Candleholders are functional, decorative, and make a beautiful gift. When coming across a plain looking (or clear glass) candleholder, look at is a blank canvas. You will be surprised how many ideas spring to mind.
If you are new to working with glass or other materials candleholders are typically made from, it is best to experiment. Choose small plain glass votive cups to experiment with. They are small enough not to overwhelm you and inexpensive enough not to matter if you make a lot of mistakes.
Here are some suggestions for altering candleholders:
- Make a template from cardstock, cardboard, or vellum (or buy a stencil, the choice is yours) and experiment with etching cream. This cream gives clear glass a frosted pattern. Add some glass paint designs around where you etched, or leave the piece as it is.
- Use glass paint in conjunction with glitter. Paint the piece with swirling designs, and allow it to dry completely. Brush decoupage medium over one side at a time and shake glitter over the piece. Once the glitter has completely dried to the piece, seal it with another layer of decoupage medium.
- Embellish the rim of the candleholder with wire. Twist the wire around the rim of the candleholder and string charms as you go. Create a wavy look, or keep it straight. Make loops at the end of the wire and add charms there, as well. Add some ribbon if you would like to see some constant color.
- Find some adhesive made specifically for affixing items to glass. Add gems, sequins, small pebbles, or pieces of glass on the outside of the candleholder. Create a pattern, add them in random places, or cover over the entire piece for a solid look.
- If you are familiar with working with polymer clay, follow the package instructions for working on surfaces. Create your pattern, and add it to the candleholder. The candleholder will act as a sort of shell for the design created with the clay. There is a lot of opportunity to create something completely different (round out the shape of the candleholder, change the texture, and so on) using this medium.
This is just the beginning of what can be accomplished when altering a candleholder. These pieces will make great gifts, or they can be used to decorate your own home. If you are creating these pieces for your home, have fun working with materials that will give your interior or exterior spaces some pizzazz and a bit of dazzle.
