Foiled Tea Light Candle Holder

Foiled Tea Light Candle Holder by Bea Grob

What can you do with some Makin's Clay®, a small empty jelly jar, some metal leaf and a decofoil?

Create a lovely Tea Light Candle Holder! A quick and easy home-decor project.

Materials:

Makin's Clay® - Approximately 20 grams, I used Merlot - but use the color of your choice

Makin's® Clay Roller and 

Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®

Metal Leaf, I used a copper color

Decofoil, I used a rainbow colored one

A tiny round cutter (about 7 mm) or you could try a sturdy straw

Any empty glass jar you want to cover 

(LED) Tea Light candle

Instructions:

First, I rolled out the Makin's Clay® right from the package throught the thickest setting (#1) of the Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® to make a sheet of clay. The size (and therefore the amount of clay) for your sheet depends on the size of your glass, so make sure and check the height and circumference of your glass. Mine is about 3 inch in height and 9 inch in circumference.

I placed the rolled clay on a non-stick surface, sprayed it lightly with water, and wiped it with a damp wipe.  It has to be a little shiny/damp for the next step.

Take out the metal leaf and place it carefully onto the clay.

Next, roll over the leafing with the clay ruler to completely adhere to the clay.  Don't worry about the gaps too much. I do fill the bigger gaps with the leafing pieces at the border of the clay, but the tiny crackles I just leave.

The next step is running it  through the clay machine on the setting #2, then again on the setting #3, and so on, until you end up on the setting #5. I wouldn't go thinner.  Setting #5 gives you enough cracks that way in the metal leaf but you still can easily handle.

Now, take your decofoil and press it again onto the clay sheet. It is always a good idea to make sure that the clay is still a bit damp. When the decofoil is on the clay use an old gift or credit card and burnish the foil really well. Then rip it on one quick motion from the clay. If you have parts that didn't work, just reapply and try again.

A little sidenote here in case  you are new to these kind of foils, always pretty side up, I know it is conterintuitive, but it is the way it works.

Now, you are ready to wrap the whole sheet around your glass. I don't press hard at first, but I overlap it and then cut through both layers. That way I can remove the excess and the two cuts fit perfectly.

Next, I make sure that the sheet is securly attached and that there are no air pockets. If you find them just take a needle tool and make a little hole and smooth out the bubble. To cut back to overhang at the top and the bottom I simply use a scissor.

So far so good, but now we need to make little holes so the light of the candle lights comes through.

I use a tiny little cutter and press it into the clay and also give it a little twist. I do that all over the glass in a random pattern.

To remove the little circles I use a needle tool. And voila here is your tea light candle just let it dry for 24 hours and then have fun.