All Things Fabulous

Burlap Thanksgiving

Have you noticed how everywhere you look in the home decor world burlap is draped on, sewn into, or glued over one thing or another?  And why not?!  It’s cheap, cute and a great blank canvas for some serious creativity.  Well, friend of the blog, Cassie, had a great idea of covering pillar candles with burlap as a Thanksgiving table decoration and Amy M and I decided to take the challenge.  Um, yes, this is happening, and here’s how to do it...

YOU WILL NEED:

A fat pillar candle (I found mine in a 2 pack at Hobby Lobby for $5.99)

1/4 yard of burlap (Walmart has the cheapest burlap I could find including different colors)

Hair dryer or heat embossing tool

Hot glue and gun

Ribbon, twine, and other embellishments

Scissors

LETS GET STARTED:

First thing you need to do is get your burlap ready.  Amy and I  just laid our candle right on the burlap and eyeballed how much to cut in order to cover the candle.  You’re basically cutting a wide strip that is tall enough to go to the top of the candle and long enough to roll up around the candle.  Don’t worry about being too precise, after the burlap is on, it’s easy to trim off extra.

Now, roll the burlap around the candle and use rubber bands or sting or twine to wrap around it so you don’t have to hold it on while you heat the candle.  Remember how I said you need a hair dryer for this craft?  Here’s where it comes in handy.  Use your heat tool (which every it may be) and carefully heat the candle with the burlap on it.  As you heat small portions press the burlap into the candle and hold it there for a few seconds to allow the wax to cool and grab the burlap.  Be careful not to hold the heat in one place too long, it will melt the wax too much and burn your finger when you press it (ouch!).  It’s better to use long strokes to heat the wax.  Go all around the candle heating and pressing until you have attached most of the burlap.  It’s not going to be a perfect snug fit (unless you are a perfectionist, in which case you have my sincere condolences) but it should hold the burlap well enough that you don’t need the rubber band to keep it on.  

Use the hot glue gun to run a line of glue down the inside of the overlapped burlap and then trim off the extra.

Trim off the excess at the top of the candle and you are ready for the fun part...

Decorate it!  Amy M and I love to do fall crafts so we pool our resources and share silk leaves, berries and ribbon and got creative.  I’ve also seen the candles where you stop at the burlap, if you’re more of a minimalist.  

They turned out great, right?  See, fun, easy, and affordable!  Keep an eye out for more burlap crafts, it’s our gobble theme!

<3, Amy M and Sharla