Water Slide Decal Paper Candle - DIY

This is a great little DIY before Mother's Day but it can be used for so many gifts, wedding favours etc.

Water slide decal paper is brilliant - slightly fiddly but when you get it right, it looks great.

I bought a pack of 20 sheets from Amazon - WARNING - make sure you buy the correct type for your printer (i.e. laser or ink jet) and I recommend getting the 'clear' paper as you don't have to worry about a white background/border around your pictures.

Decorating a Candle

You will need....

• A candle (!) - any plain pillar candle, any size you like
• A printer
• Scissors
• A bowl of water
• Kitchen roll/dry cloth

First of all, decide on what design you want to put on your candle - there are millions of free artwork sites/free downloadables out there. If you want to be super clever, scan a photo or a drawing done by a little 'un and resize it to fit your candle. One image I used was a free printable from here. 

I'd advise printing on regular paper first before inserting the decal paper into the printer.

Once you are happy with the image and its size, print onto the shiny side of the decal paper.

Cut around your design and submerge into water for about 30 seconds for the backing paper to start to slip away from your decal. 

With the backing still on, start to slip away the design onto your surface. Be careful as it is delicate and rips easily. Position the decal then gently smooth out any water left under it and gently dab it dry with a cloth.

Leave it overnight before handling. 

According to my instructions, if you use the decal paper on ceramics, you can pop them in the oven to harden (although this doesn't make it dishwasher safe).

And there you go! A personalised candle. As I mentioned earlier, the paper is very versatile and works really well on glass and ceramics.

And finally, big up to Anne who used it on The Great Interior Design Challenge this week! If you haven't watched this yet, get onto iPlayer now!

Lowri xx