Beautifully decorated candles are often used to decorate a banquet hall. In addition, they participate in a beautiful and solemn ceremony of handing over the hearth. We will tell you how to decorate wedding candles with your own hands.
The wedding ceremony, as one of the most important events in a person’s life, has a magical and symbolic nature. Almost all details of the ritual have some hidden meaning, rooted in the distant past. Candles at a wedding also have their own meanings. Firstly, this is a reference to the Orthodox wedding ceremony, when the future husband and wife hold candles in their hands. The fire of the candles symbolizes the pure and fiery love of the young people for each other. Husbands and wives keep wedding candles for the rest of their lives. Nowadays, church weddings are more a rarity than a rule, but candles carry the same meaning.
In addition, a live fire correlates with the warmth and comfort of a home, warming the whole family. It is this meaning that is played out in the now popular ritual of handing over the hearth. This is a beautiful and deeply symbolic ceremony that will require three beautifully decorated candles. Each couple - the groom's parents, the bride's parents and the newlyweds - take a candle. The older generation lights their candles and together brings the fire to the candle of the young family, passing on to them a piece of their wisdom, experience and love. During this ceremony, parents usually give advice to the newlyweds and talk about how they managed to preserve and carry the fire of their love through all the years of their life together.
Now in stores you can find a huge number of all kinds of candles that will decorate the interior of a banquet hall. However, homemade decor is much more valuable. For which candles should you prepare an original design? Firstly, candles are required to be decorated for the ceremony of handing over the hearth. Secondly, if the newlyweds do get married in a church, then a modest, discreet, but stylish decoration is also prepared for the wedding candles. Thirdly, candles can become a key detail in the interior design of a banquet hall - in this case, you also need to prepare a special decoration for them.
Rules for decorating wedding candles
The choice of technique and style for decorating a wedding candle depends on its purpose. For wedding candles, the most appropriate would be a small wreath of fresh flowers, combined with flowers from the bride’s bouquet, or a wreath of artificial flowers created from ribbon and fabric. A small ribbon bow decorated with rhinestones would also be appropriate.
More interesting, complex and varied are the ways of decorating interior candles and candles for the ceremony of handing over the hearth.
The main rule for the first type of candles is that the decor should be made in accordance with the colors and style of the wedding. For example, for an orange wedding, you can make your own cheerful orange candles in the shape of an orange, or candles into which dried orange is fused.
Candles for the hearth should be decorated in the same style with other wedding accessories - glasses of the newlyweds, champagne, an album for wishes, a pillow for rings and others. Most often, ribbons and lace are used for decoration. We will look at all the ways to decorate candles for a wedding with your own hands below.
Carved candles
Carved candles are created using technology known since the 16th century. A carved candle is a work of art, even if it is not lit. And if it is on, it floods the room with a soft and pleasant light.
The technique of making carved candles is quite complex, but extremely fascinating.
The first step is to dip the finished paraffin candle into liquid colored paraffin. During a dive, the temperature of the liquid paraffin must be constantly monitored. If the paraffin is not hot enough, it will harden too quickly and it will be difficult to cut anything out of it.
The second step is the candle thread itself. This is the most creative and exciting part - turning the artist's imagination into reality. Carving requires special tools. The artist must think in advance what the future candle will be like. His movements must be fast and precise, because only a quarter of an hour is allotted for this stage (the paraffin cools and hardens quite quickly).
The third and final step is to dip the carved candles in a special acrylic varnish to give the candle extra shine and protect it from damage as well as dust.
Decorating candles for a wedding using fresh flowers
Fresh exotic flowers are a very bright and beautiful decoration. So decorating a candle in this way is very simple - just attach a bright flower matching the wedding colors to the candle using a glue gun or regular glue. An example of this design for wedding candles is shown in the photo:
However, more often flowers are used to create compositions for candlesticks or wreaths into which candles are inserted. Artificial flowers made from fabric and ribbons can also perform the same function.
Candles in wedding ceremonies
A wedding is inextricably linked with rituals and traditions. Many such traditional moments are associated with candles. We must start with the fact that the candle symbolizes the family hearth of the newly-minted unit of society.
