Galentine Craft | DIY Valentine’s Day Candle

Each month I get to present on Hello Iowa. Typically this is a DIY project, but I might also share decorating tips or share vintage decor ideas. I recently received a text message from a customer turned friend with an idea for my next Hello Iowa presentation! When Marilyn shared this idea, I immediately knew it was perfect for me!

Turns out Marilyn’s daughter hosts a crafts night with her girlfriends and they did this project! Some of the pictures below are from Betsy’s party! We will call it Galentine’s because it’s a Valentine’s Day DIY! You can see in the photos how Betsy basically made a little craft “bar.” There are an assortment of candle stick holders laid out and candles lined up in a row.

If you look closely at the photos, someone even decorated their candle with flowers, which was something I didn’t try! Betsy used acrylic paint pens like THESE.

Craft bar for this Galentine craft
📸 Betsy McMurray
More views from Galentines with plates to work from and the DIY situated in the middle
📸 Betsy McMurray

If you are new here, then you will learn that while I love a quick and easy DIY, I also love using what I have! So, today I am sharing with you multiple products I used and how each turned out!

Supplies

First, you will need to gather your supplies.

handful of colorful Valentine colored candles

Candles

I had every intention of thrifting some taper candles. I figured they’d be easy to find—I could get just one of a color instead of a whole pack, and they’d be cheaper than buying new. But guess what? The thrift stores didn’t have any!

I even asked the workers during my trips to multiple thrift stores over several days if I was missing something. Every single one said, “If we had them, they’d be here, but I haven’t personally put any out in forever… we just don’t get them much anymore.”

Interesting, right?

So, I reached out to my friend Hilary, an avid thrifter and estate sale shopper, to see if she had any I could use. Hilary came through and gave me a few colors to work with. However, I still ended up buying a box of taper candles for myself because I needed a few more—both for crafting the blog post and for my live segment with Megan Reuther on Hello Iowa.

If you’re not having any luck thrifting taper candles, you can get yours HERE!

All of the pens I used for this project.

Paint Pens

So, I knew the acrylic paint pens worked because that is what Betsy used. However, I had Sharpie’s, Chalk Pens and Craft Paint on hand. I did end up buying one acrylic paint pen in gold to give me the opportunity to compare it to what I had on hand. Keep reading to see the difference between each.

collection of brass candlestick holders

Candle Holder

If you are like me, this is something that you have around the house already. But, if not I strongly suggest hitting up the thrift store! Thrifting is a great way to find a variety of inexpensive candle holders. They have them all…clear or colored glass, brass, silver plate, wood, etc. If you want to see what I have listed, check HERE!


Go Thrifting With Me!


Each candle and the "pen" I used beside it.

What I Learned

Please note that what applicator you like best might depend on the type of candle you have! After making more of these then when I initially wrote this blog post, I realized all candles are not created equally. Some wax on candles will rub off onto your Sharpie, Chalk Pen or Paint Pens. If this happens and they stop “writing” then mark on some paper to clean them off and start again.

Sharpie

First I tried the red Sharpie on a white candle and made little hearts in a line. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. After I drew a couple hearts I realized that this would have been much easier if I had started at the top and worked my way down. It was hard to calculate how much room to give myself for a heart working from bottom to top, so start on the top!

The Sharpie was so easy to work with and I really felt in control.

Verdict: Strongly Recommend Using – Easy to Use. Everyone Already Has

drawing hearts with the red sharpie on a white candle

Chalk Pen

I had a couple tip sizes on hand, but I chose the medium rounded tip to test out. It worked out very well. This time I created random larger hearts all around the candle. For some reason I started at the bottom again! But, I suggest you start towards the top and work your way down. Because the chalk pen is more of a paint, and not immediately dry, I recommend working on paper or a hard surface that is easy to clean because chances are you will get some on the surface you are working at. It’s also important to realize this because it might smear or whatever “paint” is on the table and wet transfers back to your candle. BUT! The nice thing about chalk paint is that if you mess up or don’t like the finished product, you can wipe it off from the candle easily.

Verdict: Strongly Recommend Using – Easy to Use. Forgiving.

white chalk pen on red candle, XO's
white chalk pen on red candle, XO's

Acrylic Pen

I picked gold because I thought it would look good on any candle color. This was probably my favorite application. The size was good and easy to use. And it didn’t leave as many “brushstrokes” as the Sharpie, Chalk Pen and Paint did. But again if you keep your candle on the table while drawing, be prepared for the paint to transfer to the table and risk smears and transfer.

When I did my drawing I both held the candle up in my hand and at other times pressed it against the table to draw. Either works. A lot of it depends on how steady your hand is.

Verdict: Strongly Recommend Using – Easy to Use. Least Amount of “Brushstrokes”

gold acrylic pen making bows on a pink candle

Craft Paint

For each candle that I used craft paint on I tried a different brush. Both were small bristles and both produced very similar results. Using the craft paint with a brush was much more difficult that I had anticipated. I didn’t have as much control to make crisp lines. BUT, this will easily wipe off if you mess up and want to start over.

I also discovered after working on some probably cheap candles that using a brush works really well if the candle wax wants to keep coming off on your pen tips.

Verdict: Still Out – Difficult Compared to Others, Forgiving and Works Best On Cheaper Candles

painting on hearts with white paint onto a pink candle
painting red hearts onto a white candle with little bursts under the heart

Valentine’s Candle Display

I love displaying things with various heights, so I have my candles displayed in brass candlesticks of different heights. Then, I switched up the candle colors and designs for my display. You could do any variation of candle stick holders, candle colors and designs! Have fun with it! Want another possible craft to do for Galentine’s Day? Check THIS out.

Questions

Can I burn a candle I painted with acrylic paint?

It’s not recommended. Even nontoxic, water-based paint isn’t safe. If you have a very wide, dripless candle where the burning wick does not touch the paint, then that should be fine.

Is it safe to burn a candle that has Sharpie on it?

No, Sharpie’s are also not safe to burn.

Pin It!

Pinterest pin for Galentine's Day DIY Valentine's Day Candle Craft

This post may contain affiliate links for the products I use and recommend. I am not paid to promote these products. If you purchase using my affiliate links, I could make a small commission at no charge to you.

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