Alcohol Ink and Gold Leaf Hanukkah Candles

 

Sharing some Hanukkah candles I made for friends. While I'm not Jewish, the Hanukkah story resonates with me as one of perseverance against the odds and a reminder to never give up. Always thrilled when recipients of things I make are happy with them!

Supplies: 

• Plain Tall Jar Candles (Dollar Tree)
• Alcohol Inks
• Gold Leaf and Adhesive
• Gold Adhesive Foil (Cricut)
• Digital Cutting Machine ( I used my Cricut Explore Air 2)
• Mod Podge Matte
• Vinyl Gloves

I ordered a box of alcohol inks from Amazon and selected two shades of blue. Remove the stickers from the candles and clean with alcohol to remove any residue. 

NOTE: Make sure and protect your work surface. I used an empty box. 

This was my first time using alcohol inks so I just winged it. I turned the candles upside down and then started dripping the inks down the candle, alternating the two blues. The ink dries quickly, but just to ensure it was really set, I let them sit for a couple of days after I was all done. 

I decided to seal them so went over them with a coat of Mod Podge Matte. Once that was dry, I applied gold leaf adhesive (Mona Lisa) around the top, then applied gold leaf using a stiff bristled stencil brush. 

Gold leafing is MESSY so I used the same box to catch the excess. 

In Cricut Design Space, I chose a font I liked and sized the word "Hanukkah" to fit the length of the candle, then cut it out using a gold adhesive foil. Then applied to each candle. 

I also made some gift tags for the recipients to use for their own Hanukkah gifts. I love using scraps to make gift tags, so I grabbed coordinating colors along with some sequins and washi tape to embellish. I cut out some dreidels and stars from some of the scraps. 

I cut out the tag bases from blue cardstock, then just went about decorating them. 

Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating! 

Sharing At: