Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Candles For Your Wedding - Tutorial

If you are looking for ways to put some sparkle in your day without spending a fortune ... here is a tutorial you might find useful ...you couldn't get much more thrifty than this!
Tin Can Candles

Very simple tutorial ... just takes a little effort ... but the results are worth it.  The pictures don't do this project justice - the sparkle these candles produce is quite impressive!
What you'll need for this project
Tin snips would probably make this project go a little faster ... but I couldn't find any around here today ... so scissors it is!  Collect clean tin cans of different sizes.  Start cutting a "fringe" from top to bottom all the way around the can.
Cut Cut Cut


Keep cutting!
 Once you've cut all the way around start pulling and twisting each piece until you are happy with the appearance.  Be careful not to cut your fingers ... but honestly, I didn't find this as sharp as I might have expected.
Some tin cans have a white coating inside, so I used a little silver spray paint to add a little more sparkle.  I think these candle holders would be great sprayed black or the color of flowers even ... just use your imagination!
Different Sizes =  Different Results





 Now for the fun part!  There are many ways you can use these "candle holders" to produce quite different effects ....
Stacking


I experimented with stacking the fringed cans - right side up - upside down - different sizes ... use your imagination & find the way that works best for you!
Cluster them together on the table.
Display them at different heights.
I used aluminum tart tins cut to fit for a little added detail around the base of the martini glass in the previous shot.
Drinking glass used as a "hurricane".
I didn't get a shot of this with a tall pillar candle ... but I'm sure that would be effective also.
You could try hanging these also.
I used metallic crochet thread but a thin wire from the dollar store would be great also.  Cut three 2 foot lengths and knot them together on one end.  You could also attach a hanging jewel on the knotted end for some extra "bling".
Turn your candle holder upside down and position the knot in the center of the bottom - spreading the three strands of thread/wire out evenly.
Secure the threads/wire with tape or hot glue.  Turn right side up and work the threads through the fringe so that the candle holder hangs straight.
Tie the strings at the top & there you have it!
You could attach ribbon around the base that matches your wedding colors.
Voila!
These might also be fun to hang around the back yard in the summer.  I hope this tutorial has been helpful ... maybe this particular project isn't quite your style ... but at the least, perhaps it has inspired you to look at "junk/trash" in a different light.  My crafting mantra has always been ... make something beautiful out of "nothing".  I'm planning many more tutorials - hopefully - something for everyone!

No comments:

Post a Comment