Glamourous Oyster Shell Candles
In the past I've used big scallop shells to make gorgeous trinket dishes to give as gifts. This time I had some large gnarly looking oyster shells that I wanted to repurpose into something.
I managed to make the shells look rather glamorous and I used them to make some beautiful candles. The candles look great on any tablescape and would make a lovely gift especially when presented in a nautical map gift box.
I just used some large old oyster shells like these ones.
For the candle bit you will need some soy candle wax flakes, wicks and an old saucepan and a pyrex jug. If you want to colour your candles or make them smelly, this can be done with dye and oils.
The first thing I did was to spray the outside of the oyster shells with gold paint. This instantly transformed them into something more glamorous.
Don't melt the candle wax directly on heat. Use a "bain-marie" like you would melting chocolate. That is place the wax in a pyrex jug/bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Once the wax has melted. It goes clear, take it off the heat. Then add any dye or smelly oils to it.
Carefully pour the melted wax into each oyster shell. Place a wick in each shell. Use some cocktail sticks to keep the wick upright until the wax sets.
For more photos and instructions check out my blog at the end.
Once the wax has set cut the wicks down with some scissors.
I made quite a few of these candles. Some to give as gifts. With the ones as gifts, I simple wrapped a box in nautical gift wrap for a lovely presentation.
You can make these gift candles even more economical by melting left over old candles and using that wax instead.
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Claire at Pillarboxblue on Feb 05, 2019
Thank you
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Luci Hedley on Aug 06, 2019
Claire, this is a good idea, i have made a variation on yours, mainly for the BBQ area. i added little shells to keep the larger shell level and added some citronella oil to the melted wax. works well. stay safe
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Claire at Pillarboxblue on Aug 06, 2019
They sound brilliant.
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Frequently asked questions
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Can you use food coloring to dye the wax.
Claire, may I come visit you?....take lessons from you?...see your wonderful home? ...always love your projects! This one's no exception.