
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Teacher was amazing! Loved the products and the choices of scents. Would 100% recommend. Had so much fun!
Isabel Braga Gulabovski • Oct 2023
Lovely class. Paid extra for a private class for myself and my mum which was great. Elena is really lovely and knowledgeable. She has great energy and we learnt a lot. Thank you so much =)
Neil Ramos • Sep 2023
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
I think this is the best soap making class you'll find on ClassBento. Elena is a great teacher, enthusiastic, and patient. She also demonstrates and explains some really important things you need to know such as how to use soap calc, which is very helpful if you're planning to continue soap making as a hobby or business. She also explains the concept of "superfat", another important thing to know to make your soap more moisturising. Another class I took mentioned soap calc as something we should look into if we want to continue making soap at home, but didn't explain or demonstrate how to use it. I was really happy with how informative Elena's class was and felt like I learned a lot. She also provides handouts that you can take home to refresh yourself on what she's covered in class. She is also open to doing private classes to help you make another custom soap for a hobby or business if you have an idea. Overall I highly recommend this class as a starting point for soap making.
Seini Lethe • Sep 2023
Well informed lesson. I learnt so much and I would book another class in November to prepare Christmas gifts for December.
Rui Li • Aug 2023
It was a very fun day making candles with Elena. Starting from troubleshooting for common mistakes, moving onto picking my preferred scent and colour. In the end I even decorated the candles with Elena carefully prepared mini max flowers, hearts and crystals. They were like cherries on top of the cream. I absolutely enjoyed this class.
Aimee Doan • Aug 2023
During the workshop, Elena was very friendly, helpful and eager to answer any questions I asked. She also gave me many useful and interesting tips regarding making soaps and natural ingredients. Also Bella (Elana’s dog) is a sweet girl <3
Angelica Mauhay • Aug 2023
I have been wanting to do this workshop for a long time. Lucky I found Elena's class. She is very informative and inspiring. My skin suffers from dryness and eczema, and the sample handmade soap (because the one we made will not be available for use until 4-6 weeks) she gave me already helped me. Because of this I wanted to learn more about skincare and organic products.
Location is great, it is not hard to fine and there's a lot of parking spaces.
The photos I attached are the ones we made during the class. I am not an expert soap cutter yet but for the sure the ingredient combination is spot on as Elena guided me step by step.
Liliana Michelon • Aug 2023
Elena was great, very knowledgeable and patience. Class was fun, good mix of theory and practical. Covered everything candles. Great for a hobby or starting your own candle business. Came home with ten candles
Sally Chan • Jul 2023
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Elena was explaining very detail about candle making, it was such a great experience to known and make my own candle with beautiful scent. So happy with the candle and the little gift
We have a nice chat about many things.
Claudia Solin • May 2023
5 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews
Great fun! Was a fabulous early holiday activity and the kids loved being able to wrap up the hand made soaps as Xmas gifts.
Phoukeo Luangamath • May 2023
My sister and I just did the Private Soap Making Workshop with Elena Martarello. She is very knowledgeable and ensure we have 100% involved and hands on experience making soap including discussion of soap calculation, fragrance, step by step method with safety of using lye waters. we not only come home with our own soap creations but also a handout notes she has prepared about soap making method, different ingredients and properties information that you make your own soap at home or building up yours small business or have fun with your friends and family. I really enjoyed her class and her commitment to her wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with us 100%. Highly Recommended.
Stephanie Yeung • May 2023
Elena's class was great! She's so knowledgeable, patient and the class was pretty easy going.
Would definitely recommend this to friends and family. Have some great candles to take away from this
Lourdes Ramos • Jan 2023
I attended the workshop with my daughter. Teacher Elena clearly explained the processes in making candles that I was able to follow each step easily. She also emphasised important points to remember and answered questions from participants. The venue is very accessible by public transport. Happy with the take home molds I can use again and candles I made on the day.
Desi Vaai • Jan 2023
5 ClassBento workshops attended
Todays candle making class was exceptional at a very airy and comfortable studio and a very knowledgeable teacher. Learned soo much and enjoyed being able to make some take away candles.
