Easy Polymer Clay Candle Holder DIY to Jazz up your Decor

I made this Polymer Clay Candle Holder DIY and I’ve listed the entire process, step by step, so that you can make your own. Crafts with clay for home decor have become popular lately. I’ve seen some pretty cool clay candle holders at stores like Urban Outfitters, West Elm, and Etsy. They are chic, minimalistic, and modern. These candle holders from retail stores can run anywhere from $20 – $150. Yes, you read that right $150 for 1 candle holder. So let’s try and make our own crafts with clay.

So what is Polymer Clay Anyway?

Polymer clay is modeling clay that hardens with heat. Manufacturers take dry clay and add a liquid mineral called PVC, which forms a gel-like consistency, making it pliable and easy to work with. When placed in heat, polymer clay hardens for a permanent shape and design. It’s sold in stores in square blocks. Simply put, it’s like playdough that hardens when you put it in the oven.

Polymer Clay Misconceptions:

• “I have to have a kiln or commercial oven to use this type of clay” – False. You can bake your polymer clay projects right in your home oven or toaster oven. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s heating instructions though.
• “The color of the clay fades.” – False. Polymer clay’s colors actually heighten after being baked. Especially if you have clay with glitter. It will pop and shine
• “I need a spinning wheel like they used in the movie Ghost, right?” – Wrong. Though that scene in Ghost when Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore make pottery is HOT, that’s actually ceramic clay which is different.

Hopefully, I’ve helped calm any anxiety you may have had about using polymer clay. So let’s make some stuff!

DIY Clay Candle Holders

You can never have too many candles or candle holders right? You never know when the lights are going to go out or you want to set a relaxing mood. DIY candle holders are a good project to jazz up your space for little money and time.

You can make your own diy polymer clay candle holders for less than $8. Not only is it cost effective, but making decor and crafts with clay for your home will give you a sense of accomplishment. You absolutely can make something beautiful for your home.

Step by Step Polymer Clay Candle Holder DIY

Supplies you need:

• Polymer Clay in the color you like (I use Sculpey and Craft Smart brand from Michaels
• rolling pin, (here’s a good clay tool kit for just $5)
• acrylic paint and paint brush
• ruler
• candle stick and tea light candle
• oven

Step 1:

Open the package of clay and warm it up by rubbing it in your hands. Start to form a log like structure.

Step 2:

Take your rolling pin and roll out the clay to about 9″ long by 2″ wide and about 1/4″ thick. If you use your hands to roll the clay, use the heel of your hands and not your fingers. Your fingers will leave marks and dimples in the clay. Make sure you use a clean, lint free surface because clay will pickup EVERYTHING! If you mess up, don’t worry, you can just ball up the clay and start over.

Once you have the rectangle shape, take your ruler and press against the edges to straighten and smooth them out. This will give you a cleaner look in the end.

Step 3:

Now we want to cut out and shape the holes for the candles. Take the end of your ruler, a cookie cutter, or even just a straight knife and cut out a hole on one end of your rectangle about the size of your candle stick. Second, on the other end of your rectangle, take your tea light candle and press it into the clay. This is where the tea light will sit when the candle holder is complete, so make sure to get a good deep groove for it to sit in. Remove the tea light slowly and save it for later.

Step 4:

The next step is to form the candle holder into a cool shape. This step gives your piece a creative look and creates more stability for the tall candle stick to stand. Design and function, Right?

To accomplish this, carefully lift up the end of the rectangle with the hole you made and form a “n” or upside down “u”u shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect, these candles are supposed to have a rustic, boho type feel.

Once you’ve achieved the shape you like, take your candle stick and softly place it in the holder to make sure the hole is big enough. If it’s too small, stretch the clay a bit. If it’s too big, pinch and squeeze the sides until it closes a bit.

Right before baking, I ran the rolling pin over the top and sides of the candle holder one more time for smoothness.

Step 5:

It’s time to bake it. Pre-heat your oven according to the baking instructions on the clay packaging. The clay I used from Michaels said bake at 275 degrees for 15 minutes. I’m going to tell you, it will take around 30 minutes to get good and solid. Just check it every 15 minutes or so to make sure you aren’t burning it. Once the clay is done baking, let it cool for about 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Clay Baking Tips:

• Place your clay piece on a flat surface like a cookie sheet or oven safe tray.
• Line your flat surface with foil or a silpat mat. (Here’s one similar to the one I use)
• Polymer Clay is not for the microwave. I haven’t tried it. I don’t wanna try it. The package says don’t do it, so I won’t.
• Do not, and I can’t stress this enough, DO NOT use wax paper or cheap parchment paper when crafting with clay. Wax paper and parchment paper are NOT created equal. Especially not the cheap stuff. I learned this the hard way and almost burned down my kitchen. That parchment paper I bought at the Dollar Tree is good for protecting surfaces when the nieces and nephews come over for crafts, but it is NOT for baking with clay, or baking in general. Don’t let this picture below be you.

Step 6:

For the last step in our polymer clay candle holder diy, we are going to jazz it up with black paint. This step is optional, but adds some cute style. I came up with this technique because I wanted my candle holders to have a stone look with black speckles.

To accomplish the speckles, fan out your paint brush and dip it in your black acrylic paint. Take your thumb and run it across the paint bristles to create a splatter effect. (You may want to start on a piece of paper to get the hang of it first before heading to you candle holders. Listen, don’t worry, if you mess up or don’t like it, take a wet paper towel and immediately wipe it off. Comes off clean if you don’t let it dry.

Lastly, You can finish off your masterpiece by filling in the tea light space with black paint. Once again, this is optional, but I just think it’s cute.

Display Your Candle Holder With Pride

One of the greatest things about DIY home decor projects are the sense of pride. Hey friend, every time you walk past your candle holders, smile and say I DID THAT! If a visitor to your home compliments it, proudly tell them you made it! YOU DID THAT! Making crafts with clay can be fun AND functional. Turing a house into a home doesn’t have to be expensive as long as you put your heart into it.

Now polymer clay is not only for diy candle holders. You can make all kind of crafts with polymer clay with the same concepts as this tutorial. So I’d like to hear from you. What else would you like to make with polymer clay? Has this tutorial sparked your interest to make something else? Leave me a comment and let me know your interests. I’d love to hear them.

Until Next Time…Stay Crafty!

Angie

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