Winter Solstice Candles

The Longest Night or Winter Solstice has been a fascination of people for centuries. It is time to celebrate letting go of the old ways and making space for the new. It is a time when the days begin to grow longer, the light stretches and we begin anew. Celebrations of The Longest Night span the globe. Some of the festivities include mazes of candles, releasing candelabras into the air and reading poetry. (Read more about global Solstice traditions here.) Most Winter Solstice celebrations seem to include an element of light. We decided to create our own Winter Solstice Candles to celebrate the changing celestial patterns.

This is a fabulous activity for the kiddos and if I'm being honest, adults enjoy it too. It's very easy to assemble and requires pretty basic materials. True to our mission here at Brainy Beginnings, this craft is biodegradable. Once your Solstice party has ended, hang these beauts around the house. As the season moves on, toss the entire thing in the compost bin! (Keep the clothespin for more crafts :)

Let's get started!

Gather:

Cardboard

Pencil

Scissors

Twine

Wooden clothespin

Yellow acrylic paint

Nature bits

Create:

1. Use a round lid to create your template on cardboard. Trace around it with a pencil.

2. Use a smaller lid, like a vitamin lid to create the inner circle. Cut out the larger and smaller circles.

3. Use the vitamin lid to create another circle for the candle to sit in.

4. Cut a long slit in the lower portion of the large circle.

5. Wrap twine around the large circle (tie at one end to secure) and add nature bits.

To create the candle:

1. Either dip the tip of the clothespin in yellow paint or paint it with a brush.

2. Hang upside down to dry if you dipped the tip.

Once the candles have dried, punch a hole in the smaller circle and slide candle through. Now slide the smaller circle into the slit off the larger circle. Add hot glue for stability along the back if necessary.

And

VIOLA!