Wedding Candle

Need a thoughtful wedding present that takes more than just ticking a box on a gift list? Look no further...

Brighten someone's wedding day with this thoughtful candle!

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I'd share this special wedding candle with you. I enjoyed taking a detour from the typical registry list with an extra little personalised gift, featuring the bride and groom's names and wedding date. You can even choose your candle colours to match your recipients' wedding scheme!

Method

Firstly, stamp your #LilioftheValley 'Wedding Couple' image on to plain white tissue paper using black ink (you may wish to iron the tissue paper first on a low heat, for a smooth finish). Make sure you use ordinary tissue paper without a shiny surface, or the ink will smudge! Once it's dry, colour in the image with ordinary pencil crayons (I used some found in an old school pencil case - nothing special is needed), and write your names and dates next to the image with a black fine liner. Cut round your completed image and text, leaving a blank border (approx. 1 cm), but ensuring that the edges are rounded since sharp corners may be visible on the candle.

Quick tip #1: If you'd prefer a more professional look than your own handwriting, print your text in a calligraphic font from the computer. Then simply trace it on to your tissue paper.

Quick tip #2: Add your text before colouring in if you're more confident in your colouring than your writing. You can even use two separate pieces of tissue paper, although you'll need to be more careful when positioning them both.

The next part may seem tricky, but by taking it slowly and practising first, you shouldn't have any problems! Take a plain pillar candle (I bought mine in Sainsbury's, but any will do), and hold the tissue paper image in your preferred position. Then cover the image with a strip of greaseproof paper (I used mine doubled over), leaving a large enough excess for you to hold the ends together round the back of the candle (no sticking down required).

The tissue paper edges disappear!

At this point, your image should be held securely under the greaseproof paper on the front of the candle, so that you are no longer touching the tissue paper. Gently warm the candle with an embossing heat tool and the wax on the surface will melt very slightly, so that the image transfers (you are essentially sticking the tissue paper to the candle, but you'll find that the background becomes less visible). The trick is not to overheat the candle, or the wax will melt too much and leave you with an uneven surface. You can check behind the greaseproof paper every now and then to see how much more heating is needed, as long as you're careful to hold your image in the same position. Slowly, but surely, is the best way.

Once your image has been transferred, all that's left is to wrap your candle for the lucky recipient. Of course, this project can be adapted for many other occasions too!

Materials:

- Plain pillar candle

- #LilioftheValley 'Wedding Couple' stamp (or whichever design you choose)

- Black ink pad and fine liner pen

- Tissue paper and greaseproof paper

- Embossing heat tool (or alternative heat gun)

- Scissors and colouring pencils

- Any wrapping materials you'd like to use, like cellophane or curling ribbon.

Happy crafting!

Amy x