This year I decided that I didn’t want the traditional four tapered candles in a candle holder for advent. Instead I got four tiny white votive holders which I customized with some etching cream.
First I stuck the numbers 1-4, one on each votive holder. These will be the templates for the numbers that will turn out clear after I’m done.
Then I used some contact paper to mask off the sides. This will give me clear numbers on frosted vertical stripes on my holders.
I used an etching cream called Etchall. I’ve had it for years and have been dying to find another project to use it on. What you do is cover the surface that you want frosted with the Etchall cream. You have to spread or dab it on, not use a brush. You leave your to be frosted item for 15 minutes and then rinse and peel off the stickers. You can actually save and reuse the cream by gently scraping it off before rinsing, but I opted to rinse straight away because I didn’t use a lot.
I love how they turned out. Not the traditional take on the advent candles but the function is still the same, light a candle every Sunday until Christmas.
Ps. We had our first snow late last night!
Beautiful.
Posted by: Hxx | November 28, 2011 at 05:09 AM
etched glass is so entrancing. i'd love to try it. funny, my mother is scandinavian, and we keep lots of traditions, but advent isn't one. it's very beautiful. x
Posted by: elisa | November 28, 2011 at 05:26 AM
Jag har testat Clas Ohlsons frostningsspray med lyckat resultat. Fast minusgrader är ju inte bra sprayarväder om man så säger...
Posted by: Fröken Fräken | November 28, 2011 at 05:30 AM
Vad bra! Jag testade nån sån spray för många år sen och det blev inte bra resultat. Ska spana in den nästa gång jag är på Claba!
Posted by: Carlos | November 28, 2011 at 05:36 AM
And my favourite part of it all is that you put them together on a nice white tray.
Posted by: Petra from NL | November 28, 2011 at 05:38 AM
Wow, so amazing beatiful! By the way I adore your pictures and writing! It´s such a great place for inspiration for me! Thanks you so much for sharing all your skills and projects!
Posted by: TinaRawatta | November 28, 2011 at 05:47 AM
Very nice - works really well!
I have decided to avoid the greenery this year for Advent, as it always seems to dry out... Since my interior isn't all white, I have used an arrangement of two different types of red candle and red and white pearl baubles and silver bells in thick Hergiswil glass (a bit like clear Boda glass!)... I'm pleased!! ;)
Posted by: MelD | November 28, 2011 at 05:52 AM
LOVE them! And yay for the snow :)
Posted by: Judith | November 28, 2011 at 06:02 AM
Really nice. It feels modern and simple.
Posted by: Maddelaine | November 28, 2011 at 06:02 AM
Lovely twist on the traditional Benita..
Do you expect the first candle to last the whole 4 weeks though ??
I confess I lit candles of a similar size for the table setting on the Christmas House Tour we were part of over the weekend and they barely lasted the 2 days ;o(
Jo xx
Posted by: Jo | November 28, 2011 at 06:32 AM
Only you would use pretty contact paper for a project like this ;)
Anyhow, like the result. Oh, and send some snow over, please! After two years of unusually heavy snowfall pre Christmas, it seems we have returned to the usual drab German winter. Oh well.
Posted by: hennymats | November 28, 2011 at 06:52 AM
We only light them at dinner time on Sundays so it'll probably last all season long.
Posted by: Carlos | November 28, 2011 at 06:54 AM
Love the simplicity. I also posted about advent candle holder today. I never made one before and this one was insomnia induced :-).
No snow in Warsaw so far. Actually we had very strong winds last night and it's +8 today.
Posted by: Zosia | November 28, 2011 at 07:39 AM
Snow? Har far apart do we live? Only rain in the city center...
Posted by: Anne | November 28, 2011 at 07:46 AM
Såg att du blev veckans bloggare hos Hus och hem, tjoho! Grattis!
Posted by: Sarah | November 28, 2011 at 08:43 AM
Tack och bock :)
Posted by: Carlos | November 28, 2011 at 09:07 AM
I know! Wille and I went out onto the balcony to make sure it was actually real snow. It was!
