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I used to love hardware stores. I liked walking up and down the aisles looking for inspiration but fixing a house to sell will soon break you of that quicksmart. We had to go for paint and then more paint roller covers and oh, we need some screws. It seemed we have spent more time at a hardware store that anyone who isn’t a contractor should. I can hardly stand to go in one right now. In fact I’ve been putting off going for a while now ’cause I am just a weensy bit over it.
But when we were looking for sanded grout to finish up the backsplashes I had an idea involving silicone caulk and candles. It took me several weeks to actually set my idea in motion because TWICE I bought the wrong caulk. Once it was latex and silicone and wasn’t clear and the next time? Freaking almond. Not anywhere near being clear and absolutely no silicone in there at all. WTH? I finally managed it and here we are… turning $1 glass globes into something very cool!
For this proejct you will need:
- Glass candle holders (these are globes from the dollar store)
- Silicone caulk
- Caulking gun
- Cardboard scrap
Place your globe onto a piece of scrap cardboard, foam core or something else kind of sturdy. This piece will act as a kind of lazy susan so you can easily spin the globe around and work quickly.
Starting at the top, around the lip draw swirls all around. I tried to make mine all about the size of a golf ball. Being exact is not necessary at all, though. Continue making rows of swirls down toward the bottom of the glass.
Once you get to about the middle, flip that thing over and start filling in to the bottom. Get close to the flat portion of the bottom but not right up on it so the globe sits flat once done.
Allow to completely dry. Now there will be the occasional squishy, pointy bit on your swirls from pulling the silicone away. If you don’t like them they can easily be snipped away with a pair of scissors.
Since my globe is pretty big, I used 3 votive candles inside.
When lit it has a gorgeous reflection on shiny surfaces and makes the silicone swirls really stand out. It looks less like smeared on silicone caulk and more like a fancy piece of glass work!
Placing an electric light (blue obviously :) The shapes of the swirls become prominent when casting shadows. You get less of that with the flickering of real flames. Both options are very pretty.
I spent less than $3 on caulk and then another buck on the glass. With one tube you could easily make 3 or 4 of these beauties making this one super affordable home decor craft! And if you don’t dig swirls, draw on lines or dashes or a herringbone pattern. Anything will be quite gorgeous in the end!
BEAUTIFUL love this way it looks must try
I wonder if the heat from the candles melt the silicone
Nope. That silicone can even take being out in freezing temperatures and not lose any stones!
Hi Allison, I love, love your clever crafting idea of the Swirl Candle Holders!!!! Can NOT wait to make some of these!! Just to verify, the Silicone you used is Momentive Performance Materials GEO 12A as shown in your Silicone link? After you made the project, was the Silicone still sticky? or Does it harden after a few days? About how long does it take to dry? Thanks again for the wonderful project. I will be following you, and also put it in Pinterest. Thanks, Linda Wilson
Hmm. I’m not sure if it is the exact one. I’m going shopping today so I’ll swing by and let you know exactly which silicone caulk I used. It worked super well and was not sticky at all after it dried. :)