Tea-candle castings

Hands-on time: Less than an hour.
Total time: Needs to dry overnight.
Skill: Easy and kid-friendly.
Cost estimate: $8 each.

Materials & Tools

• 2 or 4 white tea candles
• Cement mixture, available at hardware stores
• An old spoon and bowl for mixing the cement
• Small natural or colored seashells, broken pottery, tiles or glass pieces
• Rectangular, square or pie-shaped foil trays from a dollar store
• White soap or candle wax for finishing touch

Tea-candle castings are so much fun to make, and even more of a delight to enjoy. Just prepare your cement mixture according to the instructions on the product box and pour into your choice of foil tray. Add two or four candles by pressing them in with the palm of your hand until they are secure. Then decorate around the candles with seashells, pottery, tiles or glass pieces by simply pressing them in. Allow to dry for 12 hours before removing the castings from the trays. To prevent cracks, cover the casting with a humid cloth during the drying period. To remove the candle castings from the tray, gently turn over the tray in the palm of one hand while lightly tapping the bottom with the other hand, and voilà!

Tips

• Wearing gloves is always recommended when working with cement, tiles and glass products.
• To give the exterior of your casting a softer finish, rub a white soap or a candle all around the outside.
• I took the broken pieces of a cherished antique porcelain dish to create the above project.
• Many decorating projects are just as simple as candle castings. All you need are a few basic materials and tools, like a glue gun, spray adhesive, decoupage medium, craft paints, brushes, ruler, an X-acto knife, and my personal favorite, double-faced tape. To get started, check out The Home Depot and have fun!