DIY Friday!

Aloha!


I mentioned in my last post that I really love DIY's. Everything from making your own toiletries to jewelry, clothes & much more. So, I just came up with the idea to post a new DIY on my blog every Friday (Yes I know it is Saturday today but from now on, it will be posted on Friday's just because I think DIY Friday has a better ring to it than DIY Saturday..) 

This DIY Friday issss... a cute little candle holder :')
#Sorry that there aren't more photo's of this, in future I will make sure I take some of the working process

These are a great way to give thoughtful, personalized pressies for birthday's, Christmas & other special occasion's (without breaking the bank) & it's also a ice way to decorate your space with something unique. The best part about it is you can spend some peaceful time to yourself, doing something you enjoy, & when you see the beautiful finished product at the end you get a real sense of achievement!

My Design

Before I explain how you can create your own home made candle holder, I thought I would just take a moment to talk about my design so you can see that a something as simple as a candle can have a lot of meaning. 

Colours:
I originally made this for my boyfriend so, for me, I felt it was important to choose colours that he liked, but also colours that symbolize certain moods & feelings. It's certain to say that many people will disagree with the feelings I associate with these colours. This is just my interpretation from how I feel & articles I have read. 
The colour purple, is not only an amazing film (if you've never seen it you MUST watch it, it's a real tear jerker & an incite on what it was like to be a black house maid in the early 1900's. (Getting a little off track here, ooops) but the colour purple, not only has it's own meaning, but it is also a combination of both blue & red (not stating the obvious here this is relevant I promise!) 
So red can be interpreted as the colour of determination, passion, strength and love. Blue then represents trust, loyalty and wisdom. These 2 colours create one of my favorite colours (purple) which I feel represents both elements of blue & red & also creativity, mystery & magic.
Based on this, I felt all these meanings contribute to my opinion of a good, loving relationship, so to me, the colour purple was the perfect colour to use for my home made candle holder :)

Pattern: 
After choosing my colours, I then needed to choose a pattern.. I could have searched the internet for patterns that had meanings & symbolized beliefs but then I realized I really like the aztec pattern & I didn't need to justify why I liked it, I just went with it! So don't feel like you have to find out why you like something or what it means.. sometimes you JUST like it & that's all there is to it! 

Ok so enough of me blabbering on, let's get started!

You will need:

• An old jam jar of your choice
• Old nail varnish
• PVA glue (dries clear)
• A variety of old brushes for smaller detail
• To finish it off, a tea light

#Just so you know this is a long process, especially if you have a very detailed design, so set yourself a couple of hours where you can take your time & don't forget you can always come back to it later! Patience is key so don't rush it! 

Firstly:

Choose an old jar & soak it in water until all the labeling comes off. (If you have a sticky residue left on the jar just wipe over with nail varnish remover, on a cotton pad, & the stickiness will soon disappear!)

Secondly: 
Have a think about the colour theme you want. If  it is a gift for somebody else try & think about what colours they like, if it is for a space in your home, think about what colours would best suit that room.Remember that the colours don't have to match exactly, quite often clashing colours can make the final look quirky & different. 

Thirdly:
Plan your design, it doesn't have to exactly like the one I did, look online for inspiration & practice a couple of swatches on a piece of paper. 

Now (the best bit):
Get painting! Stick some music on, or your favorite show & paint away! For this particular design, I first painted on different width stripes around the jar. I then let it dry and painted my detail on top. Once dry coat in PVA glue (it dries clear and this will preserve the design for longer) remember if you make a mistake you can remove it with nail varnish remover as if you were painting your nails! 

Finally:
Pop a little tea light in there, turn down the lights, and watch the glow shine through your design!

Happy painting!

Neeks x