Everyone is gearing up for Fall, myself included but I thought of a fun project with sea shells!
These cute little sea shell tealight candles are giving me luxe summer/beachy vibes. Even in Fall, these tealight candles look great in bathrooms, on vanities, and also work wonders for a little R+R evening in the tub. You can style them unlit, or you can actually use them!
If you want to get really fancy, you can spray paint the shells gold, or paint a gold rim around the edges, to achieve and even more luxurious look.
Things You’ll Need:
-
- Seashells
- Wicks + Wick Tabs
- Soy Wax
- Candle Melting Pitcher
- or get a candle making kit with everything included
- Scissors
- Hot Glue & Glue Gun
- Optional: Kitchen Scale
Grab Your Shells
I have a vast seashell collection. I never go to the beach without coming home with at least a handful of shells. Even when I’m swimming in the ocean, I’m on the hunt for unique seashells. I force Pat to put them in his swim trunk pockets when I can’t hold them anymore lol. For this project, I grabbed my biggest and best ones to use for my shell tealight candles.
Prep the Wicks
I cut my wicks really short – roughly 1 inch in length. From there, I used hot glue to seal the tabs to the shells. It’s okay if a bit of the hot glue seeps out from under the tab. It’s better to use a bit more glue than less and have the wicks break off when the hot wax is poured in.
Take Measurements
I used almost 2 ounces of soy wax to make all of these shell tealight candles. The shells are pretty shallow so you don’t want to melt too much wax in the double boiler. Melt the wax as directed on your package, but I melt mine on medium high heat until fully dissolved.
Pour the Wax + Let Cool
Wait for the wax to somewhat cool before pouring it into the candles. As you pour, do so slowly to make sure you don’t spill too much. I didn’t realize one of my shells had a hole so as I poured a bunch came pouring out. The shells are also not very deep so start small and add more as needed. Now, all you have to do is let them fully cool for a couple of hours, trim the wicks, and you’re good-to-go!
Style
These look great styled in photos with jewelry but if you’re not a photographer, consider adorning your bathtub or vanity with these candles. Whether you choose to light them or not, they elevate your space and look super cute!
Do you think you’ll give this DIY a try?
