How to Make Candles in Wine Bottles
It's a cold and rainy November day here in Suffolk. The gloomy weather put me in the mood to make some spooky crafted candles to brighten up the house. I'm Jason, founder of Suffolk Candles, and I'm going to show you how to make creepy yet cosy candles inside wine bottles that would look perfect in Dracula's castle or just for adding ambiance to a quiet night at home.
Make sure you start saving your empties... well not all of them haha, save the good looking bottles, you can get some really interesting wine bottles with great artwork on them and some wicked spirit bottles!
What do you need to make a candle in a wine bottle:
So it's dead simple really....
- Empty wine bottles
- Taper candles
- Knife
That is literally it.
Buy your taper candles
I purchased several taper candles from Amazon, three different types: Vampire candles that bleed, black taper candles & some cheap yellow ones. I thought I'd get a variation, variety is the spice of life and all that and I just wanted to see how they performed.
Select your wine bottles
That's the selection, the next step is to try and get these bad boys into some wine bottles.
You'll want a nice collection of good looking wine bottles for this nifty craft!
Whittle the ends of the candles to make them fit
The taper candles didn't quite fit on there own, so I whittled them down a little bit, a small knife works perfectly! It's a pretty easy step, just be careful, I didn't have to shave too much wax off in order for them to fit.
Light the candles and enjoy
The next step is to slide the whittled down taper candles into the wine bottles, light them up and enjoy. The vampire candles look super cool for this ideas as they drip down and create a good looking drip.
The look great and add a great atmosphere to any room, I had this alight this evening for a beautiful warm glow. I haven't got a fireplace so a candle is the next best thing well four candles actually.
You can take it a step further if you're feeling really creative and get a glass cutter and cut the wine bottles in half then use the bottom half to create container candles. This was my original idea before I started making candles but I figured it would be too hard to scale with me cutting all the glass bottles...
Stay tuned for that, it's on my list to do :)
Candle in a wine bottle FAQ:
Q: What materials do I need to make candles in wine bottles? A: You need empty wine bottles, taper candles, and a knife to whittle the candles.
Q: What kind of wine bottles work best? A: Aim for good looking bottles with interesting colours, designs, or artwork on them. Unique shapes also add visual interest.
Q: How do I get the tapers to fit into the bottle necks? A: You'll likely need to use a knife to carefully shave down the ends of the tapers so they can fit into the bottle openings. Remove just enough wax to fit.
Q: Where should I buy the tapers? A: Tapers can be found at many stores but purchasing online gives you lots of variety. Go for colourful or themed tapers to make your candles more exciting. I purchased mine from Amazon.
Q: What is the benefit of using tapers instead of regular candles? A: Tapers give a tall, slim, elegant shape when placed in bottles. As they burn down, the dripping wax also looks decorative.
Q: How do I keep the tapers upright and stable? A: Friction from the narrowed candle end in the bottle neck will help hold it upright. The melting wax adhering to the bottle's interior also helps secure it.
Q: Where are some good places to display my bottle candles? A: Group them together on table tops, mantels, or shelves for ambiance. They also make creative holiday decorations.
Q: Are wine bottle candles safe to burn? A: Yes, as with any candle follow standard safety precautions like keeping away from flammables and not leaving unattended.
Q: Can I reuse the bottles to make more candles later? A: Yes! Just clean out the bottles thoroughly before using them for new candles. The stained glass effect looks cooler each time.
