The Curious Case of How to Hand Paint Candles

Last year I had the joy of being asked to contribute a tutorial on painting candles to the Moon Child Blog over on Bella Luna Toys’ site, & it was a total blast! Truthfully, I had never painted candles before I was asked to try it - I rarely even burn candles except on top of a cake - but can I just say: I have become pretty close to obsessed with this craft after trying it for the first time. To the extent that I have since bought more beeswax candles I want to try painting sometime soon :)

Overall this is a really simple craft that would be great for kids to try too! I used super basic (non-toxic, water based, opaque) acrylic paint, detailed fine brushes (I used 3/0 round brushes for this tutorial), & beeswax candles.

I think it helps to sketch out a basic design before painting, but this craft is also very forgiving! If you have a smudge (watch how you hold the candles as smudging is easier to do than you may think!) or dislike something you may have tried, all you need to do is wipe away the wet paint with a damp cloth or paper towel.

I find it easiest to start at the top & work my way down on one side, before moving to another “column” of designs, so to speak. By doing this, you won't accidentally smudge your design when you set the candle down to dry. Depending on how opaque your paint is, you may need to paint more than one coat in order to achieve the right color vibrance.

& really that’s all there is to it! I found that I enjoyed painting different patterns & designs on each candle, but kept them all grouped cohesively by using the same color palette. I think this craft would be so fun for things like candles for a birthday ring or even Shabbat candles - there are so many possibilities!