BEADED CANDLES

We used battery operated candles for this tutorial because they last forever, have a nice realistic flicker, and can be decorated all the way to the top. The red liner tape we used is heat resistant and non-flammable, but as a candle burns down it doesn't burn away and it is doesn't cut away easily so we recommend limiting decorating real candles to the lower area of the candle.

Supply List for Beaded Candles

• Battery Operated Candles
• Red Liner Tape Sheets
• Micro Marbles: Clear 1mm .5mm and .3mm (or clear sand)
• Micro Marbles: Colored as desired
• StazOn Ink
• Craft Knife

For these candles we used images from the Illustrated Christmas set. Micro Marbles provide more reflective qualities the larger they are, but the larger marbles also distort the underlying image somewhat. It seems the best way to have sparkle without too much distortion is to sprinkle a few 1 mm and .5 mm marble over the tape and cover the rest with .3 mm. It also takes less of the smaller marbles to cover a surface area and covers the tape more fully, so this combination is also economical and provides a more stable finish. You can complete 4-10 candles with 1 ounces of 1 mm, 1ounces of the .5 mm and 4 ounces of the 3. mm.

Steps for beaded candles

1. Cut tape to size for the candles. For my particular candles I measured around the candle (circumference) and height and determined I needed a sheet 5 7/8" x 9 3/8" so if you're using a tall pillar, make sure you buy the full sheets of red liner tape.
2. Remove white liner from the tape to expose one side of the double-sided tape. You may use dye inks but StazOn ink does actually create a cleaner image that will not bleed under the tape. Dye inks don't always bleed, but sometimes if a pad is heavily inked it can. Stamp directly onto the tape. Try to avoid touching the tape and leaving body oils on it when removing the stamp. Use an awl or metal tool to hold down tape as you peel the stamp back off.
3. If you would like to add color to small area with chalks the area will not adhere to the candle so make sure you don't do large areas or areas too close to the edges.
4. Reapply the white liner to the tape, making sure you put the shinier side against the tape so it will release again. Leave 1 inch on the side exposed. It is easier to get the tape started and lined up properly if most of the tape is protected. Once it is started correctly, peel the liner away as you apply the tape. Try to minimize air bubbles but don't worry too much about them.
5. Apply marbles. You'll want to use a show box lid, craft tray or some other way to catch the marbles. If you would like to cut away parts of the liner as shown on the snowman image below, use a craft knife to trace the area you want to expose. By doing this you can apply colored marbles to a small specific area, like the scarf of the snowman or the hat on Santa. Expose the tape on the small area and pour marbles onto the exposed tape. When you're ready to cover the rest with clear marbles, pull away 1/3 to 1/2 of the red liner. Sprinkle a few 1 mm clear marbles over the area and a few .5mm. Then roll the rest of the exposed tape into the smaller clear marbles. Remove the rest of the red liner and follow the same steps to cover the rest of the candle.
6. Pop larger air bubbles. You can see that the marbles disguise smaller air bubbles. If you have any larger bubles showing simply slice the center of the bubblewith a craft knife and press out the air out toward the slice.
7. Keep your scraps of red liner tape. I made a striped candle with my scraps from 3 other candles.