Scent is a powerful sense, and The Old Country Barn Gift Shop in Clanton is doing its best to satisfy that sense.

Sherry Dennis opened the store in 2009, after living in the house next door for 32 years.

Seven years later, Dennis still lives next door and has transformed the former apartments into a rustic and charming gift shop that has just over 40 candle scents in stock throughout the year.

Dennis takes pride in the fact that the majority of the items in the gift shop are hand-made, including the candles and wax melts which are made upstairs in the building.

“My husband and I have always enjoyed making things from scratch,” Dennis said. “We would always personally make our Christmas gifts for those in the family.”

Though candles and wax melts are her primary business, Dennis also sells mesh wreaths, handmade soaps and certain customized items, such as hand-painted signs.

Regular customers from out of town often make a trip to the shop once a month to stock up on their wax melts, Dennis said.

According to Dennis, her husband used his talents as a carpenter and constructed the shelves that display the gift shop’s items.

“It reminds people of stores that you would find up in the mountains,” Dennis said.

The scents in stock vary depending on the season, but certain scents, such as Hillbilly Homebrew (apple cider scent), Apple Cinnamon and various fruity scents are consistently popular among customers throughout the year.

About twice a month, Dennis goes upstairs and makes about 100 candles and wax melts at a time to replenish the store’s stock.

According to Dennis, she makes trips to buy wax from a supplier in Pelham and brings home about 50 pounds of wax at a time.

The gift shop is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is located at 105 First St. N. in Clanton just behind the Clanton Public Library.

For information about the gift shop or the scents currently in stock, call (205) 389-0761.