Christmas DIY Projects

With Christmas looming just around the bend I wanted to share a project or two with you. I am all about some DIY and homemade gifts and this one is one of the best I've seen! Kate, over at Centsational Girl has come up with the most awesome gifts. This is my first time ever having a guest on my blog. So please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Kate, I leave it to you:

I started working on this idea a few weeks ago, and finally got around to finishing up this little experiment of mine just the other day. I wanted to create some original candles with plain glass containers and soy wax for the holidays and to give as gifts. Here is the first of the four candles I created. This version has a cranberry tinted soy wax inside a plain glass oval container – it is painted and embellished with a glittery seasonal message.

Supplies: plain glass heat safe container, microwavable soy wax, chip board letters (or stickers), pre-waxed wick, frosted glass spray paint, white spray paint, glue stick, painter’s tape, glitter.

Step One: Attach chip board letters with just enough glue from a glue stick to keep them in place. You could also use stickers or Cricut letters here. Anything goes!

Cover the top of glass with painter’s tape (or simply turn it upside down) and spray with two coats of frosted glass spray paint. Allow to dry for 30 minutes in between coats.
Note: Most ordinary colored spray paint’s are not designed for glass, but frosted glass spray paint is, therefore it acts as a good primer for any subsequent colored spray paint you choose.

Step Two: Once your two coats of frosted glass paint are dry, spray paint your color coat of choice (I used what I had from my stockpile: Rustoleum’s Heirloom White). After you’ve sprayed your glass with your colored spray paint, sprinkle glitter into the paint while the paint is still wet.

Step Three: Remove chipboard letters.
Melt your microwavable soy wax in the microwave and add any colored tint you choose.
If you want to have a white wax but colored letters underneath, then use colored paint designed for glass to paint the inside of the glass before you add your white wax.

Remove your letters and scrape away any residue from the glue stick or paint with a small flathead screwdriver or similar tool.

** You’ll notice the wax is already in the candle – I actually chose to paint it white after I filled it with wax, but I recommend doing the wax last, after you paint.
Step Four: Melt your microwavable soy wax in a microwave safe glass container (like a Pyrex measuring cup) about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Add tint, then pour into heat safe glass container with a wick. Use a chopstick or similar tool to support your wick as your candle cools.

Once your wax is cooled and your paint and glitter have dried, your candle will look like this.

You can do your own version with “Joy” or “Noel” or “Merry” or “Bah Humbug” or whatever you like. Imagine making this with someone’s name, wouldn’t that be charming ? It would look so pretty with pale blue or green tinted wax too, especially next to the glittery surround.

This next candle was another experiment creating a painted monogram and filling a plain glass container with golden tinted wax.

Supplies: plain circular glass container, microwavable soy wax, stickers, frosted glass spray paint, bronze spray paint.

To create this candle, attach stickers of choice to a glass candle holder, then spray with two coats of frosted glass spray paint. Again, the frosted glass paint acts as a primer for your color coat because frosted glass spray paint is designed to adhere to glass, whereas most colored spray paints are not.
Although, I must say, I’ve never tried to use regular Rustoleum spray paint on glass, so I’m not sure how well it sticks to glass without the frosted glass paint underneath. Anyone know ?
After the frosted glass paint was dry, I painted the candle with another color I had on hand, Rustoleum’s Antique Bronze. Tip: When removing your stickers peel away very carefully so that your color coat does not peel off the glass with your stickers.

Melt your soy wax in the microwave. Add any color you want to tint it beyond its white color.
There are plenty of dyes available. I used the liquid red for the “wish” candle and the stick version for the monogram candle.
You can also add scent – I used some lavender essential oil I already had to the melted wax before it solidified.
Allow your wax to cool, then tie it with a pretty ribbon and give it to a friend. Or make one as a gift for yourself, as I did in this case!

“Merry Christmas Kate!”

This next candle was made with an antique tea cup and saucer. My sister-in-law adores Victorian style tea cups, and she loves candles too. So I picked up this antique German tea cup (although it is 12 ounces, so it’s more like a coffee cup) at the Antique Fair.

She will love this sweet floral design.

I pulled this idea right out of the Cambria Cove catalog – their tea cup and saucer candles cost $50 dollars. Yikes ! This version only cost $5 dollars for the antique cup and saucer, and a few dollars for the soy wax and wick to fill it.


Here’s the snapshot from Cambria Cove – I just love this novel idea, without the price tag.

Image: Cambria Cove

I wrapped it in cellophane and ribbon for an original Christmas present just for my sister-in-law. Hope she doesn’t read this before Christmas… oops ! Isn’t this a charming idea for tea cups and saucers? What a great gift for bridesmaids or teachers or any other special lady. And so unbelievably easy to make !

I have a girlfriend who loves jewel tones, so I found this amethyst colored glass candle on clearance at a local store – it already had the scented wax in it, so I attached a big letter sticker to the glass, then I spray painted it with frosted glass, and added glitter while the frosted glass paint was still wet.






The frosted glass paint works just as well as a spray adhesive to keep the glitter in place.
So easy!








Then I wrapped it up in cellophane and ribbons, and will be giving it as a hostess gift next week.
Pretty cute and easy peasy. These would make great gifts for teachers too!
That’s the latest of my experiments with frosted glass spray paints and glitter. . . I especially love the tea cup and saucer creations – wouldn’t they be so elegant at a tea party, or as place card gifts at a bridal shower ?

Wow. I just love these! Don't you?!?
Thanks Kate for letting us see your beautiful gifts. Hopefully you got someone out there dying to make some too! I know I plan to :)

Ladies, you MUST stay tuned to SC because coming up soon is everything Christmas! Wahoooo!