I love candles whether they are tall, short, scented or plain; there is just something about surrounding myself with lit candles as I either work or simply enjoying a good book. Candles can be very personal but I have found that the most personal candles are the ones that you make yourself.
My personal favourite are hand stamped candles. They can be personalized to reflect the bearer, the occasion or the recipient. They can be tailored for a space or for a romantic evening. The sky is the limit with a stamped candle and they are very simple to make.
Before you read my helpful little how to, sit down, fix a lovely cup of tea and start brainstorming some of the many ways you could use a hand stamped candle.
What you need:
- Candle(s) – Don’t purchase candles that melt completely, instead, purchase ones that tend to melt in the center. This is for safety reasons since you will be using tissue for the stamped images. Also, I have used other colored stamps but I find straight white works the best.
- Tissue Paper – Yes, this is the tissue paper you find in gift bags. You will want to use white for this craft.
- Stamps – I used a basic set from Michael’s in the candles above but you can use any type of stamp. My personal favorite is Stampin’ Up.
- Heat Gun – You can buy heat guns in many craft stores but make sure you purchase one that is designed for embossing cards. A Heat Gun is an electric tool that emits a burst of hot air. It is similar to a hair dryer except it doesn’t produce as much wind and it produces more heat. Trust me, don’t use a hair dryer.
- Stamp Ink – The color will depend on what you are creating. I used a soft blue for the candles above but don’t feel it is necessary to use the same thing.
- Scissors
Directions:
- Cut out pieces of tissue paper that are large enough for your stamp. Place it on top of a sheet of paper since the stamp ink will bleed through the tissue paper when you are stamping.
- Ink your stamp with the desired ink.
- Press stamp to the tissue paper and then pull off. Your image should be on the tissue paper. If it didn’t work, simply through the tissue paper away and start over. You can color your stamped issues but it can be very difficult since the tissue paper will bleed and tear.
- When all your images are stamped, trim the excess tissue paper off. You will want as little overhang as possible.
- Arrange on your candle until you are happy with the setting. Once you have them arranged, take off all of the pieces except one.
- With your heat gun at a slight angle, heat the tissue area. The tissue will become transparent when it has been melted enough. Make sure you move the heat gun around to prevent beading on the candle surface and do not over heat. All of the edges of the image should be melted into the candle when it is finished.
- Repeat with any other images that you want on the candle.
And voila, you are finished and you have a beautiful hand stamped candle that can be given as a gift or as kept for a special occasion. The only problem with hand stamped candles is the fact that no one ever wants to burn them.
-MJ Plaster
