I love the look of a good and grungy primitive candle, but I don't necessarily like to have a real candle burning all the time. So when battery operated tealights and candles became all the rage, I created my Prim Flickers flameless candles to sell in my former online store. I made a few for myself, of course, because I just love the look of them. I've made some as gifts for people too and they are always a big hit.
Now these start out as absolutely real candles. I always use 6" white or cream colored candles to allow for the most light to glow through the grungy goodness on the outside. My husband uses a hole saw to drill out the center of the candle for me, and he drills out about 2" or so. I like my tealights to sit down inside the candle itself so it looks more real. After all, if there's a plastic flame poking out over the top of the candle, it's not exactly going to look real, and I want my Prim Flickers to look as real as possible.
After he drills out the center, I get my trusty Presto Pot and melt my wax and add Cinnamon Bun scented fragrance oil to it. That is my favorite scent, but you could use any scent you like. When the wax is melted, I carefully start dipping the candle into it a section at a time, then quickly dredging it in cinnamon and other ground spices (nutmeg and cloves are great too). I repeat this process until the entire outside of the candle is coated with as much cinnamon as possible. Then it's time to seal all the spices so they won't come off--and that's just a matter of dipping the candle in the melted wax again, a section at a time, until all sides are good and sealed.
Once the candle has been grungy'd to my liking, I take some homespun and tie it around the candle, about 1/3 of the way from the top. I add a rusty tin star for an accent...and sometimes I even wrap a stem of pip perries around the homespun for a different look. Then all that's left is to add the battery-operated tealight down inside the candle, and set it on a rusty tin candle pan. And there you have it: perfect primitive lighting for any table, counter, or shelf in your home!
