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Wedding Crafts - DIY Projects - Archives - How To - Bridal Candle with Invitation How To - Melt wax, dip invitation into wax and place on candle - Whip remaing wax till fluffy and icing onto candle, around the invitation, on top and around the back of the candle..
How to make a Bridal Candle with Invitation -
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Sandy posted Message 1319 in the CraftPals Weddings BB
Dated : April 11, 1999 at 20:21:53
Subject: Re: Candle with invitation
White pillar candle about 10''
1lb of parrifin wax
white wedding roses with pearls
roses of wedding colors
pearls
wedding invitation
Melt wax, dip invitation into wax and place on candle.
Whip remaing wax till fluffy and icing onto candle, around the invitation, on top and around the back of the candle.
Remelt the remaining whipped wax and place some down the side of the invitation and start adding your flowers.
Hot glue a string of pearls at bottom and top of invitation. Remember not to put any wax over the wick.
I just made one for a shower and didn't have a pillar candle so i used a bread crumb box.
No one knew it was a bread crumb box. But told the bride not to burn it because it wasn't a candle.
Lynne posted Message 1292 in the CraftPals Weddings BB
Subject: Two ways to do this
Hi, Louise! Ok: you want to incorporate fruits and/or flowers into candles, right?
There are two ways of doing this.
Making the candles:
1. You can gather your dried (not necessary to completely dry fruit, just cut thinly, and dry in the microwave for a minute or two.
I can't give you an exact time as they vary so much as well as the slices themselves: you'll have to experiment a little.
Dipping them in lemon juice and towel-drying before will keep the colour truer.
Place them in a flat layer and microwave. Test a minute at a time until you're satisfied.
Just as long as most of the juice is gone.
For small flowers, it's not necessary to dry them out. Cool.
This can be done the day before, but keep them covered and in a cool place (not the fridge).
Melt your parrafin wax (break the block up placed in a paper bag using a hammer outside or get your hubby to use a saw).
I like to use a clean, dry large coffee can for melting as it's disposable. Put a pouring spout on one side by bending the edge.
Place the wax in this and place the whole thing in another pot of simmering water, making sure it's not going to splash into the wax (doesn't have to be particularly deep water). Melt it slowly. Depending on the amount of wax you use, add a tbsp. or two of stearic acid (from a craft store) to make it a little harder. (ok: I admit it...I've occasionally omitted the acid and it was fine for small candles).
When it's completely melted, add the wax colouring of your choice.
Note:
always use colour specifically for candles;melting crayons may not give a reliable result and waste your time and money in the long run. Even if the candles will be white, use white colour, otherwise you'll end up with the sickly paraffin colour you started with. Start with a square or two of colour and, when melted, put a few drops on a cold plate;
when cool, it'll show the real colour. Here's where you'd add essential oil (or a fragrance oil for candles) if you'd like. While melting, dip your wicking into the wax to lightly coat to make them easier to work with later and lay them straight and flat. Place your cups flat on a cookie sheet. Here's where the two methods vary:
2. One way is to use the wax as an adhesive to hold the pieces of fruit against the sides of the candles where they'd show when you peel the paper away. Otherwise they'd just float inside and may not be seen. Dip the fruit/flower pieces into the wax and hold them against the side of a cup until it sticks: usually a few seconds. Repeat until you have the amount around as you'd like; you can make some nice patterns this way and the whole cup needn't be covered;perhaps just a border around the bottom or top. Even one piece can look very nice!
3. The other way is to pour your candles, cool and peel the paper away, then adhere the fruits/flowers to the candle and dip the whole thing into the wax while holding the wick (which you've left quite long for this) to "overdip" it and make it look more subtle. I've used this method when I've purchased pillar candles and wanted to embellish them: dried flowers/leaves etc work well this way. They can all also be "glued" on using Modge Podge or any decoupage medium.
Just a note: when pouring the wax you can either hold the wick in place using a clothespin on its side or just hold it while pouring. It should stay: just keep checking and adjusting as they cool. Also, a thin wire with the wick turned over it (it doesnt' have to be tied: the wax will keep it turned over the wire) can also be placed across a few cups.
IMPORTANT: as candles cool, they form little craters or pools around the wicks. These will have to be topped off with a little more wax to make smooth, even tops. Always retain extra coloured wax for this purpose: just re-melt when needed for the cooled candles.
I know this sounds complicated, but it's really quite simple, esp when you have a few friends handy! Also: scents such as basil (nice with a light green colour candle), cinnamon (use beige candle wax to colour), etc can be obtained using a bit of dried herbs in the melted wax, adding at the end. You can also cover a completed candle with decoupage glue and roll them in lavender, crushed dry herbs, etc! Probably the easiest: and you can make several varieties! Let dry completely (at least 24hrs), wrap in tulle squares (cheaper than those circles), and tie with ribbon and a sprig of fresh herb or piece of cinnamon stick.
Hope this helps! Just let me know if you need anything else!Lynne
Lynne posted Message 1314 in the CraftPals Weddings BB
Dated : April 09, 1999 at 08:37:58
Subject: I've done one this way...
Unless you're pouring your own pillar candle, you'll be purchasing a pillar candle of the height that will accommodate your invitation;actually, a tall one will set off the invit. and would take more decorations.
Cut your invitation: here's where you can get as creative as you want to, for instance, you can cut the wording out in whatever shape you'd like (ovals are nice, but heart shapes are cute, and rectangles are sophisticated). Use the outside invitation to decorate this shape. For ex., if you have doves/hearts, you can cut these out and glue them onto the shape. This way, you can get both sides represented on the candle. Use any craft glue to glue your papers together. Make sure they dry thoroughly.
Covering the invitation: use any clear acrylic plastic, cut into the shape of your invitation, only 1/4"larger all around. Nothing expensive: the thick clear table-clothing that you can buy by the metre at Wal-Mart will do nicely. Of course, you'll only need .1m or so. Cheap. Don't glue this to the invitation!
Preparing the candle: roughly trace the position of the invitation on the candle (keep it fairly high; it's viewed better that way) and slightly roughen up the candle surface within that area. Just use anything (emery board even) to take off the shiny glaze. Now: I haven't found a glue that worked on a candle as well as Modge Podge or any decoupage medium does. Brush podge onto the back of your invitation and on the candle and put together. Use ribbon/pantyhose strips to hold in place while it dries, but be careful not to tie tightly or ridges will form. When COMPLETELY dry, remove ribbons and position the clear plastic over it. Using small straight pins (sequin pins are nice, but anything will do), pin along the 1/4" edge, pushing the pins straight into the candle. Don't worry, this will be covered by braiding, etc.
Now comes the fun part! Use flat braiding (don't know what it's called, but it looks like waves along the braiding, about 3/8" wide). Again using decoupage medium, glue this braiding around your invitation to conceal the pinning, then do whatever you please to match your wedding theme. You can spiral pearls (pushing in pearl-headed pins into the candle), or sequins (a pearl-pin pushed into candle to secure sequins), lace (glue on with decoupage glue), etc. Ribbon loops/bows etc can be secured with pins hidden inside the bows. Whatever: sky's the limit! Try the Tulip paint in white/irredescent to make dots/lines/scroll-work etc! Beautiful! Looks like tiny pearl dots! Even nice on lace!
Hope this helps a little: I think it takes longer to write about than to actually do!!!=)))....Lynne
ps: this is a decorative candle only or lit for a very brief time at the ceremony!