Gingerbread Candle Holder by Viki Banaszak

Stamp Gingerbread man (Rubbernecker) stamp onto craft paper four times using black dye ink. Color with Prismacolor pencils. Cut them out close to the edges of the design. Attach in even increments to a holiday ribbon with low temp hot glue.
Add a pretty lace trim to the top of a plain vase with low temp hot glue. Then add a thin holiday ribbon over the top.
Using eye pins, string Swarovski crystals and red flower beads. Bend the top to make a loop and attach one dangle to each of the points on the lace.
Tie the ribbon with the gingerbread near the bottom of the vase. To help keep them in place, add a Zot behind the head of each gingerbread man. This would be easy to change with the seasons or to suit your taste. Add a white pillar candle and enjoy.

Altered Christmas Candle & Holder by Karen Bourke

Firstly take your candle holder – in this case a square white porcelain plate – and apply a thin, even coating of adhesive size* (sold in metal leafing section of craft store) to the surface, which must be dry and free of grease and dust. See Picture 1 


Leave to dry for approximately 15 minutes and then cover with gilding flakes. It is easier if you put the flakes in a large container and place your item to be gilded into the container. See Picture 2 
 Tamp down with a soft cloth or brush so that the whole area is covered. If you have any bear patches brush a little more size over the area, leave for another 15 minutes, and apply the gilding flakes. When you are happy with the coverage rub gently with a soft cloth to remove any loose particles and smooth out the flakes. Use shellac** to protect the metal surface against moisture and oxidation. See Picture 3 


Take your candle and place on a non-stick surface on its side.  Use your heat gun to soften the candle wax (you will see the surface becoming shiny).  Take your rubber stamp (The Christmas Fairy by Inca Stamps) and ink up with gold pigment ink.  Position the stamp carefully over the softened candle and gently press into the surface.  Leave to cool and reset and then remove the stamp carefully. See Picture 4 


Use a cotton bud colour to your image with a variety of metallic rub-ons. See Picture 5 
 Place the candle onto the gilded holder and add a gold ribbon.


*A comparable U.S. product is Mona Lisa Adhesive Size or Adhesive Spray (Houston Art).
**A comparable U.S. product is Mona Lisa Spray Sealer (Houston Art). Do not use water-based sealers on metal leaf.

Candle Screen by Kathy Stoffel

1. Print color photos onto 2 sheets of vellum (8.5 x 11 inch) using a landscape format with 4 pictures per sheet (Staples inkjet white vellum).

2. Cut the vellum sheets in half so that you have 2 vertical pictures. Trim around the edges of the half pages with deckle-edged scissors. Each vellum sheet will be approximately 5 x 7.5 inches.

3. Stamp the letters L-O-V-E and F-A-M-I-L-Y around 2 of the pictures using alphabet stamps and Ranger’s distress ink (vintage photo).

4. Punch holes in the same places for all 4 vellum pieces (at each corner approximately 1/4 inch from both sides). Set an eyelet in the holes.

5. Using a ruler and a pencil, mark each stick at 1 inch and 8 inches from the bottom.

6. Use a heat gun to place a ring of glue around each of the 4 sticks at the pencil marks (this will keep the wire from slipping off).

7. Cut 16 pieces of silver wire (24 or 26 gauge) approximately 3 to 3.5 inches in length. Wrap each eyelet corner of the vellum with a loop that allows the vellum to hang freely; do not wrap the wire tightly to the vellum See Picture 1 
. Wire wrapping tutorials can be found at many jewelry making sites under the topic of wrapping loops or metal work, for example click here.

8. Wrap the other end of the wire around the stick just above the ring of glue.

9. Adjust the wire wrapping to keep the vellum straight and stand the screen See Picture 2 
.

10. Do not burn a candle unattended. Use caution, as this screen is very lightweight.