Decorative candles offer an inviting and comforting light that warms the heart and stirs the soul. They come in various styles and designs that can add a touch of whimsy and magic to any area of a room or home. Many decorative candles have symbolic meanings and are used as aromatherapy tools. Decorative candles are also an excellent addition to a buffet table, provide a beautiful centerpiece, can be utilized to spruce up a mantel or bookshelf, and also make lovely gifts for showers, friends, and family.
When purchasing decorative candles, you have several options from which to choose. For starters, you can choose a ready-made decorative candle. These come in many shapes and sizes and are available in a wide array of fragrances and colors. In addition, many of these pre-made candles have wicks already attached to them so that you don’t have to do anything else other than light them. The major benefit of these types of candles is that they are ready-made and there is no need to worry about getting the wick to stick or getting the base and sconce in the right positions.
Alternatively, you can purchase a variety of small items and accessories at your local craft store and create something like a bowl or tray for your decorative candles. You can use anything you find around your home to make a candle holder. Something like glass beads and soap dishes work well for this purpose. Some ideas include glass beads in different colors and sizes, wooden toothpicks, metal rods, sea shells, dried flowers, seashells, beads, seed pods, buttons, felt, fabric or paper, buttons, ribbon, fabric scraps, buttons, fabric pieces, etc. Don’t feel like buying everything at once? If you’re short on time, you can always pick something up here and there over time until your project is finished.
When making decorative candles, you should be aware of whether or not your candles will burn down, melt or spill out when you burn them. Some waxes are harder than others to ignite and burn, such as tallow, a type of petroleum based fuel. Others, such as soy wax, are easier to ignite and burn and the scent of the waxes may be more appealing to you when you burn them. If you use paraffin wax on your candles, the scent from the wax may be too strong to enjoy when it burns.
For scented candles, you want to look for a fragrance that coordinates with the event you are celebrating. If you’re planning a bath party, floral or spice scents are generally acceptable. However, if you’re making potpourri or incense sticks, you’ll probably want to choose scents that have a relaxing or soothing fragrance. Just make sure that whatever you choose has no perfume or over-the-top scent that will overwhelm people attending the party or event.
To make clear glass bowl candles, simply put a small amount of white vinegar into a clear glass bowl and add some pebbles. The vinegar will add a slight smell to the pebbles that is already there, without over-powering the natural scents that are already there. Next, place the pebbles in the bowl and cover them with the white vinegar. Cover the entire thing with an old diaper or a clean and lint-free piece of clothing, such as a wet towel. This will allow the vinegar to sit on top of the pebbles without melting them.
If you are making decorative candles for a themed event, consider using food-grade markers to draw your candle designs. For instance, you could use little cupcakes cut in the shape of hearts or stars as your designs. Once you’ve purchased your cake or other shapes, carefully burn a few candle-sized circles of candle wax onto the cake or other shaped items. You can then gently decorate the candle-shaped pieces with the markers that you’ve placed on the cake. It’s easy to get carried away when doing this, so be careful not to draw too much or else the candle pieces may melt. Be sure to keep all of your decorations and your child safe!
Another easy and inexpensive way to make your own decorative candles and not have to buy a ready-made candle holder is to use some leftover scrapbooking paper. Take the paper, fold it in half and apply a hot glue gun (or hot glue) to the folded edges to create a candle holder. For a more classy look, consider using some clear glass beads (like those from your jewelry collection) that match or coordinate with your color scheme. These are also great for pot-luck dinners and holidays when you want to add a little something to the table and maybe spice things up a bit. Just be sure to follow safety procedures such as wearing goggles and a mask, letting the children know not to touch the candle holders and always letting a child finish a project.
Welcome to my candle making blog! In this blog, I will be sharing my tips and tricks for making candles. I will also be sharing some of my favorite recipes.
