DIY Reusable Candle Sleeves

Do you have lots of space for storing home decor items?   If so, I envy you!  I am frequently balancing the desire to change out our holiday and seasonal decor, with the realization that I don't have tons of storage space.   

In our area of Texas, summer temps prevent us from utilizing typical attics for storage of items that can't withstand extreme heat, and there are no basements in the majority of homes.  This limits our storage options to the interior of our homes in most cases.  

I certainly won't avoid decorating due to storage concerns, but do try to search for dual purpose items or those that can be repurposed and reused.  

This led me to the wonderful discovery of candle covers or sleeves.  They're a great non-permanent option for changing out candle decor while reusing the same plain candles.  For purposes of this post, I'll refer to them as "sleeves."

To create a basic candle sleeve for any holiday or color theme, just wrap the candle (flameless or those with wicks) loosely with design paper, fabric, cardstock, or a material of your choice - this forms the removable sleeve.  

The sleeve can cover the entire candle, or be a narrow strip - your choice.  Use double-stick tape or carefully use low melt glue to secure the area where the two ends of the sleeve meet in the back of the candle (be extra careful not to apply any adhesive directly to the candle).  You now have a candle sleeve that fits loosely enough to slip on and off the candle.

The sleeve provides the basis for your decor - use low melt glue to adhere decorative items directly to the sleeve (not to the candle itself). 

To create the Fall candle with full sleeve above, I wrapped a flameless candle with birch bark textured wrapping paper found at TJ Maxx for $3 - a steal!  It is super heavyweight and amazingly textured - similar to wallpaper.   

After creating the sleeve, I wrapped it loosely with jute string.

Using low melt glue, I added a few additional natural elements - leaves, two small acorns and a mini pine cone. 

Am loving the warm Fall colors and the natural feel and texture of the birch bark paper. 

Below is an example of a narrow candle sleeve ready for Fall:

We'll enjoy the Fall candles and, as Halloween and Christmas approach, slip off the candle sleeves, save them for reuse, and give the same basic candles an entirely new look - no need for candle duplicates.  

Another variation was included in my Lantern Candleholder post where red striped jute upholstery webbing was used as a sleeve.  If you missed that post, please click HERE.   

Candle sleeves are lots of fun to create and provide a small step toward repurposing and eliminating the need to store duplicate items!   Have a great day and if you give these a try, I'd love to hear how they turned out for you!

Thank you to Imparting Grace for featuring this post!

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