Pamela Smerker Designs: 12 Days of Christmas~ Day 4 {Stamped Candles}

Welcome back to our blog series the 12 Days of Christmas Crafts & Party Favors For Kids. This craft is one that has been around for a long time. I first made these candles probably 4 years ago and thought they were such great inexpensive gifts. Now this craft is definitely one that is more for adults since you use a heat gun, but steps 1 & 2 are perfect for kids who are old enough to hold a stamp and slap it on paper.

Supplies you will need:
White candle (purchase a few smaller ones to practice the heating technique)
White tissue paper (used for wrapping gifts)
Rubber stamps of your choice
Stamp pad in your choice of color
Scissors
Heat Embossing gun

Step 1

Measure your candle and cut a piece of tissue paper to fit around your candle without overlapping. Make sure the height of your paper is approximtely 1" less then the base height of your candle. This will give you a half an inch border on the top and bottom.

Step 2

Stamp your image all over your tissue paper, either in a pattern or randomly. Aly used Stampin' UP!'s stamp set called Snow Swirled with the Ballet Blue Classic ink pad.

Step 3

Once you have finished stamping, lay your your tissue on the candle. Make sure to hold the paper firmly so that the air from the embossing gun doesn't blow it all over the place. Little by little in circular motions heat up the tissue so that the wax from the candle melts underneath and adheres to the tissue. I only do about a 1-2 inch vertical area at a time. MAKE SURE you pull your gun away every few seconds and don't leave it in one spot OR ELSE you will melt the candle too much and you will have weird waves or ripples on your candle. Another result of over heating would be scorching your tissue paper, don't want to do that either. TAKE YOUR TIME, it will so be worth it!!

Step 4

Move your way across the candle inch by inch and again please take your time...slow and steady win the race!! I keep my candle on the table and roll it as I move along. This helps flatten out any wax that might be soft yet. Practice does make perfect, so by a few extra candles even if they are smaller versions to get the hang of it. Once you have it down you will want to make a million of these, they are addictive.

Step 5

You are FINISHED!! Once the candle has completely cooled you can hardly tell there is any paper on there at all.
Wrap these up in some cello with a pretty ribbon and give them away this holiday season! Heck if you are like me and own 50 million stamp sets, make these for any occasion!