Candles are a mandatory attribute for a wedding, and not so long ago the tradition of lighting the “family hearth” became popular again. In this ritual, one large candle is given to the newlyweds, and two other thin and long candles are given to mothers on both sides. To the accompaniment of pleasant music, a sacrament takes place: the mothers light the candles of the bride and groom from their lit candles. Young people themselves can light their own “hearth.” Here it is considered important to decorate the candles magnificently and add a lot of details. Such an abundance of decorations should lead to prosperity in family life.
Decorating wedding candles using ribbons and fabrics
Fabric decor is the most common: firstly, it looks very beautiful and stylish, and secondly, it is simple to implement. There are several techniques. First, create flowers from ribbons or fabric, which are attached to the surface of the candle with glue, creating a beautiful pattern.
The easiest way is to make flat multi-colored roses from ribbon. You can make flowers of different sizes and colors by securing them on a wide green ribbon in the center of the candle and additionally decorating them with rhinestones or beads. You will learn how to make the desired decoration from ribbons with your own hands from this master class:
The combination of lace and wide satin ribbons in a contrasting shade to the lace looks very beautiful. You can also combine satin ribbons of different widths and contrasting shades. They are attached to the candle using glue. A good master class on using this technique is shown in the video:
Selecting materials
The basis for the work will be quite ordinary candles - two standard and one wide. The designer offers a yellow decoration option, which you can freely replace with blue, red, green or any other chosen by the bride. To completely repeat the decorating process behind the master, you will need:
- Satin ribbon 50 mm wide;
- Wide guipure;
- Rhinestones or half beads;
- Cameo or small cabachon;
- Scissors and glue gun.
But it’s hardly worth limiting your imagination to these materials. After all, a bow can be replaced by a matching bouquet of flowers, and rhinestones and beads can be placed however you like - on ribbons, in the shape of a heart, or around the perimeter of the entire candle.
Decorating a wedding candle using decoupage
Decoupage is a very simple way to decorate a candle with your own hands, which gives a very good result. You will need a thick candle, an ordinary napkin or a decoupage napkin, as well as an iron or a hot spoon that can be heated over a stove or over another candle. A thin napkin easily melts into paraffin. The technique is shown in the video:
You can not use the entire napkin, but cut out individual designs - this will look more stylish. In addition, a small pattern will go well with ribbons or other decor.
We use decoupage
A small master class on decorating candles using the decoupage method. For MK you need:
- candle;
- decoupage napkins;
- glue;
- paint-contour;
- spoon;
- matches, lighter or candle for work;
- scissors.
Decoupage napkins are usually purchased in craft departments, but interesting options can also be found in hardware stores.
Let's look at the decoupage process step by step.
To begin with, decide on the drawing. Typically, a wedding uses a print of hearts or flowers, or both. The selected picture is carefully cut out and the upper part of the napkin is removed.
The cut out elements are glued with glue. If the glue does not stick to the candle, then you can try doing it differently. Light a working candle or use a lighter, take the cut out elements and apply them to the selected area.
It is better to apply everything at once and evaluate the entire type of product. Next, heat the spoon over the candle and very carefully run the spoon over a fragment of the napkin. You need to wait until the candle melts and the drawing goes into it a little. If you do not move the spoon evenly enough, the element will not stick evenly. When the candle cools, the fragment will remain in the candle.
A small nuance of the work: in order not to spoil the pattern with soot, the inner part of the spoon is heated, and a convex one is drawn over the element.
Contour paint of a suitable shade adds volume to the drawings; it can also be used to apply patterns. Apply shiny paint to the product and decorate the free space.
With any design option, you need to know that you cannot attach decorations and accessories close to the wick, because even glue can be highly flammable. By inventing a unique decor, you will end up with a unique hearth that will bring pleasure to the newlyweds for many years.
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Merry flowerbed
At any wedding, flowers are almost the main decoration of the celebration. And they also decorated the candles on the wedding table, so the wonderful mood of the holiday will stay with you for a long time. But decorating candles with fresh flowers is not recommended because of their fragility. It is unlikely that they will be able to last a whole day without losing their freshness and beauty.
