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Sunday, May 20, 2012

DOLL HOUSE CANDLE HOLDER TUTORIAL - How to make a wall hanging candle holder from mat board and card stock for your doll house.







Hello, Hello!  I know I'm running late . . .


I saw this candle sconce in a full size home decorating catalog a month ago and decided we needed to make it.









Pencils and blades sharp.

Use an oval template to draw a 40 degree, 11/16" oval.

Now, this isn't too important.  I wanted the whole thing to come out an inch or a little longer, not counting the length of the candle.  If you want to change to size or shape of the oval, you're the designer.  I am just giving you an idea to start with.





Measure 9/32" from one end of the oval. 

This isn't too important either.  You just want the mark to be on the other side of center.











Pierce a hole where you made the mark.










Cut a strip of card stock just barely 1/16".  This is going to be glued around the outside of the oval.  I want a little lip around the edge.









Using yellow carpenter's glue, glue the narrow card stock strip around the oval, twice.

For something different you could use 4 or 5 strands of twisted embroidery thread for a rope effect, pieces of a paper doily for a filigree look or use punched shapes for a different edging.





This is a "Q"-Tip with it's cotton ends cut off.  I've used these before in earlier tutorials.

Sand the stick until you have opened the paper enough to peel.











Unroll the paper until the stick measures about 1/16" in diameter.











 Cut the stick in half.

Set one half aside, this will be your candle.













Unroll the other half until it's about half the diameter of the first half.










Glue both of their loose edges down.

Set the thinner stick aside for now. 

Cut the thicker stick, the candle, 7/16" long.










Cut a strip of card stock 1/8" wide.

Glue this strip to the end of your candle, wrapping only twice around the candle.








Use a 1/16" hole punch or if you don't have one of those drill a hole, using a 1/16" bit, into a piece of card stock.  Place your card stock onto a piece of mat board to protect your cutting surface.









Make sure the "candle" fits through the hole.

Can you see the 1/8" card stock around the bottom of the candle?











Center the hole you made in a 1/4" hole punch and punch.












Use a ball stylus to shape the "drip catcher".

Set this aside for now.










Use a "T"-pin to pierce a hole in the 1/8" card stock you wrapped your candle with, that's the candle cup.









Select a bit that's the size of the second piece of "Q"-Tip you set aside.  Drill a hole into the one you just pierced into the candle cup.

You don't want to drill through the candle cup.  Just drill into it enough so you can glue the smaller diameter "Q"-Tip into it.







Use the same bit and drill into the oval at the hole you pierced earlier.  You can drill through the oval.

Insert the "Q"-Tip stick into the hole.  Pull it through until the candle cup is 1/4" from the oval.

Glue the stick into the hole and trim off the extra.

You can glue the "drip catcher" onto the candle, also.







Cut a strip of card stock 1-1/8" wide.











Cut a strip from the card stock that tapers from 1/16" or a little less to a 1/32".











Fold over a small tab at the widest end of the tapered strip.  Glue that tab to the bottom of the candle cup.  Let this dry before trying to shape the tapered strip.









Use what you have to to shape the tapered strip.  I used dowel rods, you can use a pencil or the tapered end of a paint brush.








I wanted you to see another angle of the shape.

The shape is up to you, you don't have to make it like mine.

When you have the shape you want paint both sides with the yellow glue.  Yes, it will pull out of shape a bit, but you can put it back.

Let this dry.




I mixed a little black paint with gesso.  I will paint this mixture on the edge of the card stock that I glued around the edge of the oval.  This will cover the layers.

If you don't have gesso, mix a little paint with the yellow glue, this will work, too.









I've painted the edge of the card stock to cover up the layers.









Let's make the flame while the glue is still drying on the tapered card stock curl.

I used a short piece of sewing thread or a single strand of embroidery floss to start with.  I made a knot in the end of the thread.  I dipped the knot into an acrylic finish, I used Triple Thick by Deco Art.







If you use the Triple Thick it will only take one dip.











When the "flame" has set up a bit you can dip it into orange glass stain paint if  you have some. 

This isn't too important, it just adds a little color to the "flame".



                                                                            

Paint the candle holder black.  I mixed a little soft yellow into white for the candle.  I used tacky glue to glue the "flame" onto the top of the candle.

This can be painted a brass or gold color, too.  You can make it chabby chic by painting it white and maybe wrapping green wire around the tapered curl for a stem then gluing a couple of roses and leaves onto the green wire. The wire would keep the tapered curl in shape.  I would paint the trim around the oval pink or green.


Have fun, expand on it, make it better . . . . . . . . . 

Just Keep Making Minis ! ! !



TTYL  Kris