Lighting Up Halloween.....

I sure wish these photographed better - they look so wonderful all lit up in my living room. My daughter and I, along with my sister and her two daughters painted a bunch of these Halloween candles a few years ago. They were relatively easy - and we learned some great tricks to make them better - after we'd painted them, of course. But that's the lucky part for you - 'cause I can pass on the tips so yours are even better from the get-go! I'll share other art projects we've created as they fit the seasons or my mood :-)
These candles are some of our most prized Halloween decorations in our Halloween 'lot' Each year, as they're unwrapped from their tissue paper 'tombs', my daughter and I get to remember the night that all of us girls sat around our dining room table painting and laughing as these Halloween spooks came to life.
Art projects are such a fun way to while away the autumn hours and they don't have to break the bank - which in this economy, is a real bonus! Also, if you make an 'arty-party' out of it with friends or family, you can share the expenses for the paint and other supplies. An activity like this is great for kids parites too - not only can the kids have fun painting and creating their own masterpiece, but they also end up with a one-of-a-kind party favor to take home and keep forever!
There are no patterns to follow for this project and you're only limited by your imagination! So, below, I've listed the basic supplies you'll need and a few tips to make them turn out beautifully :-) Have fun!!

Painted Glass Halloween Candles
Supplies -
*Glass vessle of your choice - the ones shown above are 6" 'tulip'vases from the dollar store.
*Glass Paints - Opaque white is a must (details on that to follow), other recommended colors for Halloween candles are green, orange, purple, yellow & black
*Black, glass paint pen - or, in a pinch, a medium-tip black Sharpie pen
*Pencil
*Paint brushes of various sizes - but at leat one small one for detail work and one larger one to cover large areas.
Instructions -
The best way to begin this project would be to paint each glass vase with the white, opaque paint (only to the 'neck' of the vase...not the 'tulip' part round the top). If you'll notice in the picture above, the mummy candle really glows well - this is because of the white paint. The other candles seem to 'shine' more than glow - they also took many coats of color to be vibrant. If you paint a white undercoat on each candle first, their color will glow and the candle inside won't be as noticeable either (the candles aren't as noticable in 'real life' as they are in the picture above). This undercoat is a personal choice....but if we'd known then what we know now.....well, you know the rest ;-) Anyway, the paint dries pretty quickly so once that happens, you can lightly pencil your design onto the vase. Using the paint colors you've chosen, begin painting your desgin onto the white-coated vase. As each feature/area is finished and dried, you may decide to paint another coat to make the color darker/more vibrant. Once the design has been fully painted and the vase is fully covered with color (no clear spots!), use the black paint marking pen to outline the design. This makes the details really 'pop'. You can also add even finer details like moles on a witch or scars and stitches on a Frankenstein....things that can be a bit difficult to paint.
Once your candle holders are finished, drop in a votive or tealight candle and light'em up! You're new spooky 'friends' will warm your hearth and heart this Halloween and every Halloween to come!