Fine Glitter Glass is the perfect product for decoration candles with stamped images. Because it is glass and not plastic it won't be affected by the heat process required to set the glitter into the wax. We created this project with some discount candles we bought that were a little warped, which makes the stamping process a little trickier but really turns a plain candle into something special.

Note about colored candles: You may run into troubles if you use a colored candle that has a white core if the exterior layer of color is very thin. You have to heat the surface in step 4 and it can cause the top layer of wax to thin or run a little. This isn't noticeable if the color is sold all the way through.

Step 1

It is very important to pounce your candle with an anti-static bag prior to stamping. Simply dab the candle with the anti-static bag just hard enough for the powder to escape through the cloth and coat the candle. Otherwise, the wax will hold stray pieces of glitter. I tried talcum powder and although it coated the wax it seemed to create a little static in the dry New Mexico winter air so we still had troubles with glitter sticking where it shouldn't.

Step 2
(Sorry I wasn't really able to photograph this step while doing it).

Stamp on the candle using an embossing ink. I used VersaMark. The ink will be clear but can be seen slightly by holding so you can see the shine from the ink in the light. If you find it frustrating to tell where your image is, this is an excellent project for tinted embossing ink like Tsukinkeo Tinted Emboss pad. You want to use a somewhat bold stamp, like this Scalloped Flourish from Lost Coast Designs. The smaller the stamp is, the easier it is to stamp on a curved surface. I had success with this larger stamp, however, simply by laying the inked stamp face up on the table and then rolling the candle across it. I could have gotten better coverage with a higher-quality candle.

Step 3
(Shown to the left)

Sprinkle fine glitter glass over the stamped image. You want to have a tidy tray or shoe box lid or scrap paper beneath your candle to catch the stray glitter so you can return it to the jar. The glitter is not secure at this point, so be careful when handling it.

Step 4
(Shown to the left)

While holding the candle in one hand, heat the wax under the glittered areas using a heat tool held in the other hand. Please take care to hold the candle and heat tool at arm's length to prevent glass shards from blowing into your eyes. They don't blow far but it wouldn't be a bad idea to wear protective eye wear.

You can see the wax melt just enough to turn liquid on the surface. Move heat tool onto another area as soon as you see it getting shiny. It solidifies quickly after heat is removed.

You can continue to add more images. If you heat between color changes you will be able to save the additional colors used to return to the jar with very little, if any contamination from the first color. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether an image was stamped properly until you sprinkle the glitter over it, like the image to the left. The wonderful thing about this project is that nothing is permanent until the wax is melted under the glitter. I simply took a paper towel and wiped off the glitter and ink and re-pounced the area with the anti-static bag and re-stamped it.