Candle Craft to Complete the Theme of Spaghetti Night
This candle craft is something my mom did with my sister and I and I’ve used it with my kids and now my grand children. This candle craft was inspired from the bottle candle holders we saw on an Italian restaurant we visited and my mom thought it was a great way to use our broken crayons.
When the grandkids come over we make it special with a craft theme. You can read about how to have a spaghetti night here. It also encourages quality time while discussing some good tips about fire safety, table manners and paying attention to detail. This is not a craft for small children. Children 9 and older do fine but use your own judgment with your child.
Fire Safety
Children seem to pay attention when fun comes along with learning. We used our candle craft table decor once a week letting each child light the candle. They enjoyed the honor while reciting the fire safety tips we discussed during this craft.
Table Manners
There will always be a time where you wish you knew table manners so teach them to your children. I remember hearing a speech once in collage by a fellow student telling about the embarrassment she felt while at a dinner party because she did not have this knowledge.
Teach children how to set the table, how to use their utensils, and the fundamentals of having proper table manners.
Paying Attention to Detail
Adding this candle as the table decoration makes it special. When the experience of eating is special then it adds to the quality time as a family at the table. This candle craft is just one way of making family spaghetti night a quality experience. Children also experience a sense of pride by seeing the candle they made on the family table.
Candle Craft
This craft needs adult supervision. NEVER leave your child alone with a fire.
Supplies:
- Bottle: A narrow neck bottle works best. I use a wine or beer bottle.
- Taper Candle and jar candle: I purchased mine at the Dollar Tree and have also used thrift store finds.
- Crayons without paper wrapper: New or broken crayons from past school years work. Just balance them by the flame of the candle rather than holding them by the flame to prevent scorched fingers.
- Beans *Optional to weight the beer bottle.
- Wax paper: I put my bottle on wax paper to protect the area I am creating on for this candle craft.
- Match or lighter: Those long stem lighter for lighting candles work great and seem safer for kids. I do use matches for the older kids to teach fire safety and how to extinguish the match for building fires outdoors.
- Knife or cutting utensil: I heat a knife in the flame of the taper candle and melt slits down the sides so the crayon flows evenly over the sides.
Directions
Clean bottles and now is the time to decide if you want a weighted bottle if your bottle is small and light. I use beans in layers according to color and size.
Prepare your work place by laying down wax paper. You can use newspaper but remember you are using matches and newspaper burns quickly if a match falls on it.
Set out the supplies of matches (lighter), bottle, crayons. taper candle and candle in the jar. I cut the tip off the taper candle to make it straight across.
The candle may be taller than your bottle but it will burn down to a decent length as you melt the crayons to decorate the bottle.
Light the candle in the jar. Hold the taper candle over the flame and melt the sides and bottom of the taper candle and then stick it in the bottle.
Light the candle with a match and let the kids use crayons (don’t forget to take off the paper wrapper) to hold over the flame to let the crayon drip over the bottle.
Let the fun begin. This craft needs adult supervision. NEVER leave your child alone with a lit candle.
Italian Bread Sticks Recipe to Include for Your Spaghetti Night.
Nothing adds memories better than cooking in the kitchen together. Be sure to fix this Quick and Easy Italian Garlic Bread Sticks recipe together to make the meal special.
Don’t forget to share your Spaghetti Night with us! Tag us on instagram using @barb_webb and show us your creative night.
