Tealight Candle Cake

I love birthdays! I love celebrating the day my friends and family members were born and I love giving handcrafted gifts to them. This little project may be one of my very favorite creations and it’s always received with great enthusiasm. It’s really easy to assemble and is very inexpensive while still packing that WOW! punch.

Supplies used:

• Danielle Engebretson’s Color Me Happy grab bag
• Kelleigh Ratzlaff’s Perfectly Square template set
• Epson Premium Matte Photo Paper
• tealight candle – purchased from Dollar Tree (they come two to a package)
• 2″ scalloped circle punch
• 1.5″ scalloped circle punch
• EK Success small flower thumb punches
• mini brads
• rhinestones
• Mini Glue Dots
• red line tape
• clear acetate (I used a transparency)
• scrap sheet of paper
• scissors
• craft knife

I decided to work with the 2″ box template instead of the 2.5″ box. Since tealights can vary in size by manufacturer, it’s a good idea to measure your tealight and determine which box size will work with your tealight.

I started off by using Photoshop and expanded the canvas size to be 8.5″ x 11″. I then clipped the papers from Dani’s kit to Kelleigh’s template and created some additional clipping masks from which I would punch the circles and flowers.

I printed the document and then cut out the box. I cut out the strip of paper (it was 6″ long and 2″ tall) and then wrapped it around the tealight candle to determine how tall and long it needed to be. I marked it with a pencil and made the necessary cuts so it would fit perfectly. Then I wrapped two pieces of red line tape around the candle.

Lining the top edge of the paper with the top of the candle, I added the strip of paper.

Next, I used my 1.75″ scalloped circle punch to cut the scalloped circles out of the pink dotted paper and the blue paper, as well as the scrap sheet of paper.

I folded the scrap sheet of paper in half and then in quarters to find the middle of the shape. I then used my scissors to make cuts in the center and fit the circle over the tealight wick to be sure it fit the way I wanted.

I placed the template onto the wrong side of the pink paper and marked the center.

Then I used my craft knife to make four cuts.

I placed the pink circle over the candle wick and then used my fingers to fold down the edges over the sides of the candle.

I marked the blue circle where the power switch was on the candle bottom and then used a small hole punch to create a hole so the switch is accessible.

I added glue dots to the three legs on the candle bottom and then adhered the blue circle to the bottom to create a little cake plate.

It looks pretty cute already if I say so myself! I could have stopped here, but I like to add extra touches, so I punched some flower shapes out of the extra paper pieces I had printed.

I pierced the center of the flowers with my piercing tool, and then added a mini brad to hold them together. I bent up the petals for added dimension and placed a small pink rhinestone on the brad for a little bling. Then I adhered three flowers to the top of the candle on one side.

Next, I moved on to creating the box with a peek-a-boo window. I used the 1.5″ scalloped circle punch to create a hole in the front square of the box while the box was still flat.

Now would be a good time to fold up your box and mark on the lid where you need to punch the scallop so that the box lid doesn’t show through the window. I failed to do this before adding the acetate and had to wing it. It worked out ok but it would have been easier to fold the box, make the mark, punch the flap, and then continue on.

I cut a 1.75″ square piece of acetate and adhered it to the inside of the box over the hole using red line tape.

Once the window and flap were complete, I assembled the box using red line tape on the side flap and folded the box bottom up per the instructions on the template. I placed the candle cake inside and closed the lid.

Isn’t this adorable?! Who wouldn’t love to receive one on her birthday?

Kelleigh’s Mini Bloom Box or her Clover Box templates would also make excellent boxes to contain this adorable little tealight candle cake.