But there is an excellent alternative - flowers made of polymer clay. Such decorations will look no worse than a real bouquet, but in terms of durability they will not be inferior to the candle itself. And making them with your own hands will not be difficult.
For this we need:
- finished candle;
- polymer clay of several colors;
- thin stick or toothpick;
- rhinestones;
- glue;
- pins with beads at the end;
- nail scissors.
The process of making a flower from polymer clay is as follows:
- Roll a small piece of clay into a ball, then pull it out on one side. You should get a drop-shaped figure.
- Using nail scissors, cut the blunt end of the drop into 5 parts and unfold them using a thin stick.
- Place a pin in the middle of the resulting flower, with which it will be attached to the candle. The head of the pin will serve as the core.
- In this way, prepare the required number of flowers and place them in the oven, preheated to 120°, for 7-9 minutes.
- We attach the resulting flowers to the candle. You can cover it with rhinestones.
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Satin lace, white flowers...
Decoration of wedding candles for the ritual of removing the veil and lighting the family hearth can be done using satin. This will be a gentle and modest option.
We will need:
- white satin fabric, hemmed at the edges so that “fuzz” does not stick out;
- gold glitter - paint with glitter for creating convex elements. Using glitter we will make a pattern to dilute the whiteness, introducing a second color;
- glue "Master";
- special paint for candles, pearl shade.
If desired, you can add some other elements made of tulle and beads.
Stages of decorating wedding candles:
- We take a long satin ribbon 30*15 and sew it manually in the middle with fairly large stitches. We do not cut the thread, but stretch the gathers. The satin ribbon should be made into a gathered one.
- This gathered tape needs to be wrapped around the candle so that the base is completely wrapped with it, and then part of the tape tends upward. We smoothly move one skein and the “tail” of the tape upward.
- Having understood the trajectory of pasting with tape, we put the tape aside and begin to paint the candle. We wait for it to dry.
- We glue the dried wedding candle for the Hearth with the already mentioned gathered tape using Master Thread Stitch glue.
Important! It is advisable that the tape be double-layered. Those. It’s better to take 30*30 fabric, fold it in half, stitch it, turn it inside out, then make gathers. Then it will be lush and lacy.
Now we make three roses from satin. To do this, you need to take satin fabric and cut out squares. Needed: 3 squares 5*5, 3 squares 8*8, 3 squares 6*6.
- We fold the squares diagonally, stitch them exactly along the triangular folded seam and pull the thread. We get an assembled sheet. The thread tension should decrease with each sheet. The first is the tightest, the second is weaker, the third is quite wide. Each rose has three leaves. We put them inside each other and sew them at the bottom.
- Glue roses onto the candle - a large one on the very edge of the “tail” of the ribbon and two small ones on the sides. Look at the candle - which will be better, because its shape can be very different.
- We take glitter and decorate the edges of the rose leaves - carefully (!). We wait for it to dry.
- We decorate with glitter - draw smooth stems from the roses up and to the side. Let's turn on our imagination.
Also, do not forget about thin long candles in the hands of the bride and groom. To decorate thin wedding candles that the newlyweds will need during the ceremony with our own hands, we will need:
- golden satin ribbons;
- white satin ribbons;
- glue "Master";
- candle paint;
- thread and needle.
Decoration steps:
- We paint these thin wedding candles with the same paint that was used for the Hearth and wait for them to dry;
- We wrap golden-colored satin ribbons around wedding candles in the same way - after all, they are paired, for the newlyweds. The winding can be from bottom to top or end in the middle. Optional. Glue the tapes.
- We make bows from white satin fabric. To do this, cut out 4 rectangles measuring 8*16.
- Fold them in half to make 8*8 squares, stitch them, leaving one side unstitched, and turn them inside out;
- We also stitch the remaining side and decorate two seams with glitter;
- We carry out these procedures with each square.
- We make bows by placing one square on top of another. One bow – two layers (squares). We sew them in the center, stretch the thread. The bow should be fluffy, very narrowed towards the center.
- We close the middle of the bows with the same satin ribbon cut from satin (1*5 cm), sew it on the side that will stick to the candle.
- Glue the bows to the middle of the candles.
