Monday Make A – Yule/Christmas Candle Creations

* Cinnamon Stick Votive Candle Holders*
source no longer available

Supplies Needed:

• 31 10" long cinnamon sticks
• Glass votive candle holder (at least 3-1/2" tall)
• Raffia
• Fir boughs
• Berries
• Moss
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Wire cutters

Directions:

**Note** Cinnamon sticks will not glue to glass votive holder, so you must build around it. Cinnamon sticks should be cut approximately in half. Cinnamon sticks should vary in height, so do not cut exactly in half. Begin by taking two different length cinnamon sticks and gluing them together side by side. Glue a third cinnamon stick on top of the two where they meet in the center. You will need to make three to four sets like this per side of the votive holder. Once your bundles of cinnamon sticks are made, set your votive holder in front of you. Begin gluing the bundles side by side to cover one side of the holder. If the holder has corners, you may need to build a bundle to go around it. Continue gluing bundles until all sides are covered. If there are any bare spots, cut more cinnamon sticks and fill in the spaces. Take two strands of raffia and tie it around the cinnamon sticks and make a bow. Cut fir bough to a 4" length. Make an "S" shape out of it by bending and glue to the center of the raffia bow. Glue berry sprig onto fir bough. Glue a pinch of moss to either side of the berries. Set a candle in the holder and enjoy!

* Gingerbread Luminaries *
posted by Nemesys

Items Needed:

• Your favorite Gingerbread recipe
• Shaped cookie cutters
• Crushed hard candy
• Colored royal icing
• Tea light candles

Use your favorite gingerbread recipe, and roll out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into rectangles or squares the size you want your luminaries to be, and in the center of each square, use a cookie cutter to cut out a tree, star, or whatever kind of shape. Fill the empty cut out with crushed hard candies (like Jolly Rancher), and then bake. When cooled, you "glue" them together with colored royal icing. Then you can put them over a tea light candle. They were really pretty, and much easier to make than the gingerbread houses.

* Snow Candles *
Source no longer available

This way of making candles is said to date from Medieval times and simply is as follows: Into a bank of fairly hard packed snow, poke the end of a broomstick down 6 or 8 inches, remove and you are left with a hole. Insert wick and fill with melted wax. The wax hardens very quickly being outdoors in Winter. Remove snow from around the snow candle and You will discover the most wondrous candle as the wax tends to migrate into the surrounding snow crystals a bit giving it a most unique finish.

* Tin Can Luminaries *
posted by Sarah The SwampWitch

You need:

• Tin Can or Cans (The big ones (family or restaurant sized) are best)
• Can opener
• Water
• A Freezer
• A felt pen or something that will write on tin
• Nail
• Hammer
• Sand or non-flammable kitty litter
• Candle

Cut out one end of tin can if this has not been done. Be sure to do a clean job of this, you don't want any sharp edges. Fill the can with water and put it in the freezer overnight, or until the water is frozen solid. When the can's water is frozen, take it out of the freezer. Draw your design on the side or sides of the can. Use a hammer and a nail to pound holes into the can to make the design. You can use different sized nails to make different sized holes in the can. You also can experiment with using different spacing to your holes for different effects. Once your design is done, put the can with the frozen ice inside it upside down in a sink and let the ice melt out of the can. Once the ice is melted, the luminary can is ready to use. When you are ready to use it, place sand or inflammable kitty litter in bottom of can (this is both for fire safety and also to act as weight in the bottom (which will make the can more stable). An inch or so of sand or litter is fine. Place candle inside can on top of sand. Light the candle and place the luminary someplace safe. Don't leave luminary in a place where you can't keep an eye on it.

* Candy Cane Candles Table Ornaments*
posted by Susie

You will need:

• 1 sm. round candle
• candy canes (as many as you will need to go around the candle at the same height)
• white school glue
• ribbon (red or green)

Put the candy canes all around the candle. Glue them on. Once you have finished that tie the ribbon around the candle and finish with a bow. Very easy for children!

* Jeweled Votive Candle Holder*
Posted by Sus

You will need:

• baby food jar
• glitter glue in different colors
• White oval jewels (flat on back)
• white glue
• ribbon
• glitter

Put a puddle of glitter glue on the jar. Push the jewel onto the puddle. Repeat using different colors of glitter glue to attach the jewels around the jar. Let dry. Using a paintbrush, brush white glue to cover the jar sides from right below the jar threads and around the jewels. Sprinkle with glitter let dry. Insert a votive candle.

* A Yule Candle Box to Make *
Unknown source

You will need:

• A wooden or paper box.
• sandpaper (if wooden)
• wood burning tool (if wanted)
• markers (not children's washable markers)
• Paints and brushes acrylic spray
• Paper

Cover area with paper (newspaper, wax paper or whatever you want). Decide what you want to use your candle box for: Love, job, health, protection, or ?. Then pick a decorating plan that supplies the energy you want for the box. Example: if for love you might decorate it with hearts. If you are unsure of your art abilities; make simple patterns. Outline and use burning tool if you want or you can paint designs on the box. You can also decorate the box with markers but test the markers first to see if the spray will make them run (don't use children's washable markers). You may also use decoupage (Pictures can be glued to the box) to decorate the box. How you decorate the box is all up to you! Allow the box to dry and then seal the designs with a sealing spray -- art and crafts stores have many different type of acrylic sealers. Follow directions carefully and use sealer in a open area Please! Allow the sealer to dry. Add candles to the box, picking out colors that symbolize the energy you want. This box works best when empowered and blessed with the full moon and makes an excellent gift for a Witchy friend.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.