Til Death Do Us Part Couples Shower Candles

 Happy Halloween all! Hope those of you with Trick or Treaters are prepared for tonight. We are winging it. We have no idea if we'll get any at all but I was a Girl Scout so I'm prepared with candy ( my favorites just in case no one shows!).

My BFF just threw an amazing couples shower for "our" daughter and future son-in-law. The inside joke is that I'm her "real" mom because we tend to like a lot of the same things, and those things are very different from what my BFF tends to like. We all converge around Harry Potter!  Since we were pregnant together, there's always been a connection there.

The wedding isn't until January but "our" daughter LOVES Halloween and all things skully and gothic so October was the perfect time for the shower.

Supplies:

• Plain Prayer Candles (Dollar Tree)
• Black Vinyl ( I used Cricut Glossy Black)
• Skull Image ( downloaded from Silhouette online store)
• Decorative Paper ( I had this in my stash)
• Washi Tape (also stash)

Tip: if you need Dollar Tree items in a specific quantity and don't want to risk your store not having enough, you can order online and have sent to your store for you to pickup. I had a little hiccup with mine but it's the first time it's happened and luckily the store still had the 20 candles I needed.

I wrapped the bottom of 10 with the silver paper and 10 with the black and silver paper.

I used a strong double sided tape to adhere. I had some coordinating washi tape in my stash so I used it with the silver paper. 

My images were busy  cutting on my Cameo while I was wrapping the candles. Once they were cut, the fun began: weeding. Not my favorite part of vinyl, but oh so necessary! 

Weeding As Art ! These are all my little scraps removed from the images. 

Once the weeding was complete and the transfer tape applied, applying the images to the candles was easy peasy.  My BFF was so happy with them and they went perfectly with how she'd decorated for the shower. 

Navy and Silver Candles with Metal Flowers

There's something about candles as a housewarming present  Maybe it's because I live in the PNW and we're approaching power outage season? I think of it more as new homeowners always having light in their home. 

For these, I tried something new which was making the flowers that are the focal out of metal. This was easily done using pewter that's used in metal embossing. 

Let's get started. 

Supplies: 

• Plain altar candles ( Dollar Tree)
• Decorative  / Scrapbook paper
• Mod Podge
• Glitter Washi Tape
• Acrylic Paint
• Embossable Metal ( I used Art Emboss by AMACO...you can find at craft / art stores, Amazon etc. ) 
• Die Cutter ( I used my Cuttlebug)
• Dies ( I used the Tattered Florals die by Tim Holtz)

I started with a base layer of white paper that I'd trimmed with the glitter washi tape. Measure and apply to your candle using Mod Podge. My go to formula is the Matte. 

I realized I didn't have any paper that worked with the color scheme I was using which is the new homeowner's palette of navy, white and grey.  So I did what creative people do. I made some. Well I painted some. 

I have a roll of paper painter's masking tape like this that I use for projects like this because it's very think but holds the paint well. I covered a couple of pieces in navy acrylic paint and then stenciled the leaves with metallic silver. Originally, I thought I was going to silver leaf the leaves (no pun intended) and then decided to paint. 

Once the papers were stenciled and dry, I tore the edges and then used the Mod Podge to apply to the candles. 

While waiting for the papers to dry, I cut the flowers. I used a crinkled white paper along with the pewter. Layered these and let the glue dry ( I live for Loctite gel control super glue) and then glued them to the candles. I curled the edges of the flowers using the handle of a paintbrush. 

I'm terrible at photographing metal and glitter but this is a closeup. I didn't emboss the metal flowers but I did freehand cut and emboss the leaves: 

To finish, I wrapped the tops with some metallic crochet thread beads and charms. 

I used a scrap of the stenciled paper for the card and used a quote from Maya Angelou as the focal: 

I re-purposed a paper bag by adding some scrapbook papers and more leaves I cut with my die.

Cornhusk Altered Candles

Sharing the details of the guest post I did for Mod Podge Rocks earlier this week. As you can see from a few projects, I'm a little obsessed with cornhusks this year! 

For this project you will need: 

• Plain glass prayer candles ( I got mine at Dollar Tree)
• Cornhusks ( wherever Mexican food ingredients are sold these are used for tamales) 
• Mod Podge ( my go to is the Matte formula)
• Dimensional Mod Podge ( I used gold) 
• Craft Paint
• Your choice of paper(s)
• Ribbon
• Coordinating paper scraps
• Glue gun and glue sticks

Apply your choice of paper to your candle with what else? Mod Podge. I used paper from a roll I found in the paint section at the hardware store. I think it's normally used to cover glass when painting things but I love it because it's thin, absorbs the Mod Podge beautifully and is a neutral color you can paint or stamp or leave as is. Measure enough to fit around your candle. I tore the top and bottom edges of the paper because I like torn paper. I also scrunched the paper up to give it a more rustic feel. 

