Spun cotton is a molding medium made popular in the early 1800’s as an inexpensive way to create Christmas ornaments. People would take spun cotton and wrap it around cardboard or wire frames and then molded with a glue or starch to mold and press the cotton together. Once the glue is dry, the cotton can be painted with acrylic paint. Spun cotton is a traditional craft that is a fun way to create all kinds of objects including Christmas ornaments. We decided to put our own spin on it and create handmade spun cotton faux candles. These are fun display items and were fun to make too.
If you like spun cotton crafts see how to make this spun cotton orange ornament.
Supplies for Creating Crafted Spun Cotton Candles
-1″ diameter dowel rods at 4″, 6″ and 8″ length
-Small dowel pieces ” 1 inch in length
-White craft glue
-Decoupage medium or a white craft glue mixture of 6 parts glue to 1 part water
-Spun Cotton batting
-Craft paint in white, yellow, orange, tan, brown and red
-Soft, flat brush
Assemble the Candle Base
To create the faux candles, assemble the base. Glue the small dowel rod to the top of each of the larger dowel rods. This will give the base candle form.
Once the form is dry, use a brush to paint it with white craft paint. This will give it a good base in case the cotton doesn’t cover it all.
Sculpt the Flame
Once the paint is dry, paint a layer of glue mixture or decoupage medium on the surface. Sometimes it helps to work in sections.
Sculpt the Candle
Take a thin, square section of cotton batting and wrap it around the glue covered area. Use the brush dipped in the adhesive to brush over and slightly saturate the cotton while pressing and molding with the brush. Work all of the way around the candle until the entire surface is molded and covered.
Add enough batting until the candle fits inside of a candle holder. This will keep it upright. One the surface is smooth, let the candle dry upright for 24 hours in the candle holder. After 24 hours move the candle from the holder and let the base dry. It’s important to remove it so the wet part doesn’t mold in the candle holder. Let that dry completely in the open air 24-48 hours.
once the candle is completely dry it’s time to paint!
Paint the Outside of the Faux Candle
Paint the outside of the entire spun cotton candle with a white craft paint. Then brush with a tan paint. Brown paint can be added at this time for a more primitive look.
Paint the Flame
Paint the flame by adding a base coat of yellow over the entire flame surface.
And then add red or range at the base.
Blend the two colors together in where they meet. Add some white highlights along the candle. Let dry.
Once the Candle is dry it should fit snugly into your candle holders and be ready to use in your decor! These are so cute when grouped together on a mantel!
