Seasonal (Battery Operated) Candle Belly Bands

So what is a "Seasonal (Battery Operated) Candle Belly Band"?

Whew! Yes that is a very long name, but then, what else should I call it? I'm open to your suggestions so please feel free to leave a comment if you have any better ideas.

Basically, it's a decorative wrap for your battery operated candle. You can make one to fit any holiday, season, or decorating theme. I love to change my household decorations to fit the season or holiday. Many of the battery operated candles in the marketplace are plain white or ivory, which is great since they will blend in with any décor. However, if you're like me and would like to change it up by making them festive for holidays and such, then this post is for you.

I really like the idea of the battery operated candle. It's safer, there's no soot to dirty my walls or lungs, and I can place them anywhere in my home without the fear of fire. These candles can go where no candle has gone before!
However, they don't often come in a variety of colors and patterns like real candles do. The white and ivory varieties are beautiful in their simplicity, although they can be a little boring too.
I've tried using rub on stickers in the past to liven them up, but the stickers wanted to keep lifting off since the candles are coated in real wax.
Then I saw some posts on the internet that demonstrate how to decorate a candle by embossing on tissue paper and then heat setting the tissue paper so that it melts into the outer wax of the candle. Like many battery operated candles, mine have a real wax exterior. So I thought about trying the embossed tissue paper technique on my battery candles, but that would make the decoration permanent. If I emboss snowflake patterns on my candles, then I won't want them displayed in July. I don't want to buy additional candles for all my seasonal decorations, nor do I want to store all the off season candles.
So then what?...
The creation of the Seasonal Candle Belly Band (or whatever you want to call it)! A non-permanent way of decorating your battery candles. Totally reusable too! They don't require much storage space either. Just store away, flat, until next year.
I really love how they turned out and I can't wait to make more for all my seasonal decorating. Read on for a video tutorial, instructions, and additional pictures below!

Video Tutorial

Seasonal Candle Belly Bands (for Battery Operated Candles

Instructions

What you'll need:

• Battery Operated Candle(s)
• Seamstress tape measure
• Stampin' Up Window Sheets
• Stampin' Up Paper Trimmer
• Fabric softener dryer sheet
• VersaMark pad
• VersaMarker
• Stampin' Emboss Powder. I used Cherry Cobbler.
• Stampin' Up Heat Tool
• Hearts a Flutter stamp set (or other Stampin' Up stamp for your desired pattern).
• Small paint brush.
• Sticky Strip

1. Measure your candle with the tape measure to determine the desired size of your belly band. (Select an area of the candle where the diameter is consistent. The belly band won't lay flat if attempting to wrap it around an area of the candle that tapers or widens.)
2. Use Paper Trimmer to cut window sheet to size needed.
3. Remove static and oils from window sheet using a new, unused dryer sheet.
4. Stamp heart images onto the window sheet using VersaMark. (It will be difficult to see the clear VersaMark ink on the clear window sheet. See Tips below.)
5. Pour generous amount of Stampin' Emboss powder over the stamped images and shake off excess. Use paint brush to carefully dust off any emboss powder where you don't want it.
6. Heat images with heat tool set to high heat. Don't over heat window sheet. It will melt!
7. If you encounter any blank areas within your heart images, simply color in the blank areas using a VersaMarker. Then add more emboss powder and heat again.
8. After embossed images cool, wrap belly band around candle and adhere with sticky strip. (Don't apply sticky strip over embossed images, because it will pull embossing off when you remove the belly band.)
9. Enjoy! Then make more! (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall) (St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa!...)

Tips:

• Don't rub too hard with your dryer sheet or you might scratch the window sheet.
• Stamp and emboss one side of the window sheet at a time so you have a place to hold the sheet without burning your fingers during the heating process.
• Stamp straight down and straight up for best results. The window sheet can be slippery when stamping.
• When stamping images on the window sheet, get your head down and eyes at table level so you can see the VersaMark . That way you'll know where to continue stamping, and won't overlap your images.
• Try not to touch the window sheet where you are stamping. Your finger prints will attract emboss powder where you don't want it. You could use another tool, such as the bottom end of a pen, to hold the sheet down while lifting your stamp up.
• Leave one end of the sheet empty so that you can add your sticky strip without it touching any embossed images.
• Don't hold the heat tool to closely to the window sheet while heat embossing or the sheet will melt.
• When finished, check out the back side of the belly band. Which ever color Stampin' emboss powder you use, it will appear lighter or muted on the back side. Two looks in one! Choose which you like best to display on your candle.

Shopping List

Medium Window Sheets - 7 mil thick - 12x12 - 2 sheets

Stampin' Trimmer

Hearts a Flutter Stamp Set - Wood Mount

Hearts a Flutter Stamp Set - Clear Mount

VersaMark Stamp Pad

Stampin' Emboss Powder - Cherry Cobbler

Stampin' Up! Heat Tool

Sticky Strip adhesive