BRIEF OVERVIEW:

  • 1) Create a design that represents the character of the congregation and incorporates the three traditional symbols. You might hold a congregational contest.
  • 2) Purchase a candle made of at least 51% beeswax. Cover it completely with vertical strips of masking tape and use carbon paper to transfer your design to the tape.
  • 3) Choose one color of the design at a time and carve only that section one-eighth inch deep.
  • 4) Melt spare wax and color it with bits of crayon. Then paint this wax into the carved-out space.
  • 5) When the colored wax is cool, scrape it with a knife until it's flush with the candle surface.
  • 6) Repeat steps 3-5 for each section of color in the design. Then carefully remove the masking tape.


DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

Because the instructions are detailed and contain numerous pictures, they are in the form of a 27-page PDF document.

To download "The Complete Guide to Paschal Candle Carving" click here.

The Candle Guide file is 2MB, so it may take a while to download using dial-up internet.


A PDF document viewer may be downloaded for free from here.


Does the process look too tedious for you?
+ See if any artists in your
congregation might be interested in trying . . .
+ Send an e-mail to candlecarver@gmail.com to inquire about the possibility of commissioning a candle by an experienced carver.
+ Or check out the wide variety of designs offered by the candle
manufacturers listed on our links page.