Creating Botanical Candles

The following method was developed by Sherrie Priebe-crow of Yorba Linda, California.

First buy taper candles, pillars, or small votives. Any color will do but lighter colors show off flowers best.

Gather up your plant material. Sherrie recommends rose petals,pansies,johnny jump-ups, sweet peas, ivy, lobelia and small ferns to name a few. Herbs work well also. Lavender works well.

Dry flowers throughly. Depending on the drying method used, it usually takes two weeks or more if you are pressing the material between layers of paper towels in a telephone book for example and applying a heavy object. Whatever method of drying you end up using, the goal is to use completely dried plant material.

Once you have dried material to work with, you can begin to arrange them on a piece of wax paper or paper towel to create a design.

These candles are for display only.

Using the 5 minute method:

Having made your pattern , gently appy Elmers Glue to the back of the plant material using a small soft bristle craft brush.

Press it carefully on to the candle.

Let dry for five minutes, then gently brush more glue over the surface of the plant material.

Repeat process until desired pattern is complete.

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