How to Transfer Pictures to Candles

Method One: Applying Pictures to Candles with Heat

Attach tissue paper to printer paper. Line the edges of a sheet of printer paper with glue, then press a sheet of tissue paper directly on top. Let dry. Use a glue stick or a very light, thin line of glue. Tape could also work. The tissue paper needs to stick firmly to the printer paper, but if the glue is too thick, your printer may not be able to feed it through properly.

Print the picture out. Place the tissue paper structure in your printer, then print out the picture you want to use. Make sure that the picture prints onto the tissue paper, not the regular paper. You also need to make sure that the picture is sized accordingly before you print it. Resize the picture using a photo editing or word processing program so that it will fit onto the candle without difficulty. Set the printer paper properties to a "transparency film" setting for best results.

Trim the picture to size. Use scissors to cut away as much excess paper from around the border of the picture as possible. During this step, the tissue paper should also be freed from the computer paper. Dispose of or recycle the printer paper. Keep only the inked tissue paper for this project. Some border can be helpful since it makes the picture easier to hold and maneuver, but this border should still be as thin as possible.

Place the picture on the candle. Press the picture against the side of the candle at the position you want it. Usually, there will be enough static to help hold the tissue paper in place. If the picture does not stay still on its own, however, you can apply a very small dab of glue to the corners before pressing it onto the candle. The picture should be ink-side out when you place it on the candle.

Wrap wax paper around the candle. Wrap a sheet of wax paper around the candle. Keep it flush against the sides of the candle, and hold it in place from the back (the side opposite the picture). The wax paper makes it easier to maintain the shape of the candle. It also protects your hands from high, direct heat. Make sure that the waxed side of the wax paper faces toward the candle.

Heat the entire structure. Use a handheld embossing tool or heat gun to blow hot air onto the picture for several minutes. When the ink starts to show through the wax paper more clearly, turn off the heat. Keep the heat gun moving so that the entire image transfers onto the candle evenly. The wax on the wax paper should melt, sandwiching the image in between the wax of the candle and the melted wax of the wax paper. If you do not have a heat gun or embossing tool, use a strong hair dryer or carefully hold the picture-side of the candle over the hot eye of a stove.

Peel away the wax paper. Carefully peel away the wax paper from the candle. If done right, the image should remain on the candle. If there are any pieces of wax sticking up afterward, wait until they cool and lightly pat them down or wipe them away. This completes the project.

Method Two: Gluing and Waxing Pictures to Candles

Print the picture. Select the picture you want and print it out using a standard printer and standard printer paper. You could also use a picture from a magazine, piece of wrapping paper, or similar source. The material the paper is printed on should be no thicker than standard printer paper, however.

Trim the picture. Use scissors to cut around the picture, leaving as thin and narrow a border as possible.

Apply glue to the back of the picture. Place the picture face-down and use a glue stick to apply glue to the back. You could apply a thin bead of tacky glue or other craft glue, but make sure that the bead is thin enough to prevent it from wrinkling the paper or showing through from the front.

Press the picture onto the candle. Position the picture over the candle, then press the glue-covered side of the image onto the candle. Stick the center of the picture on first, then gradually rub out toward the edges with your fingers or cloth rag. Firmly rub out any air bubbles you see, as well.

Melt over-dipping wax. Melt enough clear or white candle wax in a double boiler to cover at least half the height of your current candle. Fill the bottom half of the double boiler with 2 inches (5 cm) of water and let it reach a boil over medium-high heat. Place the wax inside the top half of the double boiler. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the wax melt slowly. When ready, the over-dipping wax will reach a temperature of about 217 degrees Fahrenheit (103 degrees Celsius). This temperature may vary depending on the type of wax used, however.

Quickly dunk one side of the candle into the wax. Grab one end of the candle and quickly dip the other half in the melted wax. Work carefully. Use tongs or gloves to protect your hands from the hot wax. Only leave the candle in the wax for a few seconds. Wait one minute after dunking the first half before continuing further.

Dunk the other half. Once the first dipped half is cool enough to touch, lightly grab onto it. Quickly dunk the uncovered half of the candle in the hot, melted wax, as well. As before, you should protect your hands and only keep the candle submerged for a few seconds.

Let dry. Place the candle on a dry, cool surface and let the wax coating harden. Slice off any thick drips of wax with a craft knife once the candle has cooled. This step completes the process.

Method Three: Transferring Pictures to Candle Holders

Obtain the picture. You can print your picture by making a photocopy of an original photograph or by printing it out with a laser printer. Do not use an inkjet printer for this project. Black and white photos work best, but you could also experiment with any photograph that has a lot of contrast in color and shade. Consider adjusting the contrast of your photograph before printing or copying it. Make the contrast as high as possible without damaging the quality of the image.

Cut a piece of contact paper. Use scissors to cut out a piece of transparent contact paper that is just the right width and height to fit over your picture.

Peel off the backing. Remove the backing from the contact paper, revealing the adhesive side. Carefully place this adhesive side onto the image. Make sure that the inked side of the image faces the adhesive as you press the two pieces together. If there is excess contact adhesive, press it onto plain white paper. Doing so will make it easier to work with. Firmly rub the contact paper onto the image, making sure that all of the inked parts of the picture are firmly stuck to the contact paper. Work from the paper side instead of the plastic contact paper side for best results.

Trim everything down. Cut away any excess paper using a pair of scissors. For best results, make sure that there is enough contact paper to completely wrap around the outside of the candle holder.

Soak the picture in water. Fill a sink or plastic tub with warm water and submerge the picture in it. Let the picture soak for 7 minutes or more. The paper and contact paper will both appear very soggy when done.

Remove the paper. Take the picture out of the water and gently roll your thumb over the soggy paper side of the picture, peeling away the paper and leaving only inked plastic behind. Work under running water for best results. Note that some of the paper may fall off on its own due to the moisture. The image should have completely transferred itself onto the plastic portion of the contact paper. If you rub the image too forcefully, however, you could cause some of the ink to smear or wipe off.

Dry the strip. Place the plastic strip on a dry surface, like a table or counter, and let the entire thing air dry completely. The ink side should face up as the strip dries. Even though the ink will not seem sticky when the contact paper is wet, it will become sticky again once the contact paper dries. Note that you may also see a few dots of paper after the strip dries. If this happens, rub these bits of paper off under running water, then let the strip dry again.

Carefully adhere the picture to the glass. Place the contact paper strip around the outside of a clear glass candle votive, pressing it firmly into place. Keep the inked, sticky side of the contact paper toward the glass. This adhesive should be all you need to hold the strip in place. Use your thumb to smooth out any bubbles or creases. Keep the strip as straight and flat as possible as you adhere it to the glass.

Place a candle inside. Place a candle inside the decorated candle holder and light it. The picture on the outside of the glass should be beautifully illuminated. This step successfully completes the entire process.