They illuminated our holiday tables, celebration dinners and birthday cakes.

Days and nights, when the house was filled with guests and good times.

While the birthday candles were extinguished with wishes and big breaths, the tapers usually burned themselves out, after a long evening of laughter, conversation and family.

Needless to say, the warmth they cast, extended far beyond the wick.

Naturally, when I grew up and settled into a home of my own, I tried to capture those same lovely feelings by lighting candles of my own. 

And that went on for a long time…until.

Until one Christmas when my sister came home from dinner at our house, to find out that there had been a fire at hers.

A small votive that she’d blown out before they left the house, reignited and burned the garland on her fireplace. Thankfully, the damage was contained, but it was scary and a mess nevertheless.

And from that day forward, I became a battery operated DIYing candle lover. 

A devotee…and I’ve never met one I didn’t like.

Here are my favorites:

So when I spotted these indoor/ outdoor versions on clearance, I grabbed them.

They were bigger than any candles I currently owned and I knew they’d make quite a statement wherever I put them.

As is.

However, once I got them home, I realized just how large they were and, unlike many of my other timer candles, they were made of plastic, not wax

That made them the perfect candidates for a craft I’ve always wanted to try.

Decoupaged Candles.

I have to say, I’ve seen people do this before, but I always thought it’d be a difficult DIY to tackle, due to the curves of the candle and the slippery wax coating.

Since these candle were plastic, had so much surface area and a relatively soft curve, I figured the process would be easier than on a smaller pillar.

And…once I found these red rose napkins at a local Christmas Shoppe, I had to give it a go.

The process itself was very straightforward. It was no different than any of my {many} other decoupage crafts.

I started by separating the napkins, so that I would only be working with the top, printed layer.

These were very nice, sturdy 3-ply napkins.

While that does make them a little trickier to separate, it usually means they’re a bit thicker, sturdier and less prone to tearing when wet.

Which leads me to my next step. Adding the decoupage medium to the candle.

I used Dixie Belle’s Satin Sealer, but you can use Mod Podge or a homemade version if you like.

I just applied it, generously, with a brush over the entire candle surface.

Then I grabbed my rose napkin and gently placed it on the candle, lining it up with the base of the candle.

That would ensure that my pattern would be straight and I wouldn’t need to trim the napkin on the bottom.

Then I put on a plastic glove and carefully and slowly smoothed out any wrinkles or bumps.

The glove helped my fingers glide over the top of the wet napkin without getting stuck and pulling or tearing it.

As I said, the candle was large, that meant I needed two napkins to cover it completely.

So once napkin number one and smooth, I lined up a second one, matching roses as best I could, trimmed the excess with scissors and repeated the process.

To seal the napkins in place, I added a top coat of the decoupage gel with a brush.

Then I put a fresh glove on and smoothed out any last imperfections.

Now, if there’s going to be a decoupage mishap, this is usually when it happens…for me anyway. The napkins are very wet and fragile at this point. One false move and they tear, so I go very, very slow. 

I actually prefer working with rice paper decoupage sheets, like I used on my rooster project, because they’re sturdier and rarely rip. However napkins are readily available and inexpensive, so sometimes they’re worth the hassle. 

I’ve tried the iron on decoupage method before and I have to say it’s much easier and I never had an issue with tearing. 

I actually purchased this small iron for decoupage projects, but it didn’t show up in time for this craft. Maybe next time!

Luckily, I didn’t have any bumps in the road. I just moved on to the final step, which was to finish off the top edge of the candles by wrapping it slightly over the top and trimming away the edges.

That’s it! 

That’s all it took to turn those plain plastic battery operated candles into charming and unique accents.

Created to match my decor.

In my colors and my cottage style for anytime of year.

And looking lovely anytime of the day or night.

How fabulous.

🕯

Have you decorated candles?

Happy Crafting Friends!