Christmas Votive

$5 - $10 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes one votive

In 2018, I participated in my office’s secret pal gift exchange, where we anonymously sent monthly gifts to a colleague. For December’s present, (see November’s present here), I decided to attempt a decoupage votive. Although I used a snowflake theme, you can substitute the imagery and ornament for other winter-related elements, such as a Santa Claus or snowman.

• One twelve-inch glass vase
• Two or three single-ply Christmas-themed napkins
• One 4 oz. bottle of decoupage medium
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic silver*
• One small Christmas-themed ornament
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the vase. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the vase, roughen its surface with coarse sandpaper to help the decoupage medium adhere.

2. Cut or tear apart the napkins. For the best translucency, you want single-ply paper. If you cannot find one-ply paper napkins, simply separate the plies of multi-ply sheets. You can either isolate distinct images (as I did) or use random sections.

3. Cover the entire exterior surface of the vase with the cuttings. This process works best if you move in stages: apply a layer of decoupage medium to one section, press the paper down until it sticks, and repeat the process. For the best translucency, try not to overlap the sections too much (the thicker your layers, the less candlelight will show through). 

4. Once the decoupage medium has dried, apply an additional coat or two to serve as a sealer. As with step three, ensure your coverage is even and thin to achieve the best translucency. 

5. Use hot glue to create a dripping effect along the rim of the vase. You want it to resemble icicles, so vary the length and thickness of each strand. Also, depending on your chosen appearance for the prop, you can cluster the embellishment towards the top of the vase or drag it down all the way to the base.

6. Apply two or three even coats of metallic silver paint to the drippings and, if you desire, seal the paint with a coat or two of the decoupage medium. Although I selected silver, you can use whichever color complements the color scheme of your napkins. 

7. Center a snowflake ornament at the front of the votive and, using the hanging loop, attach it to the vase with a few drops of glue. For a sturdier hold, use superglue. Here, too, you may utilize whichever decoration matches the theme of your napkins’ imagery. 

8. While you are free to embellish the item with additional details, try to keep these to a minimum. The more elements you add, the more the candlelight is blocked.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.