January 13, 2012 in diy craft projects, homemade
This is a simple idea I had that is easy to do and gave a result that I found pleasing – a candle made with common tea lights and a vintage tart tin.
On my monthly car boot sale trips I had been buying various old baking trays, pots and jars for use as props in my Sugar/Spice shoot with Uli Schade. After the shoot I left them out on display in my studio to see if they inspired any ideas for what to do with them, rather than hide them away in one of my cupboards.
I love the rich patina of the old, weathered cooking equipment and and the implied history this gives them. How old are they and how many times have they been used? Who were the cooks that used them? What did they bake and who was it for? These kind of questions always get my mind whirring imagining the answers to the life they had led.
As I was looking in one of my kitchen cupboards one day I saw a bag of Ikea tea light candles and that sparked the idea to turn these vintage tins into candles.
I took three of the Ikea tea lights and pushed the solid wax blocks out of their thin metal casings and then pulled out the wicks by their metal disks. I placed the wax cylinders next to each other in one of the vintage tart tins, then placed it on the smallest of my gas cooker rings and melted them on a very low heat. When they had fully melted I turned off the flame, placed the wicks with the metal discs at the bottom into the desired position, leaving equal space between them, and then left it to cool. The wax hardened and I was left with a new simple candle.
This idea could be extended to a whole tray of muffin tins with one melted tea light per compartment to make a great centrepiece to a table. The base may need felt, cork or wood under it to protect the surface it sits on and, as with all flames, never leave them unattended.
When the candles have been used up, the tin can be refilled in the same way to make another candle to enjoy.
Simple little lights to warm up these cool, dark winter evenings.
What a great idea! Especially the big centrepiece…lots of possibilities…thanks for the inspiration 🙂
It’s the most inspiring idea I’ve heard since the beginning of the year, though blogs are full to the brim with concepts for new decorating. I love yours the most of all, and I’m sure the old bakeware has something to do with it. Thank you for sharing, Sania!!!
This is just brilliant. I been thinking about doing something similar with some Maison jars but I think I like the tart tin even more! Have a lovely weekend. xx
That is just the most brilliant idea! Love it! x
So clever. Clearly leaving bits and bobs around your studio does inspire beautiful ideas!
Absolutely genius!!!!
Juste to say… brillant ideas and beautiful pictures!
Thanks for your blog, Sonia. I love it! 🙂
This is totally gorgeous Sania. Really brilliant idea and beautifully presented as always:)
those are such gorgeous objects! and a beautiful use for them. a good patina always seems to make my heart stop xx
I love these! So gorgeous! I’m definitely gonna make one,or two, or three… or…
Wow, what a wonderful idea, so sweet and rustic!
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Thank you! x
[…] Photo: Sania Pell At Home […]
[…] Finally, an unusual and pretty tealight made with old tart tins by Sania Pell – see her instructions here. […]
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[…] Vintage tart pan tealight: Blogger Sania Pell melted three tealights into a vintage tart pan to create a tart pan tealight. She pushed three tea lights out of their metal rings, and she placed them in a vintage tart pan. Over very low heat, she melted the tea lights in the tart pan a little bit, then pushed the wax flat into one soild candle. She then let the wax harden. It is a clever project that uses only things that she had in her pantry. […]
What a great idea! I found a bunch of these in the basement of my old home. I was wondering what to do with some of the larger ones the others are going to be put in Etsy I think. Thanks for the great idea!!
[…] stumbled across this DIY and it was too good not to share – here’s how you can transform your tart tins into a […]