Idea for Making Candle Gifts

An Easy Idea for Making Candle Gifts: Personalizing Store Bought Candles

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be an experienced candle maker to create your own handmade candle gifts. Personalizing inexpensive candles is a simple way to make unique gifts for your friends and family members. Look for sales on plain pillar and votive candles at your favorite discount or dollar store, then use basic crafting techniques to transform them into stylish gifts.

Photo Candle

Adding a special photo to a candle is easier than you might expect. This idea for making candle gifts can be adapted to suit a variety of occasions, including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and baby showers.

Supplies:

• Light colored pillar candle
• Computer with image editing software
• Inkjet printer
• Tissue paper
• Cardstock
• Repositionable glue stick
• Scissors
• Heat embossing gun or blow-dryer
• Wax paper

Instructions:

1. Use your computer’s image editing software to crop a photo to place on your candle. If you wish, you can also add borders, clip art, or a special message.
2. Use the repositionable glue stick to attach tissue paper to a sheet of cardstock.
3. Use your inkjet printer to print your photo on the tissue paper covered cardstock.
4. Gently peel off the tissue paper and trim the image as needed.
5. Place the tissue paper image against your candle.
6. Tightly wrap the entire candle with wax paper.
7. Use your heat embossing gun or blow-dryer to melt the wax. As you melt the wax, your tissue paper will start to disappear, leaving only your photograph on the candle.
8. Remove the wax paper and allow your candle to cool.

Marbled Candle

Paint a marbled design on a purchased candle for an elegant and artistic appearance. By using a variation of the technique paper crafters use to make personalized stationary and note cards, you can create a very impressive looking candle.

Supplies:

• Large purchased candle, preferably light colored
• Oil paints in colors that coordinate with the recipient’s home decor
• Large tray of water
• Paint brushes in various sizes
• Mineral turpentine
• Rubber gloves

Instructions:

1. Add water to the tray.
2. Mix oil paints with a small amount of turpentine. The paints should be the consistency of thick cream.
3. Add a few drops of paint to the pan of water. If the paint sinks, thin it with more turpentine. If it spreads, thicken it with more paint.
4. Once you’ve determined your paint is mixed correctly, add several drops of colored paints to your pan.
5. Use your paint brushes to make swirls in the pan.
6. Gently roll your candle in the paint solution, using gloves to protect your hands.
7. Place the candle in a safe location to dry completely.

Floral Candle

If you love to garden, turn some of your creations into pretty candle embellishments!

Supplies:

• Large pillar candle
• Pressed flowers and leaves
• Saucepan
• Tongs
• Pot holder
• Parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Fill your saucepan with enough water to completely submerge your candle.
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Using the tongs and a potholder, hold your candle in the boiling water for about two minutes.
4. Place the warm candle on parchment paper.
5. Quickly arrange flowers and leaves to make a pleasing design on the softened wax on the sides of the candle.
6. Gently re-dip the candle in the pot of water for about one minute to seal your design.
7. Place the candle on parchment paper to cool.

Additional Information

Still looking for the perfect idea for making candle gifts? Try visiting one of the following helpful links:

• How to Make Personalized Candle Gifts from Ordinary Candles
• Decorative Candles
• Decorate Your Candles
• Embellishing Candles