Posted by: Carlos | November 28, 2011 at 09:08 AM
Advent AND snow? Heaven.
Posted by: RebeccaNYC | November 28, 2011 at 09:22 AM
They look awesome! Think I will try that "paste" one day to do something, not sure what though :-)
Anette
Posted by: Anette | November 28, 2011 at 10:11 AM
Benita - what flowers do you force? Is that a hyacinth in the background? I have bulb shopping on my list today! Will get the paperwites of course even though they are stinky!
Love your advent candles!!
Posted by: Dana in Connecticut | November 28, 2011 at 10:15 AM
I get white hyacinths (preferably the ones that are almost scentless) and white amaryllises. This year I didn't get paper whites because last year they didn't turn out well, they just seemed to shrivel up. And like you I think they're pretty but so stinky!
Posted by: Carlos | November 28, 2011 at 10:21 AM
I love the juxtaposition of the flowers with the candles. The white is so calming, lovely and simple.
Posted by: Account Deleted | November 28, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Perfect.
Posted by: Lisa | November 28, 2011 at 10:53 AM
Åhå!! Tittade genast efter och såg till min malliga förtjusning att du där säger att du läser min blogg! Offentligt liksom! Gulliga du! Vet många som skulle tiga om den saken... ;)
Och jag som knappt skriver för tillfället. Äh, jag är lika uppblåst stolt för det!
Posted by: Anne | November 28, 2011 at 11:26 AM
Love those votives.
Benita, I thought of you and Wille yesterday when I was getting out the Christmas decorations. I have a bunch of old Advent calendars and I asked my 18 year old son if he wanted one for his room. He said, "I dunno," which I interpreted to mean that maybe he'd like to have one. So I put one in his room and will have to check to see if he opens up the little windows once December starts.
Posted by: Judy | November 28, 2011 at 12:06 PM
This is lovely! I opted out of the advent candles this year - we always forget to lite them. We never lit them while the kids were up as they only want to blow them out thinking it's the same as a birthday and by the time they are in bed we forget.I'll bookmark (pin) this idea for next year.
Posted by: Giulia | November 28, 2011 at 12:21 PM
That looks great. I tried a little etching project, but mine failed. I left it ofor quite a while, but you could barely see the difference.
Posted by: Beatrice | November 28, 2011 at 01:17 PM
Lovely! You really do think of everything!
Posted by: Lisa | November 28, 2011 at 01:58 PM
Super gorgeous!! Congrats! You allways do such lovely things!! Thanks for sharing!!
Posted by: Sofia | November 28, 2011 at 05:13 PM
I think this is a beautiful idea for an advent calendar! Love how it came out. your blog is so inspiring, makes me motivated to get organized!~
Posted by: heather | November 28, 2011 at 05:22 PM
Snyggt, snyggt, snyggt. Som vanligt!
Posted by: Anna | November 28, 2011 at 05:43 PM
Arh... that explains it ;o) xx
Posted by: Jo | November 28, 2011 at 07:09 PM
simple & love-ly! sigh! sigh! snow.... how enchanting & for the First Day of Advent.
Posted by: christine e-e | November 29, 2011 at 12:14 AM
Very nice
Posted by: Bobby | November 29, 2011 at 11:56 AM
These are lovely, so simple but make a great statement. GG
Posted by: Glamorous Glutton | November 29, 2011 at 12:01 PM
A lovely idea, that is much appreciated after wading through 8 other blogs' posts about shopping, buying, acquiring. Thank you for remembering--and helping us remember--the Advent.
Posted by: Jennifer Dodd | November 29, 2011 at 01:17 PM
Oh you got snow! Lucky you! I keep eyeballing the weather widget on my dashboard, but none forecast for us yet. I love your etching idea. I had no idea something like etching cream actually existed. I have all kinds of ideas for projects now!
Posted by: MacLeod House | December 01, 2011 at 09:34 AM
Simply gorgeous in all their simplicity.
Posted by: Annelivia.wordpress.com | December 07, 2011 at 08:30 AM