Crafts Beautiful - Quick & Crafty - Let's Make Cards Magazine

Give a contemporary touch to your Christmas table decorations this year, with a turquoise and jade colour scheme. This lovely candle and matching tea-light holders are easy to make, just follow our step-by-step instructions for perfect results.

Beaded Candle

Cut a 1.2 metre length of silver beading wire and thread with up to twenty sequences of beads. As a suggestion, try a crimp bead, one bugle, two seeds, one small crystal, one larger central bead, one small crystal, two seeds, another bugle and a crimp bead. Vary the shape and colour of the larger central gems to add some variety.

Starting at the top of the candle, wind the end of the wire twice around a short pin and gently hammer into the wax. Compress the first crimp bead in place, push the first sequence of beads up to meet it and flatten the second crimp bead to hold the sequence in position.

Leave a 3cm gap, then compress the next crimp bead to begin the second sequence. After every three sets, wrap the wire tightly around a short pin and gently hammer into the candle, allowing you to form a descending spiral of beads.

Snowflake Votive

Trace the outline of your tea-light holder onto mulberry paper by rolling it along the surface and pencilling along the top and bottom edges. Cut out, allowing for a 2cm overlap at the join. Draw a simple snowflake shape onto the paper in pencil and use this as your pattern for placing the beads.

Thread a needle and, starting at the centre, sew beads onto the mulberry paper, repeating the sequence on each arm of the snowflake and selecting a single crystal for the centre. Paint a thin layer of PVA glue onto the glass holder and carefully smooth the mulberry paper into place. Leave to dry for at least an hour.

Three-tier Beaded Votive

Trace the outline of your tea-light holder onto mulberry paper by rolling it along the surface and pencilling along the top and bottom edges, as before. Trim, allowing for a 2cm overlap at the join.

Using a needle and thread, sew a row of short sequences of beads along the mulberry paper, running parallel with the top edge. Repeat the sequence twice more to give three rows in total. Paint a thin layer of PVA glue onto the glass and carefully smooth the mulberry paper into place. Leave to dry for at least an hour.