My mom is a very special lady. She’s got a wicked sense of humor and will take on anyone who doesn’t play fair. Oh the stories I could tell you about my mom. When I was younger I used to get so embarrassed by her antics. I remember one time my then boyfriend, took me to a very classy restaurant for dinner. We sat in a quiet corner right at the back enjoying a glass wine and, if I recall correctly, crayfish or some other exotic dish.
In those days we didn’t have a lot of money (okay we still don’t) so it was a real treat and we were savoring every minute. Until I spotted my mom. She had this HUGE red bow on her head. And by HUGE I mean GINORMOUS. It was probably a meter wide and everyone was staring at this woman who was heading straight for our table. I didn’t know where to put my head. Turns out she was at some mall with friends when they spotted a Lamborghini with a BIG red ribbon on it. She convinced the poor, unsuspecting salesperson to give her the bow. Did I mention my mom is also super gorgeous and very convincing? Yup, that’s my Mom, my hero, my confidante, my best friend and sometimes my nemesis.
To celebrate this truly unique woman I wanted to make her something special. A while back I found a graphic from the Graphics Fairy that I’ve been saving for a project and this morning it hit me. I’ll make my mom a customized candle using a paper napkin.
It was such a quick and easy project I thought I’d share it with you. But, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe below so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need to make a custom candle
- pillar candle :-)
- some wax paper,
- a suitable serviette or a napkin,
- printer and paper,
- clear tape,
- a hairdryer.
How to customize the candles
Napkins or serviettes as we call them here in South Africa ;-) come in layers. We’ll only be using the bottom plain layer to customize the candles. But don’t throw the top layer away until you’ve seen how to make these napkin baked clay bowls or this paper napkin dream catcher.
Remove the back of the napkin and tape it onto a piece of printer paper. Make sure to tape all the edges. Putting paper on the back of the napkin prevents it from crunching up when it goes through the printer.
Measure the width around the candle and re-size your image accordingly. I used this gorgeous “M is for Mother” that I found over at the Graphics Fairy. Place the “napkin covered” piece of paper in the printer and hit that print button :D It doesn’t matter whether you have a laser or ink-jet, they’ll both work. Psst, you can use a similar technique to print on tea bags too. You’re welcome ;-)
Carefully cut the image out and stick the printed napkin onto the candle. Wrap the candle in wax paper making sure that the waxy side of the paper faces downwards, towards the candle.
Switch your hairdryer on and blow hot air all over the image until you can see the wax paper getting………well waxy :D Be careful, it gets hot and don’t hold the hairdryer to close to the candle to avoid making melted candle dents. Once you see a “waxy film” forming you’ll know that the printed napkin has melted into the candle. I’m hoping you can see what I mean in the image below.
Gently remove the wax paper and voila, the customized candle is all done.
Awesomeness!!!
The candles are perfectly safe to burn too.
And you have to look real close to see the customization.
What do you think?
If you like the idea of making customized candles don’t forget to pin it for later
It was such an easy way to make a customized candle for that someone special. I think I’m going to make a few more of these using the top layer of some pretty napkins too.
Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you ;-)
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY
Until next time, I hope you have a lovely crafty week. Thank you for popping around for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
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