Martha Dell • Dec 2022
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews
Great energy teacher, shared a lot of information and helped in every way she can. Great host as well
Melika Shabazi • Nov 2022
It was the best experience ever
I had a really quality time in there.
Fantastic
Serena Edstein • Nov 2022
This is the 3rd workshop I have done with Elena. She is a great teacher. She is very knowledgeable and at the same time makes leaning (some complicated things) lots of fun. Her enthusiasm is contagious. The info packs given out is comprehensive and the ingredients and end product are top quality. Can’t recommend enough. Ended up with over 2kg of soap, which I have just cut up to finish curing.
Can’t wait to do another one of Elena’s courses!
Diana Chimid • Oct 2022
I have attended soap making class last Sunday. We made 3 different soaps which was scented lemongrass, rose and orange oils. All ingredients were quality . She was teaching very clear, understandable and good explanation. I was really enjoy the class. Highly recommended.
Abeer Kamaz • Oct 2022
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews
Thank you to Elena for a fantastic workshop.
She was very detailed in her workshop, gave us notes to take away with us. She explained everything ver well.
I really enjoyed it. Definitely something that I would love to do for the future.
All the candles we make are displayed around my house & they some beautiful.
Highly recommend!
Ruby • Oct 2022
Very nice and friendly teacher. Not just make a candle, she teaches me a lot knowledge about safety and skills to make a candle which suitable for us.
Maria Ioannou • Sep 2022
I had a great time learning and making candles with Elana. She catered the course to what I wanted and we were able to meet up very quickly. I walked away with so many beautiful smelling candles and so much knowledge. Thank you Elana for you fun day
Jyungbin Kim • Aug 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena is great! So friendly and so informative. I had a great afternoon learning to make soap. I highly recommend you book with her if you’re wanting to learn the art of soap making, and it is art! With a little bit of maths and science!
Isabela Bertoni • Aug 2022
It was a relaxing and rewarding experience. The venue is cute, all the materials were supplied, and Elena is a superstar! Great at what she does.
Sheree Pickford • Aug 2022
Elena was a great teacher. She was happy to share all her knowledge and experience in candle making - all the do's and dont's, and she had everything I needed to make beautiful aromatic candles. She made it interesting and fun and I would certainly recommend.
Fiona Ahad • Jul 2022
Better then expected! I’m so excited and motivated to keep working on these Elena was fantastic and went above and beyond for all of us. Highly recommend
Maria Trajkovska • Jun 2022
This was a Christmas present for me and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience that Elena and the workshop offered! The class was small so we could get individual attention, and the tools, materials and decorations provided were plentiful with a big range of each. The class was a very good value for money, and Elena’s expertise, flexibility and approachability was great!
We came away with an amazing finished product and a lot of knowledge about the process of soap making, which can be utilised as your hobby or even as a start to a small side-business if you’re that way inclined. We definitely got out of it as much as we wanted and what we expected, and I would highly recommend this to others as a comprehensive introduction to the soap making process aldrin start to end. Will definitely look out for other classes on offer.
Debbi Schulstad • Jun 2022
Elena’s class was great. I really enjoyed the class and have come away with 2 amazing smelling and looking soaps. Elena’s knowledge has given me confidence to continue making soaps both for personal use and also to add to my business. Thank you.
Natalie Cain • May 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Elena was a welcoming and enthusiastic teacher happy to share her love of candle making with me & the kids. The venue is a hidden gem with families gathering in an al fresco setting enjoying the food on offer by a food truck in the grounds. All materials were supplied, along with tasty treats. We all left happy and satisfied by our creations, with the kids asking when our next class with Elena would be. Definitely rate the whole experience A+++
Silvia Buanne • May 2022
A great class, Elena has a lot of experience and clearly takes you through step by step. In the end we made a beautiful variety of soy quality candles to enjoy at home. Thank you, looking forward to future workshops
Madeleine Lubke • Feb 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena was excellent in delivering the dos and donts of candle making. She was very patient with us newbies. Location was excellent. Equipment was great and the finished product I’m extremely happy with yayyyy.
