Create Colorful DIY Candle Holders in Under 5 Minutes With Alcohol Ink

Marcy Ferro
by Marcy Ferro
2 Materials
$5
5 Minutes
Easy

Need a quick and easy last minute gift? These DIY candle holders take only a few minutes to make and will wow whoever is lucky enough to receive one. Using basic supplies you can create a whole crate of these funky candle holders to give away, or keep for yourself. I love playing around with the colors, and with how quick and cheap these candle holders are you can totally experiment and try out new colors and designs without breaking the bank. Ready to get started? Check out my step-by-step tutorial below to make your own.


Tools and Materials

Tools and Materials:

  • Alcohol ink
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Small glass vases or candle holders
  • Gloves
  • Sponge
  • Plastic wrap
Clean the Candle Holders
Sponge Technique


Before we get started make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands. Alcohol ink stains and you don’t want to end up with purple hands! I also thoroughly cleaned the candle holders to make sure that I had a nice surface to work with.

Add Color to the Sponge

I started by adding some ink to the sponge. Don’t overdo because you don’t want the ink running all over the place. 

Sponge on Color

Then I sponged the ink onto the outside of the glass candle holder. Alcohol ink is transparent so the light from the candle will shine through it.

Keep Adding Color


Add More Color

I continued sponging on different colors. If you don’t have a sponge you can use a cloth for this part, but I like the texture that a sponge lends to the ink.


Tip:

You can use regular alcohol to remove any color that you don’t like, just spritz it on and wipe away. 

Plastic Wrap Technique
Plastic Wrap Technique



For this technique I started by laying out a piece of plastic wrap. It doesn’t need to lay flat, in fact we will use the creases to our advantage for our design.

Drip Alcohol Ink

Then I created splotches of color. Make sure not to overdo it or to mix any of the colors too much, you don’t want to end up with a muddled mess.

Add More Colors

Tip: 

You can make your own alcohol ink with markers and alcohol. If you happen to have any old markers lying around you can place the ink part in alcohol to create your own alcohol ink.

Place the Vase in the Center

Once I was happy with the color I had applied, I placed the vase in the center and lifted the plastic wrap up and around the candle holder. 

Wrap with Plastic Wrap

I pressed firmly onto the plastic wrap to make sure that as much as possible got up and around the candle holder. 

Unwrap


Let Dry

Make sure to let these candle holders dry for at least an hour before you insert any candles as we don’t want them catching on fire.

DIY Decorative Candle Holders

I like to use faux LED tea lights for mine so that I don’t have to worry about an open flame in my house.

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 5 questions
  • Desiree Zaballero Desiree Zaballero on Oct 28, 2020

    Can you use nail polish?

  • Roberta Roberta on Aug 29, 2022

    Where do I find alcohol ink? Michaels or Hobby Lobby? Thank you for sharing! 🌈🌻💜😊🕊️

  • Pegi♥️ Pegi♥️ on Mar 19, 2023

    What all are things alcohol inks can be used for in crafts?? I had never heard of this product prior to reading your post and the use of the inks.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 5 comments
Next