Make a Patriotic Light

Light up your patriotic style with the all-American votive project by Barbara Trombley.

Materials and Tools:

4" high square glass votive
5" beveled glass candle base
spoon
medium-size plastic bowls or trays
Hot Potatoes 1" solid star stamp
red stamp pad
soft brush for metal leaf
4" felt square
clear acrylic fixative spray
Art Institute Glitter (AIG) 2 oz. Designer Dries Clear adhesive
AIG Ultrafine Metal Tip
cloth to wipe the tip
AIG Noodger
stainless pin for storage in metal tip
3 oz. AIG royal blue "Shards" vintage glass glitter
3 oz. AIG red "Shards" vintage glass glitter
gold metal leaf
1/8" wide double-sided tape

Caution! The Vintage Glass Glitter is real glass and should be handled with care. Do not swallow or get in eyes. Keep out of the reach of children.

Steps:

1. Before you begin: Remove label at bottom of votive. Wash and dry votive. Remove disc inside neck of adhesive and firmly screw spout to bottle. Pop off tip cover to reveal black spout. Firmly screw metal tip onto spout. Tug up and if it doesn't come off, it is on correctly.

2. Under lip at top edge of votive, starting at a corner, apply 1/8" strip of double-sided tape around votive, slightly overlapping ends.

3. Leave a 3/4" space below that strip and apply another.

4. At bottom of the votive, apply another strip of tape.

5. Pull protective liner off of the top tape band and press gold metal leaf into the adhesive. Rub gold leaf tape with finger. Repeat on remaining bands.

6. Brush excess gold leaf off of tape bands. Spray metal leaf lightly with fixative.

7. Inside the 3/4" width band above the star, one side at a time, apply adhesive.

8. Add royal blue glass glitter. Repeat on all remaining three sides.

9. In red, stamp star in center of each large space on each side of the votive.

10. Apply adhesive to star shape and glitter in red glass glitter. Repeat on remaining stars.

11. Apply adhesive to lip edge on one side of votive. Glitter in red. Finish gluing and glittering top lip. Let dry.

12. To make the mirror base: On topside of beveled edge of base, apply sticky tape, clipping at square corners.

13. Remove tape and apply gold metal leaf as above. Spray metal leaf lightly with fixative.

14. Add adhesive line to outermost edge of one side of the base, leaving a 3/4" space between metal leaf liner and the adhesive. Glitter in red glass glitter. Let dry.

15. Glue felt onto the bottom of the base to protect furniture.