Thank you Elena. You really made my Sunday fun
Melanie Pelaez • Dec 2021
Great class and Elena was fantastic Highly recommended Thanks Elena we will tell all our friends.
Hannah Shewan • Nov 2021
3 ClassBento workshops attended
She was fantastic, very knowledgeable and it was such a joyful day and we all learned a lot.
Alex McCulloch • Jun 2021
The class was great! The start was a little theory heavy while we waited for the wax to melt to make the candles but once we got to making them it all made sense. Elena has a great attitude and was really wonderful at answering questions and making a good atmosphere. The supplies were all really high quality and my mum and I were really happy with the experience and the candles we ended up with
Maria Gentle • Jun 2021
Elena was fun, knew what she was talking about and it was easy to understand the basics of candlemaking. Her passion and knowledge comes through and I highly reccomend.
Chloe • May 2021
Amazing teacher, great atmosphere and really informative session. The candle fragrances were interesting (not generic at all!) and there were a lot of customisation options available.
Chloe Northey • May 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena is very lovely and knowledgeable. She explained the basic soy candle making in a lot of details. Great way to started on your candle making journey!
Roopa Burli • May 2021
5 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena is a great teacher. She is very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable.
I had a great time in her class. The class was very useful to get started with making candles on my own. I strongly recommend this class.
Serena Edstein • May 2021
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
This was a great afternoon in a funky studio area, made all the more so by the fun teacher and a nice group of supportive classmates. Great value for money. Lots to learn, and have fun doing it.
Viv Tan • Mar 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Elena was awesome and shared a ton on candle making, I learned lots! We all got to take home quite a few candles as well which was really nice! Would highly recommend checking it out so you can learn to make your own candles at home too :)
Amy Nikolaou • Feb 2021
Very good class. Great teacher who explains a lot of the candle dos and donts. Materials provided where of very high standard and we as a group had a lot of fun! Came home with lots of candles in all different sizes! Very good value for money. Very good explanation on where to get supplies and very good over all environment. Thank you so much Elara!
Maryam Hashemi • Feb 2021
Elana was great, very knowledgeable, helpful, organised and approachable I would highly recommend her classes!
Rachelle Turvey • Feb 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Wonderful class! Elena was very knowledgeable and shared her secrets generously. Also very funny and engaging. A lovely, therapeutic way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Thank you Elena, very glad I made the trip for the class :)
Sonia Zar • Jan 2021
Elena was an amazing teacher with a great sense of humour and very passionate about candle making. She shared her knowledge and was happy to recommend shops and suppliers. She was incredibly patient with us and we couldn't have asked for a better class. So many scents to choose from and we get to take home a large, medium, small and a few twilight candles. The scent throw is amazing too, left them at my kitchen table and the scent is lingering around it smells amazing can't wait to light them and give them to my friends. I went with my best friend and sister and we all had a great time with nothing to fault about the class and our teacher. Thank you Elena
Jessie Zhu • Jan 2021
Loved the class and Elena was amazing! Very friendly, funny and patient. All the materials were provided. Most importantly, my candles turned out so pretty!
Tara Brown • Jan 2021
6 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews
Elana was great, very knowledgeable, helpful, organised and approachable. The venue was clean, tidy, roomy, perfect for craft :) All materials and equipment were provided and great quality. The class was definitely value for money. All in all I had an awesome time making a number of candles, spent with fun people and a great teacher.
Tara Brown • Jan 2021
6 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews
Elana was great, very knowledgeable, helpful, organised and approachable. The venue was clean, tidy, roomy, perfect for craft :) All materials and equipment were provided and great quality. The class was definitely value for money. All in all I had an awesome time making a number of candles, spent with fun people and a great teacher.
Sonia Vazouras • Jan 2021
Elena is a great teacher. She provided everything for us and along with a wealth of information some great laughs. Thanks to Elena.
Liv Stevenson • Nov 2020
Elena is so lovely! The class was jam packed filled with information. It was really therapeutic. Would definitely recommend!
