How to Bead a Candle Holder

If you or someone you know loves candles, consider making your own beaded candle holder casings for a special touch that adds sparkle and personality to any room for any occasion. Candle holders protect candles and the things around them while the candle is burning. Decorative beads can be woven or placed around candle holders to create beaded candle holder casings. Most often, beaded candle holder casings are glass containers. While they can be applied to any candle holder, beads work best with glass votive candle holders or glass jars of about the same size.

There are different ways of creating a beaded candle holder casing. You can string beads and glue the strings to the glass candle holder, or you can use alternate safety pins and strings of beads to decorate the candle holder.

Things You'll Need

• Glass votive candle holder or jar
• Beads
• Beading cording (thread or wire)
• Safety pins (colored or regular)
• Scissors
• Wire cutters
• Glue

Instructions

Simple Beaded Casing

1. Thread beads onto cording.

2. Starting at the bottom of the container, place a small amount of glue on the glass on the outside of the container and press the end of the strung beads onto it.

3. Wrap the beaded cording around the container, gluing beads directly to the candle holder about every inch or so to make sure the beads adhere to it.

4. Let the glue dry completely before using the candle holder.

Safety Pin Casing

1. String beads onto the safety pins.

2. Cut three pieces of cording. The length of the cording depends on the container you are covering.

3. Thread the cording through the closed head of a safety pin, add a bead, then another pin.

4. Continue step 3 until you have enough pins and beads on the cording to make it long enough to wrap around the outside of the entire container that will hold your candle.

5. Using another piece of cording, thread the bottom hole of the pins, adding beads and new pins in between each pin from the top row. (Bottom pin from first row, bead, bottom of new pin, bead, repeat).

6. Continue step 4 until your second cording is the same length as the first one.

7. Repeat step 3, with the heads of the new pins. (Head pin, bead, head pin, repeat).

8. Tie the ends of the cording tightly together and trim excess.

   Slip your candle holder into the beaded casing and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Votive holders and jars are the easiest to work with; however, once you have mastered the techniques, they can be adapted to any object. Old jars and cups make great containers, as well as store-bought items specifically made to hold candles.

• Use glue on the knots to prevent them from slipping.

• Plastic beads, elastic and threads can catch on fire; never use an unprotected flame with them. Always use some sort of container or candle holder between the beaded casing and the flame.

References

• "The Basics of Bead Stringing: A Complete Illustrated Approach for Beginner and Advanced Designers;" Debbie Kanan; 2001.
• "The Beader's Companion;" Judith Durant and Jean Campbell; 1998.

Resources

• Pictures of beaded candle holders