Pearl studded candles look and are expensive to buy but they really add a touch of elegance to any event. Fortunately, studded candles are very easy to make and require only a pair of good wire cutters and box a of boutonniere pins. I prefer the white pearl head pins but the pins are available in various colors and sizes and usually come 144 to a box.
You can create any pattern you like but if you’re not terribly artistic it’s probably best to stick with something simple. A diamond pattern for example is easy and has a very elegant look. For a unity candle using a pair of decorative edged scissors a photo of the pride and groom can be trimmed and placed on the candle using decorative pins or studs to frame and hold it in place.
The Diamond Pattern - Cut the pins ¼ inch to a ½ an inch long and you may even have to go shorter when cutting for a taper. Trying to insert a 2 inch pin into a candle is not easy and will usually result in a damaged candle and a bent pin.
Tapers can usually handle 4 pins in the 1st row and 3 in the second. A taper that is ¾ of an inch in diameter will measure 2 ¾ around. A standard 15 inch taper leaving 1 inch at the top and bottom will need 92 pins following the 4 - 3, inch between rows design.
The number of pins used is up to you but spacing too close in a taper (long skinny candles) can damage the integrity of the candle.
Pillar candles come in so many different sizes it’s hard to give an exact formula. I think the best way to determine the number of pins needed is to measure the distance (circumference) around the candle. On a pillar candle that is 3″ in diameter the distance around the candle is 10 ½ inches. Placing the pins ¾ of an inch apart, the first row will take 14 pins and to create a diamond the second row will take 13 pins. You will need approximately 122 pins to cover a candle 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide if you are leaving 1 inch between rows.
If you’re afraid your pins will be all over the place take a piece of tape and put a dot every ¾ inch and tape it just below where you want your 1st row to start and use it as a guide, do the same for the second row making sure the dots are between the pins in the first row.
Unity candles are expensive and quite frankly, after the wedding become dust catchers if left out and or they are tucked into a drawer never to be seen again.
Here are just a few ideas for a Unity Candle you can make for a fraction of the cost. All the designs were created in MS Word and printed using cling type of window decal sheet found at the computer store. The small circles used in the designs represent pearl head boutonniere pins.