Roulla Yiacoumi • Nov 2020
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews
An animated and generous teacher. Happy to share her knowledge and experience. We made such beautiful candles that smell divine! A lovely way to spend an afternoon in Sydney.
Anne Bradbury • Oct 2020
9 ClassBento workshops attended • 9 reviews
What a wonderful afternoon. Elena shared the complexities of soapmaking in a straight forward and easy to understand context. She is so knowledgeable. I now feel confident to make my own soap. Great class. Elena gave us lots of inside information and special tips. Additionally, we left with two lots of gorgeous soap.
Nicola Recchi • Oct 2020
Teacher was great - location handy as there was on street parking - enjoyable lesson and got to take three candles home and I am burning one now- thank you Elena
Saralea Weinberg • Oct 2020
I so much fun I loved this therapeutic class! Elena was divine
I’ll be back for candle making
THANKS❣️
Thekla Orfanos • Sep 2020
Elena is a fantastic teacher - very passionate and knowledgeable. She shares her tips and tricks and outlines all her learnings which is very useful for any beginner. Absolutely recommend her course for anyone wanting a thorough introduction to candle making. Thank you again - my sisters and I had a wonderful afternoon!
Monique Varrica • Sep 2020
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena was amazing! She taught us not only how to make candles, but all the tips and tricks that you wouldn’t find online. I love my new candles and can’t wait to make more :)
Amanda Souza • Sep 2020
The class was excellent, exceed my expectations. Elena was very friendly and full of great knowledge to share. Would definitely recommend.
Angela Romfeas • Sep 2020
Great location with easy parking. The teacher was very well informed and easy to understand. Very enjoyable lesson. Thank you for a great afternoon. Loved it.
Maria Stathakis • Aug 2020
2 ClassBento workshops attended
What a wonderful experience. Elena was a wealth of knowledge ❤️❤️
It was my first time candle making. Elena’s instructions were great. Highly recommended.
Lina Garzon • Aug 2020
3 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena such a great teacher enjoyed the class so much beyond my expectations Thank you
Steve Brindley • Jul 2020
2 ClassBento workshops attended
The teacher was very friendly and open and very knowledgeable. The class was very well paced. I liked the intimacy of just 4 participants
Christine Dedes • Jul 2020
Elena’s Candle making classes are fantastic. I learnt so much and Elena is a great teacher. A must try ☺️
Lee Corbett • Jul 2020
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Elba was a fabulous teacher. She was very well prepared and thorough. Her home was welcoming even with heating. I would highly recommend her class.
Janine Bricknell • Jun 2020
Had an amazing time learning all about candles. Felt very relaxed and leant so much .
I would recommend this workshop to all people.
Fun time to a Sunday afternoon
Rafia Hussain • Jun 2020
5 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews
Honestly one of the best classes so far Loveddd her and the class was awesome! I wouldn’t surprise myself if I sign up for another class with her
Sophie Sophocleous • May 2020
Had a great day with Elena. She made the learning process fun and was a very informative and patient teacher! Cant wait to get started!
Ally Diama • May 2020
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Elena is very nice. The class set up was perfect for the current situation (social distancing). The place was a little bit cold (very minor fix), otherwise, a good way to learn a new hobby or start a small business.
Leanne Markham • Nov 2019
Great class and a very fun teacher. A great way to spend an afternoon
Lily G • Oct 2019
5 ClassBento workshops attended • 5 reviews
My daughter & I had such a great time making soaps. Elena was a fantastic teacher & her little studio is well equipped. I’m going back shortly to do the adult soap making course.
Heidi Heron • Sep 2019
What a fun class! I think the instructor made it perfect And I have beautiful candles that smell sooooo good It was easy and fun.
Anastasia Kardoulias • Aug 2019
Beautiful lady very helpful and the class was amazing. Very hands on and helps you learn. Welcome hands and a beautiful way to learn to make candles
Justina Challita • Aug 2019
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Amazing class! Elena is a wonderful teacher, very informative and is an all round lovely person. Everyone had the best time making their candles and enjoying the company. A huge range of fragrances to chose from, with a chance to decorate your candle with assorted dried flowers at the end. Highly recommend!
