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Friends wearing Christmas jumpers and painting a Christmas candle with a snowflake design.


Looking for a unique activity to enjoy over the holidays? We’ve got the perfect art project for you with our super simple guide to Christmas candle painting. This time of year is ideal for slowing down and getting creative, whether you’re taking a moment to yourself or getting friends and family involved in the festive fun.

Add a distinctive touch to your Christmas décor with this easy DIY art activity, ideal for artists of all skill levels. Let your imagination run wild and create a beautiful candle decoration with your very own design, or use the free template provided for inspiration.

These hand-painted Christmas candles will add a touch of festive flair on the dinner table, in windows, or by the fireplace and are completely safe to burn for a soft and cozy glow.

Let’s get started!


The art supplies needed for Christmas candle painting, laid out ready for use.


To create your Christmas candle, you’ll need:

  • A candle (we're using a pillar candle)
  • A sheet of paper to act as a template for your pattern (this must wrap around your chosen candle)
  • A hard lead pencil (e.g. 5H)
  • A fineliner
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Acrylic paints for decorating


Step 1

Two pillar candles, one stood up and the other lying on its side to demonstrate diameter and height.


The template for your pattern should be as high as the candle (H) and as wide as the circumference of the candle. Work out the circumference of the candle by wrapping the sheet of paper around it and marking where it joins.


Step 2

A hand-drawn template of snowflakes, ready to be imprinted on to a candle.


Draw a rectangle to this height and width and use scissors to cut it out. Then begin drawing your Christmas pattern template using a pen or marker. If you’d prefer, you can use the template provided at the end.


Step 3

An artist tracing a template design on to a candle using a pencil.


Wrap the paper around the candle and secure with tape as shown above. Pressing firmly, carefully trace your decorative pattern onto the candle with a hard lead pencil, leaving an indentation in the candle wax.


Step 4

An artist painting over the pencil indentations on a Christmas candle with acrylic paint.


Remove the paper and paint over the indentations using Castle Arts acrylic paint. In this instance, we are using 153 Silver.


Step 5

An artist adding gold acrylic paint to their Christmas candle.


Add an alternative colour for other areas of your decorative pattern. In the example above, we are using Castle Arts 154 Gold acrylic paint. We’ve kept our design simple with two festive colors, but you can get as creative as you’d like.


Sample Template

Printable snowflake template for Christmas candle painting.

A sample template for a candle with a height (H) of 156mm and a diameter (d) of 61mm.


And just like that, your DIY Christmas candle is complete and ready to brighten up any corner of your home. These easy-to-make candles also make heartfelt personalized gifts and are sure to put a smile on your loved ones’ faces.


We’re excited to see your festive creations, so don’t forget to share them with us on Instagram. Tag @castleartsofficial and use #castlearts to showcase your work.

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