Easy Clay Candle Stand

I made a candle stand out of some air dry clay.To make one you need to measure the circumference of the candles you want to use. Make sure that the candle isn't too heavy for your stand to hold, if it is you will need to make the pillar thicker

To make one for a medium sized candle, you'll need:
1) About two handfuls of air dry clay ( more or less depending on the size)
2) Two bowls ( one bigger and one smaller for the top and bottom pieces)
3) A bowl of water
4) Various paint brushes with rounded ends
5) Thin sculpting tools ( a toothpick or an exacto knife)
6) Anything you want to make impressions of ,i used a ribbon rose and a rose bead.
7) Varnish or a 50-50 mix of school glue and water.( if you're desperate use clear nail polish )

Step 1: Cut Out the Top and Bottom Pieces

So first you need to knead the dough with plenty of water, the more water the less cracking. After use the bottom of a bowl to press a ball of clay pretty flat, then use a rolling pin or your palms to spread it to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, depending on how big your circle is, the bigger the thinner and vice versa. Use the smaller bowl to cut out a circle and use your fingers with some water to round the edges. Do the same with a slightly larger bowl or just the same bowl, but a larger base looks better.

Step 2: Make the Pillar

Roll a ball a bit bigger than the ones you used for the base and the top piece. Roll this into  a thick sausage shape. This is the tricky step and it helps if you have experience with clay, but hey I did it and i'm an art reject. So thicken out the ends giving it a concave look on both sides.I used my fingers to spread out the top and bottom ends and just mold the middle part into a concave shape. If you want but i wouldn't advise you could just leave it straight and and plenty of impressions on it. whatever works for you.

Step 3: Decorating the Parts

So this is the fun part, take some clay and roll out about 10-12 small balls about the size of a pearl, and wet a ring around the base of the pillar. Just go ahead and stick them on is a nice even circle.Use a wet finger to merge the edge of the balls with the pillar.

Next take a rounded paintbrush and make small fairly deep impressions as seen in the picture on the base piece. Make smaller one lighter impressions around those. Finally I used my ribbon rose to make impressions around the dots near the edge . Then take a thin toothpick or whatever and draw vertical lines down from the center to the edge. You have to hold the pillar in the center then decorate, or you can stick the together with water then decorate, any ways good.

For the top piece a use the same deep impressions of the paintbrush to make a design and use the rose bead to make impression around the edge.


These are only options ,you can decorate with any things you have and make any design.

Step 4: Stick Them Together

Place the pieces together and secure with a wet finger.Place the exactly in the center or else it will be crooked and topple. Test a candle on it, if it is too heavy make the pillar thicker, but if you were paying attention, you could eyeballed it and checked before. If you want you can add silver gold or silver bronze dust and varnish. I just varnished directly.Good luck and please comment.