Thanks Elena for a great time!
Loretta Mihaljek • May 2019
The course was great and Elena was a great teacher, I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone interested in candle making.
Giovanni Reyes • May 2019
Such a very heart warming welcome we got from the moment we stepped in to her cute little workshop. With her beautiful products of soap on display, I definitely felt inspired to bring out the artistic side of my being. Elena was very informative, detailed and down to earth. Bella, her gorgeous pup, even made me feel at home and homesick at the same time - snoring away while we melt and create our morning away! We even got some little giveaways to take home in addition to the candles we made. It was an absolute pleasure to sit Elena’s soy candle making class and would definitely recommend it. 5 star indeed!
Jessica Wood • May 2019
I attended this class today and it was fantastic! We learnt all the tips and tricks, in a fun hands on class making the most beautiful candles! Will be forwarding this on to all my family and friends!
Yiran Li • May 2019
Elena is great, very patient, having lots of fun with my friends p.s i love the puppy Elena has, lol
Annabel Salip • Apr 2019
Elena was wonderful and very experience. Her workshop had everything and the class was a good value. We got to take home our goodies and it was a enjoyable experience for those who are keen to learn candle making. It was worth it! Looking forward to her next class
Svetlana Sirijovski • Apr 2019
My young daughter and I spent a very fun afternoon learning the candle craft from a great teacher. The class was relaxed and very enjoyable for the both of us. It was very satisfying to walk away having learnt something new. I would highly recommend this class. We will definitely be doing more classes in the future.
Jos • Mar 2019
We had such a great time in our candle making class! Everything we needed was provided and we spent the whole 3 hours doing hands-on candle making. Have told heaps of friends about it!
Laura Suter • Mar 2019
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
I very much enjoyed this class with Elena! She was very knowledgeable and gave us great resources to conitnue to make soy candles at home. There was a huge array of fragrances to choose from and Elena helped us to make beautiful candles for ourselves. I am looking forward to trying out her soap making class also! The photos do not do the candles justice (one is unpictured as I already gave it away), I choose not to decorate mine but there were beautiful dried flowers to pick from.
Amy Collorafici • Mar 2019
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Really enjoyed the class! Elena was friendly and informative on the whole candle making process and how to source our supplies. I loved decorating my candle and choosing the scents, so much variety! Elena also gave us some muffins and iced tea during the class, was so much fun and I love the candles I made, highly recommend!
Marguerite Chan • Feb 2019
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
It was a fun and informative afternoon learning and making candles! I would recommend it to anyone who loves candles! :)
Malua Setu • Jan 2019
Highly recommend the candle making class - it was fantastic and really good value. Elena the teacher was generous with her resources and advice. The result was 4 unique candles and the ability to choose from 50 fragrances and decorative elements. If you're lucky you may get a sample of her soap and bath bombs too.
Ashima Chaudhary • Jan 2019
Great class, loved the experince. Bellanina is very knowledgeable and was able to answer so many questions for us and bust many myths about candle making. I did it with my 14 year old son as a school holiday activity and we had a great time. Cant wait till try out own candles.
Lucienne Calvi • Dec 2018
5 ClassBento workshops attended • 5 reviews
This is my 2nd candle course as my 1st one was somewhere else but didnt feel I really learnt enough. This was another course. Also the candles made were very basic. But elena really explained exactly how to do the candle making really well. She made it enjoyable and the materials provided were excellent. The end result I had made 4 luxurious looking and smelling candles.
In Elena's studio its relaxed, easy going and great one to one tuition. She gives good advice and really helps you. She provides fresh fruit and herbal teas. I definitely would do another course with her. Highly recommend, lovely teacher.
Deena Mehjabeen • Dec 2018
The venue was homely and cozy. Elena is very friendly and served fruit and tea which was a nice welcome. Elena even gave me the soaps she makes which was a really sweet gesture and much appreciated. Bella the dog was too adorable. I got to learn all about candle making and what to think about before starting a business.
