These candleholders give off splashes of colour against a white background. Hang them up by their handles or display them on a table.

You Will Need

• glass bottles
• decorative designs
• glass stain in the colours of your choice
• acetone
• gold liquid lead liner
• gold spray paint
• sosatie sticks
• thin wire
• wire cutter and pliers

To Make
1 Make the glass stain more fluid by mixing it in a container with a little acetone. It will also make the colour lighter – the more acetone you add, the lighter it will be. TIP Buy glass stain in primary colours and mix your own colours. We used Dala Glass Stain.

2 Make sure the inside of the bottle is clean and that there is no oiliness – if necessary, wipe it out with white vinegar and kitchen paper – and pour the dye into the bottle. Turn the bottle around so that the dye colours the whole of the inside evenly.

3 Turn the bottle upside down and stand it on two sosatie sticks until all the excess dye has drained from it. Turn it right side up again and leave it to dry overnight.

4 Wipe the outside of the bottle clean and get your decorative design ready. If you don’t want to copy it freehand, stick the design to the inside of the bottle with adhesive tape. Take your liquid liner and copy the design onto the outside of the bottle. NOTE Liquid lead liner is usually available in a bottle with a thin nozzle, but you can also pour the contents into a container with a narrower tip if you want a finer line. We used Heritage Liquid Lead.

5 Complete the design right around the bottle. Scrape off mistakes with a sosatie stick, or dip an ear bud into acetone and rub off the error. Leave to dry and harden properly once you are finished.

6 Cut a piece of wire, hold one end against the neck of the bottle and wind the wire right around the end of the bottle. Bend the end of the wire into a loop over the wire so it pulls tight around the neck of the bottle. Now bend the wire into a handle over the bottle and press the other end under the wire that goes around the neck of the bottle. Bend it back to form a second loop and cut it off.

7 Remove the handle carefully and spray paint it gold. When it is dry, you can replace it.

GOOD IDEA
Write your guests’ names on the bottles and give them as a small gift.

Text and image: Ideas magazine