How to Make Luminary Candles
Luminaries have been in use since the 16th century, when bonfires lit the roads to guide people to Midnight Mass during a Mexican celebration called Los Posadas. Los Posadas, meaning The Inn, was a reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem as they prepared for the birth of Jesus. The tradition, brought to the United States in the 19th century, now is associated with the Christmas season. Little paper bags with candles are a beautiful and serene addition to holiday decor and are easy and inexpensive to make at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Small paper bags (the bags traditionally used as lunch bags are perfect)
- Sand
- Votive cups
- Scissors
- Votive candles or tea light candles
- Tin cans (any size you would like to use, canned vegetables or even coffee cans)
- Marking pen
- Vise
- Large potato
- Drill with assorted drill bits
Instructions
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Paper Bag Luminary Candles
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1
Open a paper bag completely, making sure that all of the creases are unfolded so that nothing could collapse into the flame of the candle when it is burning.
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2
A lunch bag is perfect for a luminary candle and comes in all colors. Fold the top edge of the paper bag down 1 inch and then 1 inch again, creating a rim.
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3
Sand is used to weight your luminary candle so it doesn't blow away. Fill the bottom of the bag with sand. This prevents the bag from being blown over in the wind. Make sure you fill the bottom of the bag with a layer of sand at least the depth of the candles you will be using.
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4
Votive candles with cups or tea lights are the light source for your luminary candle. Press a votive cup into the sand until the level of the sand is just below the rim of the cup. If using a tea light candle, skip this step. Just put the tea light candle into the bag as you would have a votive cup.
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5
Use scissors to trim the wick of the candle to 1/2 inch. Trim the wick of the votive candle to 1/2 inch and put it into the votive cup inside the bag. The votive cup minimizes the risk of the bag catching fire, as does trimming the wick.
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6
Put your luminary candles where you want them until you are ready to light them.
Tin Can Luminary Candles
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A tin can makes a perfect palette for a dot-to-dot design. Wash the tin can out thoroughly and peel off the paper label. Make sure you have removed the top of the can completely.
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8
A marking pen will help you create a design for your tin can luminary candle. Use a magic marker to make a dot-to-dot type of design on at least one side of the tin can. The best type of designs are designs of stars, crosses or other simple holiday designs that can be punched out with drill bits and a drill.
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9
Place the tin can in a vise if you have one, but not so tight it bends the can. If you don't have a vise, place something heavy like a big potato into the tin can and then lay it on its side. The potato or other heavy item will help you hold the can down by weighing down the can and preventing it from rolling while you are poking holes in it.
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10
Multi-sized drill bits help you create an intricate dot-to-dot for light to shine through. Use the drill to drill holes in your dot-to-dot design on the tin can where you made your marks with the marking pen. You can change the size of the drill bit to accommodate the size holes you want. With the potato in the can, you can press the can on its side against a solid object; this will also help you drill into the tin can. The potato weighs down the can just enough to help you hold the can still using only one hand. Pressing the can against the wall or another hard surface gives you an additional way to hold the can securely while drilling.
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11
Fill the bottom of the tin can with sand, to just under the rim of the candle you will be using at least.
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12
Press the votive cup or tea light candle into the sand at the bottom of the tin can until the level of the sand is just below the rim of the votive cup.
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13
Trim the candle wick to 1/2 inch and put the candle into the votive cup inside the tin can.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Paper bags with cut out designs can be purchased at a party or craft store. Flame retardant bags are also available. A votive cup is not needed for a tea light candle.
A votive cup is necessary for a votive candle, as the candle will liquefy and be lost in the sand without one. If using bags untreated with flame retardant, be sure to put enough sand in them that they are well weighted, and place them away from anything that could catch fire.
References
- Photo Credit romantic candle with hieroglyph image by Maksym Dyachenko from Fotolia.com tea part 1 image by Damian Winnichenko from Fotolia.com sand image by zigzagwhites from Fotolia.com Candle for peace image by Sophia Winters from Fotolia.com scissors image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com open tin can image by Melking from Fotolia.com marker image by Eldin Muratovic from Fotolia.com three drill bits image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
