DIY Image Transfer Candles

Make your own image transfer candles with any image or photo you like.  Use this super easy image transfer method to make your own custom photo candles.

Years ago, back when my blog photography skills were shameful, I saw these music pillar candles in Pottery Barn.  In typical fashion, I told myself, “I could totally make that.”  So I did.

This image transfer method is one of my absolute favorites.  Since my early days of blogging, I have used this technique to transfer more than just music notes onto candles.

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Tutorial: DIY Image Transfer Candles

Watch this quick video:

Step 1

Cut a piece of tissue paper to slightly smaller than the size of your printer paper.  Then tape the tissue paper to the computer paper, making sure that the tissue paper is as smooth as possible.

Note: I only used tape on two edges (the top and the bottom).  When I used tape on all four edges, the paper jammed in my printer.

Step 2

Print your image onto the tissue paper.  Then trim the tissue paper down to size: either cut out a single image, or trim the tissue paper to the dimensions of your candle.

Note: The music that I used just came from a Google image search for “sheet music.”

Step 3

Lay your tissue paper flat over the candle.

Step 4

Wrap tightly with parchment paper.

Step 5

Heat the candle with your blow dryer.  You just want to melt the surface layer of wax enough so that the tissue paper adheres to the candle.

Step 6

Remove the parchment paper.  Then you can rotate the candle and re-heat any sections that may not have fully adhered.

I also made an image transfer candle with a picture of the twins at the apple orchard this fall.  For that candle, I trimmed the tissue paper to the exact size of the photo.  If you’re doing this for the first time, I would probably recommend starting with a smaller picture or image, before trying to cover a whole candle in one go.