Claddagh Candle

Boyfriend is a big fan of St. Patrick’s day because his mom’s family is Irish.  I don’t mind it myself, although I never really remember taking much notice of it as a kid (other than wearing green to avoid getting pinched).  The last couple of years I’ve played hooky and spent the day at KC’s St. Patty’s Day parade and then in one of the local bar districts within walking distance from my apartment.  Plan’s for this year are still as of yet undecided, but I’ve been trying to decorate to get us in the mood.  Here’s one of my favorite projects so far:

It was pretty easy to make.  First I colored the jar using Moge Podge.  Have you ever done that?  All you do is mix some Mode Podge with a little water and food coloring and coat the inside of a jar.  Just swirl it around until the whole thing is covered.  Then turn it upside down over an empty cup and let the excess drip out.  Put it in the oven on the lowest heat setting and leave it there until it is dry.  The more food coloring you use, the brighter your colors will be (if you want it bright, I suggest using quite a bit).  Also don’t leave it in the oven too long. 

Then after I had my nice green jar, I cut the Claddagh symbol out of contact paper with my Circuit.  I use the Sure Cuts A Lot software and I love it.  I stuck my stencil onto the outside of my jar and etched it into the glass.  I dropped a candle in and it was done.  The great thing is that it doesn’t cost anything (I used a jar I already had) and you can customize it for any holiday or occasion.

I couldn’t get a good picture of it burning, but the candle really makes the etching stand out.