Guest Author - Sarah Roop

Decorating Candles is a wonderful way to turn those inexpensive store bought candles into works of art. There are almost as many methods of decorating candles as there are candles themselves. You can do anything from mosaics, tissue paper, stamping, painting, marbleizing, embellishing, etc. The list is endless and once you start you will most likely find your imagination running away from you.

While painting on candles can be difficult due to the waxy surface, there are candle painting mediums out there that will actually help adhere your paint to the wax of the candle. These are great products and you will be very surprised at the ease at which this is done. You just use a sponge or brush to apply the medium, let dry, and the candle is then your canvas.

Tissue paper is another easy way to decorate candles. You can do a collage, decorate your tissue paper first, then affix the sheet to the candle, or work on a candle collage. This project takes only the use of a heat gun used for crafting, and you simply melt the tissue paper into the candle, the wax is your glue and sealer. This process only takes a few minutes and the end result is well worth the time you spend.

Believe it or not, you can use a hot glue gun to adhere embellishments onto your candle. Set it to the lowest temp and you have a quick and easy way to affix almost anything you can imagine to your candles. One quick dress up I have used is to simply glue a beaded fringe to the top rim of the candle - instant romance. Need a whimsical touch? Try gluing buttons or shells to the candle.

Mosaics and botanicals are a little more difficult as they require a wax bath, which is dipping the candle into melted was to seal the items in. Especially in the case of botanicals however, this is a very worthwhile technique. The results are simply beautiful. While this may sound like a process which is out of most beginners range, it is not. The tools you need are few, and inexpensive. A pot of water, a tin can which is somewhat bigger than your candle, candle wax (available at your local craft store) and pliers with which to hold the candle securely by the wick. Put some water in your pan and bring to slow boil, place your tin can into the water, and place small chunks of wax into the tin can. Do not fill the can as when you dip the candle into the wax you will displace the wax and you want to avoid overflow as much as possible. Make sure you do not overheat the wax as wax is flammable. When wax is melted, simple take your candle securely by the wick with the pliers and dip. You may need to repeat this process a few times to get the coverage you desire, but you will end up with a candle that will rival any you will spend tens of dollars on at the boutique.

While stamping on candles is a trickier process it can still be easily done using pigment or craft inks. Metallics give a wonderful, expensive look to the finished product. You can use either large background stamps and roll your candle on them, or use smaller stamps and carefully apply pressure from one side to the other.