Candles can be used in any room to add character, charm, and accent lighting. Handcraft Illustrated editor Carol Endler Sterbenz converts plain pillar candles into elegant lights using gold leaf, paint, dried flowers, ribbon and more.
Gilded Candles
Materials:
pillar candle, minimum 3-inch diameter
three to four sheets of composition gold leaf
pompon
pencil or sponge brush
Steps:
- Peel the protective plastic covering off the candle.
- With dry fingers, place one sheet of gold leaf on the candle's surface, patting it into place with a dry sponge brush or pencil.
- Continue applying sheets of gold leaf to the surface of candle until it is covered.
- Using light pressure, pat all gilded surfaces with the pompon to mottle and chip the gold leaf, thus enhancing the candle's antique look.
Candle With Collar of Flowers
Materials:
8 to 10 leaves of various sizes
four to six stems of berries and flowers
Steps:
- To create a spray of leaves, place smaller silk leaves in front of larger ones, and twist the stems together. Conceal them with stem wrap.
- Repeat step 1 for a second spray of leaves.
- Cross the stems of the first spray with stems of the second so that their leaves point away from each other.
- Twist the stems of one spray around the stems of the other.
- Conceal the joint with a small bouquet of berries.
- Gently shape the sprays to form an arched collar.
- Place the collar in front of the candle, and arrange the leaves to cover the base.
Candle With Twisted Cord
Materials:
length of twisted cord with a 3/8-inch diameter
masking tape
scissors
Steps:
- Roughly loop the length of cord around the candle to determine how much cord is needed to coil around the candle three to five times.
- To keep the cord from unraveling, wrap a piece of masking tape around the section where it will be cut. Cut the cord in the center of the masking tape to produce two blunt ends.
- Push a short straight pin through one end of the cord and into the bottom of the candle to secure the cord to the candle.
- Loop the remaining cord around the candle, securing the other end of the cord to the candle with a short straight pin.
- Conceal the top pin with a tassel.
- Accent the front of the candle with an embossed brass charm.
Resources Handcraft Illustrated-(ceased publication)
The Fall 1999 edition was the last issue of the magazine published.
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