Come Play in the Sand...A Tutorial on Making Sand Candles!

It's a beautiful day on Cape Cod. Since it's spring break for many schools, people are here! (As a matter of fact, we have family visiting.) It seems as though the dull gray curtain of winter is going up, there's a full cast of players, and the director, Mother Nature has yelled: "Action"! And what is Cape Cod to those who only come during the warmer, sunnier months? For many, "SAND" and "SEA" head up the items on the list! In celebration, I bring you my tutorial on creating SAND CANDLES! I hope you enjoy the craft and my step-by-step, (hopefully easy) instructions. So, follow me and "Come Play in the Sand"!

Pieces of Dreams

Let's start with our list of supplies...You will need:

• pillar candles of choice
• painter's tape
• clear drying craft glue, such as, Crafter's Pick, Mod Podge, or other glue of choice, so long as it sticks to plastic, metal, glass etc.
• sand
• Minwax Polycrylic Sealer
• 3-ply jute or waxed raffia (It really has to be the waxed!)
• sea shells (small) and having flat areas for gluing
• scissors, flat tray or cookie sheet, nylon brushes, glue gun, water, paper towels

Gathering of supplies.

Are you ready for some fun?

Wipe your candle clean and evenly tape off the top of the candle. (Part you want exposed)...We don't want sand, glue, or sealer too near the top and flame!

Put some glue into a dish and load your brush.

Paint a nice, thick, even coat of glue onto the candle.

Notice the thick, even coverage.

If your glue coverage is spacey, like this, or beads up and drips off, you are either not using the right glue, you have not properly loaded your brush, or you have watered your product down. PS: Do not use spray adhesives!

Press and roll your glue coated candle in the sand.

Repeat!...Get a nice heavy coat of sand on your candle.

Let it set for about 5 - 10 minutes. It will be tacky and set, but not thoroughly dry. If it becomes too dry, it is hard to pull the tape and get a crisp line.

Carefully, pick up the candle and hold upside down.

Carefully, pull the tape off, with a downward and on the diagonal, motion.

Now your candle needs to set and dry for at least 1 - 2 hours.

So, here is your candle with the sand glued onto its base, all set and dried. It is now ready to be sealed. Give it a gentle little tap for luck and loose sand.

Here we have the Polycrylic, nylon brush, and prepared candle.

Gently, "dab-paint" the sealer onto the dried sand. Once coated, you can take your brush and go around the candle, gently wiping off the excess. Place your sealed, still wet candle down on wax paper. I like to let it set about an hour, pick the candle up, gently wipe excess off the bottom of the candle (being careful not to pull off any of the bottom rim of sand) and place it back down on a clean piece of wax paper to completely dry, for several hours or overnight.

On this dried and sealed candle, I have chosen the 3-ply jute for my rim-of-sand decoration. Here, I am measuring a doubled strand, before cutting.

While my glue gun heats up, with the loop on one side, and the ends of the doubled strand on the other, I twirl it into a rope!

Starting with the cut ends, carefully glue your jute roping down and around the rim-of-sand, ending with, and slightly overlapping, the loop onto the starting point.

Pick your shell and coat the underside with the hot glue, (please don't burn your fingers) making sure the parts of the shell that touch the rope and candle have enough glue to secure the shell to your lovely sand candle. WONDERFUL!

If you've chosen the waxed raffia. Take a measured piece of a thicker strand of raffia, and carefully/evenly, glue it around the rim-of-sand.

Gather a few more strands of the waxed raffia, (long enough to tie an attractive bow with sufficient ends) tie the bow and attach your shell with hot glue! (Wow! You just made another one!)

Great Job!

Here we have one all a-glow...But wait! You've got it!...It's one of those delightful battery operated candles that last and last! And, if you do this project with children, like I may be doing this week, this would be the kind to use. It's no fun having a candle in your room with the danger of fire. All they do is flick the switch and light it up! (Just like their proud little faces!)

Think Mother's Day and Summer! These will be a big hit!