Cultivating Life | Sand Candles

Craft » Sand Candles

Many of us remember the rustic charm of sand candles from our youth, with their organic shapes and natural style, and Cindy Treen joins us to bring an old favorite up to date with a process that is as easy today as it was in our youth. These candles are a great project with a modern look that will add playfulness and elegance wherever they are displayed.

These sand candle stones look like they might have grown naturally in the woods or by the sea. The candles form shelf mushroom and barnacle-like shapes either resting on the rocky surface, suspended from the sides or sitting precariously on the point.

Materials:

20 Cups fine sand - either natural or in colors from craft stores
Bee's wax and/or Paraffin
Wicks
Water
Wire - light weight and easily bendable
Stones - roughly the size of a large baking potato

Tools:

Hot plate
2 Sand Containers - 6 Qt plastic bins work well
Large and small spoon
Large and small paintbrush
Pan to heat wax - use old pan that you will not longer cook in

Directions:

1. Heat a mixture of bee's wax and/or paraffin in pan on med high heat until melted. Bee's wax candles will burn much longer than paraffin.

2. Choose a stone for base of candle and clean well to remove any dust or oil from surface that may have rubbed off from your hands. Dip a paintbrush in melted wax and smudge it on the stone's surface in position where candle will perch. This will insure a strong bond between candle and stone.

3. Reserve one cup of dry sand. Moisten remaining sand and mix it thoroughly in the plastic container until it is easily moldable. Put stone in bottom of second container and see that it sits level. Build up moist sand around stone leaving wax spot free of sand. Continue building up sand until cavity is deep enough around wax spot to pour candle wax. Adjust size and shape of cavity until satisfied.

4. Pour some dry sand into cavity and work into moist sand walls. Adding dry sand back into walls makes a thin layer of dry sand for wax to adhere to, and helps create even wall thickness. By using moist sand to build up walls, more control and less wall collapse will occur when pouring candle.

5. Dip wick in melted wax and allow to cool slightly. Bend a wire into U-shape and hang wick from its center. Carefully stick wire ends of U into sand far enough outside of cavity so walls are not damaged. Wick base should rest at bottom of sand cavity on wax spot on stone.

6. Pour melted wax into cavity and let wax cool. When wax is dry cut wick about ¼ inch above candle. Carefully dig out candle and rock from sand. Brush off excess sand with paintbrush.

Special Thanks:

Cynthia Treen