Can you use resin to make candle holders or candle trays? The answer is complicated, but not “no.” One popular trend that we see in the resin crafting involves a simple but undoubtedly atmospheric decoration: the candle. Now, while we don’t advise making a candle from resin, we have seen a variety of inventive uses for resin in candle holders and candle tray decor.

Pepper your home with your favorite scented candles and, better yet, give them colorful distinctive “homes” of their own to rest in or on! From tea lights and incense to votives and pillar candles, you can use resin to build a holder of any kind and shape.

Before you look into making your own candle holder and candle trays, there are some things you should keep in mind about resin and high temperatures.

RESIN AND FLAME

Resin is affected by heat, even after being cured. The hottest part of a flame, specifically the blue area at the bottom, can burn at over 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to ensure minimal damage to your creation, you’ll want to avoid having flame, wax, or the metal that might contain a candle’s wax come into direct contact with the resin.

You don’t want the resin candle holder to encase the candle in any way. This is why flatter candle holders or candle trays are a safer alternative. As a flame burns down through a candle, you will also want to avoid a burning flame surrounded by resin on all sides. An ideal resin candle holder will involve minimal to no contact between the source of heat, the flame, and the resin component.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of how heat affects resin, let’s talk about how you can make your own candle holder.

MAKING RESIN CANDLE HOLDERS

A ProMarine Supplies customer and gifted DIYer by the name of Rebecca Dillon offers insight into the process of making her custom resin candle glass holders out of our Table Top Epoxy. In her post about the subject, Dillon arranges dried flowers, twigs, holly berries, and pinecones before adding layers of resin to complete her final product!

There are many safety factors to consider ahead of time before you create. As mentioned above, heat and flame can damage even cured resin. Dillon has her own methods of addressing any heat concerns:

"You don’t want resin to get too hot. Therefore, I used a glass insert inside the resin when making my homemade candles. This allowed me to create a decorative resin candle holder that enabled me to burn my candle safely for short periods of time without having to worry about fumes from the resin or the resin melting."

To take a look at her blog post, click the link provided here, and get started making your unique candle holder vision a reality!

Now, we’ll take you through our tutorial for creating your own candle holder with pre-purchased molds and dried flowers and greenery.

How to make a Resin Candle Holder

• ProMarine Supplies ProPour Epoxy Resin
• ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin
• Candle holder molds
• Dried flowers and greenery
• Mixing buckets/cups
• Stir sticks
• Popsicle sticks
• Heat gun
• Gloves
• Safety glasses

Prior to starting this project, you’ll want to make sure your flowers are dry. If you’re using organic flowers, there is a simple process for drying them to prepare for encapsulation.

Assemble all of your supplies in your workspace and review the instructions for using both ProMarine resins. We’re going to start with a small amount of Table Top epoxy to create a layer for the flowers to adhere to. Measure out one part of the resin (Side A) and the hardener (Side B) and mix to thoroughly combine.

Pour a thin layer into your molds and let it cure. You want it to start to cure for about half of its open/work time. Check on it frequently to monitor for the consistency you need. You want it to start curing, but still have enough give to hold the flowers and greenery you’re adding.

Arrange the flowers however you’d like. We’ve found that fake flowers seem to float less in the resin, which means you may not necessarily need the initial Table Top layer if you use them. For this tutorial, we used real flowers, so the Table Top will help ground them.

We’ll then move on to using ProPour.

One of many things to keep in mind is that ProPour is measured in a 2-to-1 by volume ratio, which means you need two parts of resin (Side A) to one part hardener (Side B).

Pour slowly to ensure you combine exact amounts and then it’s time to mix. Feel free to use a heat gun at any point to remove any resin bubbles.

Carefully pour your mixed ProPour into your molds to coat the flowers. Make sure to fill it to the very top.

You can use a popsicle stick to press down any flowers that poke up out of the resin. However, with that first layer of Table Top, they should stay in place.

Once you complete your pour, it’s all about waiting. Let it cure for the amount specified in the product’s instructions.

Once the resin has cured, you can demold your candle holder. Gently pull the silicone mold away from the cured resin.

And it’s finished! You can use this process to encapsulate any kinds of flowers, whether they have a special significance to you or you just like the way they look, to create these adorable resin candle holders.

Below is a picture of the final product!

DIY CANDLE HOLDER IDEAS

For starters, imagine that you’re shopping in your favorite home décor or furniture store and you see it—the candle tray holder of your dreams. You realize quickly, however, that this store or even the associated company does not sell this candle tray holder in a color that suits your aesthetic. Maybe your hope for this new piece of décor sinks, but we’re here to tell you that your quest doesn’t have to end there!

If you see a design you like, it's possible to replicate it by purchasing the object, and creating a mold with products such as the Amazing Mold Maker from our friends at Alumilite! Then, you can use that mold to cast a piece out of resin. You can also peruse and purchase numerous types of resin candle holder molds online.

Since you can encapsulate objects in resin or even tint its color, there are no limits to your creativity. You can even combine different mediums, such as wood, to make wooden candle trays with resin accents or make round candle trays out of concrete to break up the texture in a space.

Candle holder and candle tray ideas can be influenced by a number of things. Think abstract, eccentric, haunting, glamorous... check your vibe, and reflect that in your work! Many of our ProMarine Supplies customers have taken it upon themselves to design the candle holders that best represent their artistic style.

@foxflowart boasts unique shapes and cool ocean-influenced colors with their newest candle tray.

@theresining added eyeshadow tint to get this deep spooky purple for their spellbinding moon-shaped candle tray.

@the.quinessentials was inspired by summer days and warm temperatures when they made this colorful sunshine-y incense holder.

Continue to browse our Instagram for more ideas, candle holder-related or otherwise! If you have any questions, please reach out to us on our Contact Us page or read about other inquiries made in our FAQs section.

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