Help!?
 

I'm trying my hand at stamping on tissue paper to put on pillar candles, but I'm having trouble with how to get the tissue adhered to the candle. I've read to put wax paper over the top and heat with a heat tool, but it seems to make the candle misshapen a bit and not cover the entire image. Advice, please?

Thanks,
Dawn

When I adhere the tissue, I use just a couple of dots of 2 way glue, just to get it to stay in place. Then I tape one end of the waxed paper and roll tightly. I do half the candle at a time, then I don't have to heat over the tape or the edge. HTH! Oh, and I also rub my thumbs along the sides of the candles just after heating to get a nice smooth look.

Be sure to hold the wax paper really tight. Do the front section keeping the heat gun moving. When you see it start to change color it has melted enough. You'll need to move the wax paper and do the candle in 2 or 3 sections. It's easiest to start with shorter candles then move up tot he taller ones.

Great, I was wondering myself how you used the wax paper.

Embossed candles
 

I have used the tissue and embossed then colored it. Then I used some glue in a couple places to hold it.

Then I heated the tissue carefullly and it absorbed into the wax just fine. I didn't know about or use the wax paper except when the wax needed smoothing as it was heated and absorbing. Why do people wrap it tight around the candle while they heat?

Shirley

Wish I could help, but I have only tried this once and I had the ugliest mishapen candle ever!! Good luck, I'll be interested to read people's tips!

When I tried it, the wax paper stuck to the candle. It was a horrible mess.

I don't use wax paper when I do mine.
I just keep the heat gun moving and a good distance from the candle so the melted was doesn't blow around and cause drip lines. Take the heat off from the candle as you see it starting to melt. That gives the wet wax time to set up before going onto another spot on the tissue that needs melting.
I do use a glue stick around the edges of my tissue to hold it in place.
I hope that makes sense.

Thanks Iwas
 

Thanks Iwas, thats exactly how I do it, unless of course I have a drip. 8) , then I use the wax paper deal a little. I keep it handy.


Shirley.

I heat up a spoon and rub the spoon over the tissue paper. It works great. Good luck.

I'm so glad to see this topic--I tried the tissue paper/candle thing once--it is so ugly I keep it around for a good laugh!

Is it maybe more successful to have one piece of tissue paper that covers the whole circumference of the candle, or is it more successful to cut out each individual image and adhere it?

I personally think it is much easier to stamp and cut down your image leaving a 1/4 or so inch around the image. Then attach that to the candle with a small amount of glue stick around the outside edge. Then melt the image into the candle.
HTH,

I have found I have the best luck using these steps
1 - cut your tissue so that it is just shorter than the height of your candle by about 1/4 inch and so that it wraps around your candle and JUST TOUCHES the other end...this is very pimportant so that if you are trying to get the stamped images in the middle you know where your middle is and also if your start stop place with the tissue is a little "unperfect" it is to the back of your candle when displayed

2 - Stamp your images on the tissue paper, always work with a scrap paper under you as the tissue is thin and will bleed... after you have stamped your tissue wrap it around your paper and I find a little moisture to the edges will help them "stick" to the candle just fine...

3 - Take a strip of waxed paper just thinner than your candle and wrap it around your candle to use as a HANDLE...hold the two ends of the waxed paper so that you don't have to touch the candle...you want it to be TIGHT AGAINST the candle...

4 - HEAT...now this is THE CRUCIAL STEP. First of all let your gun warm up for a few seconds until the air coming from it is HOT...then start in a very methodical motion going from the bottom to the top and off the edge and then from the top to the bottom and off the edge...just like you were spray painting. You will see the tissue "disappear" into the candle when the wax begins to heat...DO NOT OVER HEAT! It leads to UGLY DRIPPY MESSY CANDLES...not to mention work space!! LOL

5 - after the first two - three inch section is done MOVE THE WAXED PAPER to the next section and repeat step four...

6 - A few tips I have heard that you may want to try are
Adhere the tissue with a touch of glue stick at the "seam point"
Use a heated spoon to smooth over any bumps or drips...however I find that going from one end to the other quickly results in a no drip application for the most part
You can emboss your images on your tissue with the different embossing powders
and you can do colored candles but I find the white or cream work best for beginners!
Hope this helps :D

Keri's tips are excellent!!!

here's a couple more:

If you are new at candles, start with the short pillars (4" tall or so) and move to the taller ones after you've had some practice.

If you like a textured look you can crumple your stamped tissue, then flatten out and adhere to the candle. This is a nice look and much easier for a beginner than trying to get the tissue perfectly smooth.

When finished burn your candle down just a bit and scoop a hole while the eax is still warm just the size of a tealight (the colored ones in the plastic cups look best - I like PartyLite) and insert a tealight to coordinate with your stamped image colors. This prevents danger from the tissue burning and also saves the design of your beautiful candle.

Thanks Jami, I knew I would forget something~ LOL :oops:

Hey Keri - candles might be a good thing to do a tutorial on someday. :wink:

Yeah I will have to pass that along to one of our tutorial queens, Cambria or Beate! :D

THANKYOU!
 

to everyone for all the quick responses! I'm looking forward to some quiet time to give it a try again! Ya'll are the best!

Dawn :lol: