Introduction: Floating Candles! CHEAP Yet Magical!

About: Designer of things, Maker of weirdness and Baker of the macabre.

I don't know about you, but one of my all-time favorite scenes from the Harry Potter series, is the one in the Grand Hall with the floating candles. It's so simple, and yet so breath-taking! I wanted to re-create that look for a party I held, so let me show you how a mere muggle made something magical ;)

Step 1: You Will Need

This project is a bit time consuming, BUT

very inexpensive, and super worth it! Here's what you'll need:

  • White battery tea lights (sometimes dollar stores will carry them, but you can also get them cheap around Halloween) I spent 25 cents or less on each one.
  • White poster board/white card stock as many as you wish, cut to 8X10 inches. (I made 50)
  • Clear fishing line
  • White ceiling eye hooks
  • Hot glue gun/hot glue sticks
  • White craft paint/paint brush
  • Scissors

Step 2: Make Your Candle Bodies

You can use toilet paper and paper towel rolls as well, but it can take a long time to collect them, and places like Etsy sell them for WAY TOO MUCH! So, just make them, added bonus you don't have to paint them :)

  • I used poster board cut to 8X10 pieces, but card stock would work as well.
  • Cut your pieces
  • Roll cut pieces length wise and hot glue shut

Step 3: Tops and Bottoms!

  • Cut small circles and rectangles
  • Glue the circles to the bottom of your candles
  • Fit the rectangles into the top of the the candles and secure with hot glue (this will serve as a holder for the tea lights)

Step 4: Drip Drip Drop!

Now the fun part! Create wax drips on your candles with hot glue! You can add just a few little drops, or make it a melty mess! So fun!

Then when the drips have cooled paint them with white craft paint, and let dry.

Step 5: Create Ceiling Structure

You could hang each candle from the ceiling individually, BUT an easier way to hang them is to create a structure with fishing line on the ceiling, and then hang the candles from that.

  • pick points on the ceiling that are opposite from each other (whatever distance you choose)
  • Place eye hooks on these points
  • String fishing line from one hook to the other
  • Now you can hang candles from the line, instead of individual hooks

Step 6: String Them Up!

  • Add fishing line to your candles.
  • If you want them to hand upright, tie them on opposite sides, then on one strand in the middle of those 2 strands
  • Hang candles from structure

Step 7: Light - Em Up!

Turn Tea lights on, and place them in each candle.

* Tea light batteries can last anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. Be aware of how long they last, so you know when to turn them on for your event.

Step 8: Enjoy Your Magical Creation!

Muggles have some magic up our sleeves ( we just need time... and fishing line)

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Thank you for reading!

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