Romantic Heart-Shaped Floating Candles - DIY Valentine's Day Decor

A Romantic DIY: Heart-Shaped Floating Candles for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate love and romance. What better way to set the mood than with some beautiful floating candles? Heart-shaped floating candles make for a simple yet romantic DIY Valentine's Day decoration. The candles seem to magically float in water, creating a gorgeous ambiance. Making the floating candles is easy and fun. All you need are a few supplies from your local craft store, a little bit of time, and a lot of love!

Supplies Needed for Heart-Shaped Floating Candles

Making DIY floating candles requires just a few affordable supplies:

• Gel candles or wax candles
• Candle wicks
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Glass jars or vases
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)
• Heart-shaped candle molds

The gel candles, wicks, and molds can all be found at your local craft store. Make sure to get heart-shaped silicone molds so your finished candles are lovely hearts. Plain glass jars work well as vases to hold the floating candles.

How to Make Heart-Shaped Floating Candles

Making DIY floating candles is a fun craft project for Valentine's Day. Follow these simple steps:

1. Add a few drops of candle dye to the glass jars filled with water if desired. Red or pink creates a nice Valentine's Day color.
2. Melt plain gel wax or old candle wax in a double boiler. Do not overheat the wax.
3. Add wicks to the heart-shaped molds and seal the wick ends with tape.
4. Carefully pour the melted wax into the prepared molds.
5. Let the heart-shaped candles fully harden and cool in the molds before removing.
6. Once hardened, take the candles out of the molds.
7. Place the heart-shaped candles in the glass jars filled with tinted water.
8. Watch as the candles seem to magically float! Light the wicks to complete the romantic scene.

Tips for Making Perfect Floating Candles

Follow these tips and tricks for making flawless floating candles:

• Make sure to only melt the wax and not overheat it. Overheated wax will lose its opacity.
• Seal the wicks tightly with tape so the wax does not leak out.
• Let the candles cool completely before removing from molds to prevent cracking.
• Use isopropyl alcohol to help remove bubbles and cloudiness in the wax if needed.
• Add a drop or two of food coloring to the water to tint it instead of the wax which can become brittle when dyed.
• Consider adorning around the rims of the jars with silk flowers, lace, glitter, or other decor.

Making Heart Floating Candles Extra Romantic

To make your floating candles extra romantic for Valentine's Day, consider these ideas:

• Add rose petals to the water for a romantic touch.
• Use red or pink candles and water for a loving ambiance.
• Create different sized hearts for visual interest.
• Make floating candles in pillar shapes instead of round.
• Decorate the jars rims with lace, tulle, glitter, or decals.
• Display the candles on a bedroom nightstand or as a table centerpiece.
• Group different colors together like red, pink, and white.
• Scatter faux rose petals around the candles for romance.
• Add tiny floating faux rose buds to the jars.

Unique Floating Candle Design Ideas

Heart-shaped floating candles make a standard Valentine's Day DIY. But you can get creative with different floating candle designs as well. Here are some unique ideas to try:

Ombre Floating Candles

Ombre describes a gradient of color. Try making ombre floating candles by layering different colors of melted wax in the candle mold. Red to pink makes a lovely ombre candle.

Glitter Candles

Add sparkling flair by stirring glitter into the melted wax before pouring candles. Opt for fine glitter to make sure it disperses well. Red and pink glitter floating candles shine.

Flower Floating Candles

Instead of plain round or heart shapes, make your floating candles with flower silicone molds. Roses, daisies, tulips, and lilies make romantic options.

Custom Photo Candles

Some craft stores sell blank candle molds for customers to insert photos into. This allows you to customize floating candles with pictures of loved ones.

Hanging Floating Candles

Rather than floating in jars, you can hang floating candles for a dramatic effect. Simply pour wax into plastic bags sealed with wicks at the bottom. Tie fishing line around the wicks to hang the candles in midair once hardened.

Glowstick Floating Candles

For floating candles with a glow, place LED glowsticks or glow bracelets in the water instead of real candles. The glowing tubes appear to magically float for a safer option.

Safety Tips When Making DIY Floating Candles

While stunning, floating candles do involve handling hot wax. Follow these tips to stay safe when making DIY floating candles at home:

• Use extreme caution when melting wax to avoid burns.
• Pour wax carefully into molds without splashing or spilling.
• Make sure wicks are secure so wax does not leak out.
• Have children supervised closely when making floating candles.
• Let candles fully cool and harden before handling to prevent cracking or breaking.
• Never leave burning floating candles unattended due to potential fire risks.
• Consider using LED lights instead of real candles for safety.

FAQs About DIY Heart Floating Candles

What is the floating candle trick?

Floating candles seem to magically hover in water. But it is a simple science trick. The candles are made from wax dense enough to float on the water surface. The wick running through the candle wax keeps the flame burning above the water level.

How long do floating candles last?

With proper care, floating candles typically last 8-12 hours burning. Make sure to never leave burning floating candles unattended. Snuff out the flames if the wax starts getting low to prevent potential fires.

What wax works best for floating candles?

Gel wax and paraffin wax have the best density for floating candles. Soy wax and beeswax are too brittle. Stay away from scented or dyed candle wax as well which makes candles prone to cracking.

Why won't my floating candles float?

If your DIY floating candles won't float, the likely issue is that the wrong type of wax was used. Make sure to use dense gel wax or paraffin wax. Overheating the wax can also decrease its density. Let candles cool fully before placing them in water.

Can you use crayons to make floating candles?

Technically yes, you can melt down old crayons to make floating candles. However, crayon wax is not very sturdy and makes for dim candles. Stick to standard candle wax for the best DIY floating candles.

Set the Mood with Romantic Floating Candles

With just a few simple supplies and steps, you can easily create gorgeous floating candles at home. Heart-shaped floating candles make for an elegant Valentine's Day DIY project. But feel free to get creative with different colors, shapes, designs, and decorations. Place your DIY floating candles around the bedroom or dining table for a romantic glow. Just be sure to take proper safety precautions when handling melted wax. The floating candle ambiance will set the mood for a loving holiday!

FAQs

How do you keep floating candles from tipping over?

To prevent floating candles from tipping in the water, make sure to pour the wax carefully and evenly into the candle molds. Letting them cool completely before removing from molds also helps keep their shape intact. You can also place floating candles in jars weighted down with marbles or stones at the bottom to keep them upright.

What are some romantic scent ideas for floating candles?

Some romantic essential oils to scent your DIY floating candles are: vanilla, rose, jasmine, lavender, peach, strawberry, cinnamon, and ylang ylang. Only use a few drops of food-grade essential oils so the wax still floats properly.

Can LED lights be used instead of real candles in floating candles?

Yes, battery-operated LED tealight candles work beautifully in place of real wax candles for a safer, glowing floating candle effect. They realistically flicker for hours and can be reused over and over again.