Apply enough Mod Podge to cover one side of the paper ( you can see the torn edges and "scrunching" ) and then attach the paper to your candle. I find it's easiest to leave the paper where it is, lay the candle on its side and then roll until it's covered. Once secure, apply another coat of Mod Podge to seal. 

While this is drying, you can make your cornhusk leaves. You may have seen that Mod Podge can be used to preserve Fall leaves. I figured it might work on cornhusks too! Cut leaf shapes ( I just did this freehand) from  your cornhusks. If they are really really stiff you can mist with water to make them more pliable. Apply Mod Podge to both sides and once dry, you can use as is or as I did which was to paint the tips with some glitter craft paint.  If they curl a bit wait until fully dry and you can flatten them out by bending them in the opposite direction.

Once the paper was dry on the candle I went around it with a piece of washi tape paper but you can also use a coordinating piece of scrapbook paper, book page etc.  Hot glue the leaves together as shown then glue to your candle. I added some scrap velvet ribbon at the top of the leaves. 

To finish, I grabbed some paper scraps from my stash and made rolled paper roses.  Waste not want not. I had some scrap cornhusk pieces so I painted those silver and glued the rose on top of them as shown. I edged the top of the candles with the ends left over from the washi paper.  Finally, I filled in the center with gold dimensional Mod Podge. 

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Elegant and Easy: Dollar Tree Candle Hostess Gift and Table Favors

Tall jar ( prayer) candles are a staple in my craft stash. I love altering them and they make easy and affordable gifts. I pick mine up at Dollar Tree and in all my trips there, I’ve looked at but not picked up the lidded jar candles in the same section. Until now.

While I was at DT, I also found this gorgeous tissue paper…natural colored with metallic dots! It comes in silver, gold and red dots. I bought the silver and gold. Why didn’t I buy the red???

For this project you need:

• Small jar candles ( as mentioned Dollar Tree)
• Tissue Paper
• Decoupage Medium ( I used Martha Stewart Matte)
• Ribbon and beads to embellish

Remove labels from candle. I was so happy that these came right off. Cut tissue paper into strips ( 1.5 x 8 ). Coat glass with decoupage medium and apply tissue. Go over top of tissue with more decoupage medium. Let dry. Embellish with ribbon and beads. Done!

I always like to have a table favor on my holiday tables. A little something guests can take home with them to remember the occasion. I made these for each of my Christmas dinner guests and have them at each place setting.

Easy, affordable, and I hope elegant. Tis also the season for parties and hostess gifts. I made the tall candle for a friend hosting a treat exchange.

Instead of paper, I wrapped the candle in a scrap of drop cloth. I bought this huge drop cloth at Home Depot a few years ago to use as a tablecloth and ended up cutting it up and using it for all kinds of things. And anyone wonders why the Home Depot people look at me funny?

I used the Glitter Finish Martha Stewart decoupage medium for this one. The focal is this little Kaiser Craft laser cut wood holly piece I picked up in the scrapbooking section somewhere. I added self adhesive rhinestones and glued on some additional jewels and wrapped the center of the candle with ribbon yarn.

To finish, I tied on a big glittered bell and two small bells using plain twine.

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Core’dinated Thanksgiving Candles

I’ve done several projects with the plain prayer candles from The Dollar Tree and since I bought a case of them last year, I still had a couple in my stash, so I decided to alter a couple to coordinate with my place cards.

I used the same papers , and Memory Box diecut from my place cards along with a few other embellishments:

KandCo paper, Core’dinations glitter paper, Jolee’s Boutique acorn and pinecone stickers, Studio G rhinestone strips I picked up at Michaels after Christmas last year 50% off.

Mod Podged the papers onto the candles and then went around the top and bottom of the papers with velvet ribbon from my stash. Cut out the leaves using my Epic 6, and hot glued them on top of the ribbon. Finished with one of the pinecone dimensional stickers and two strips of the rhinestones on each candle.

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Memory Candle

One of my BFF’s recently lost her brother unexpectedly. Flowers are great but they’re temporary. I wanted something that would last. Candles have always brought me solace, probably fostered by my Catholic upbringing and candles being everywhere.

I’ve shared a few altered candle projects before so that was an idea that seemed perfect. I chose to call this a "Memory" vs "Memorial" candle because I want my friend to reflect on good memories of her brother.

I started with a plain glass candle from Dollar Tree and some wonderful handmade paper I picked up because I loved it, but didn’t have a specific purpose in mind when I bought it:

I tore a strip of the paper and Mod Podged it onto the candle, and then tore a strip of paper painters tape and MP’d it on top. Added a KandCo adhesive scrap book border in a coordinating color.

I poked around in my embellishment stash and chose a 1.5” memory frame and glass slide from Ranger, and cut out a square from KandCo’s Life’s Journeys Stamp Collage paper that says “Always”. Glued the paper to the glass with Glossy Accents.  I also selected a heart and key charm. Always to remember that he will be in her heart and was a key figure in her life. Finished with coordinating beads and wrapped the top with twine.

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