Candles get a totally sparkly updated with this home decor tutorial! Using pillar candles, glitter, a carving set, metallic tattoos and crystals you can create intricate centerpieces for any party or gathering!
If you have never carved before, don’t worry – the waxy candles are super easy to etch your design in, much easier than pumpkin carving! Warming your tools before carving by placing in warm water also helps, too, if you are having trouble getting the details.
These decorated candles look stunning when grouped in themed pairs – here, I went with a celestial theme that matched the colors of my candles. Using mixed media with the metallic tattoos and crystals adds another dimension – go crazy with adorning these pieces, I say!
For the tutorial below, I’ll show the basic steps I went through to create the different candle designs. Let’s start!
Step 1: Gather materials. You will definitely need a good craft cutter set – make sure it includes linoleum cutters, as these work really well to cut through the wax. You can also use xacto knives to clear up lines, but for the majority of the cutting, I used linoleum cutters. Glitter is needed, in any colors you wish to use. Use fine glitter here, not the large chunky stuff!
Pillar candles are necessary – I used a mix of colors here and found a cool ombre one for a sophisticated look. Metallic tattoos and crystals are optional, but they look great when added to the candles. Make sure to also have some clear glaze (use this to adhere the glitter to the carved out design), glue if needed for the crystals, and a paintbrush. Sharpies or permanent markers are also needed for drawing your design.
Start off with Sharpies, and draw your design onto the candle. For the small white candle, we went with a quote which required thin lines. On the below image, I carved with the linoleum cutter for thicker lines. I went with stars and swirls for the large pillar candle.
Carve about 3mm deep into the candle, just enough to create a place for the glitter to sit, but not fall out, of.
Once you’ve carved your designs, use a thin paintbrush to coat the inside of the carvings with clear gloss (you could probably use clear nail polish as well), making sure to be neat, as this is where the glitter will stick. Do a very small coat in these carvings, so that it dries fast….
Quickly coat the candle in glitter, then gently use a paintbrush to press the glitter in the carvings. You want to do this while the glaze in there is still wet!
After waiting a few minutes, use a larger paintbrush to gently remove excess glitter on the candle.
If there is glitter stubbornly sticking to the candle, use a piece of wide tape to catch the last bits of sparkle. This works really well to give a final, clean look!
If you want to be extra decorative with metallic tattoos, they apply very easily to the wax. Cut your tattoo, then press firmly to the wax. Wet the back fully with a wet washcloth, then press for 30 seconds. Slide the paper backing off, and the tattoo will adhere to the wax. Let dry fully.
Adding crystals is as easy as gluing to the wax. Yes, they will fall off if lighted, but these candles are more for decorative purposes, no?! 🙂
Super cute! Make these in a mess of styles, colors and patterns for all different occasions. Valentines-themed candles with glitter hearts would be perfect for the upcoming February holiday. Or, shamrocks and green/orange candles for March’s St. Patty’s Day!
Hope you enjoyed the collab tutorial! Special thanks to Bianca of Mhm That Girl for helping me out for this one, and be sure to check out her blog here and my blog here for more DIY projects and inspo.
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I love the candle with the quote. Is there any concern if you do want to light them? Specifically, is the glaze flammable? What type of clear glaze was used? I don’t think I would be any good getting the glaze in the carving. Could you put it in a fine tip squeeze bottle?
Hi Angela. I did light them and have had them burning for a while now – the pillar candles seem to just really melt the inner portion of the candle- the largest pillar here I’ve let it burn here and there for at least a week and the outer edges aren’t much affected.
We did use a touch of clear nailpolish as our glaze (which nail polish IS flammable) with a small paintbrush – for these, I let them burn for a few hours, or until they reached the outer edge, then stopped.
These candles are mainly for decorative purposes or for parties, where they are meant to burn for a just a bit and look pretty!