How I Started Hand-Painting Baptism Candles at Home
Hi, Friends!
I don’t have a reflection to share today, but did want you all to be the first to know that I just added something a bit different to my website.
A little over a year ago, I saw a video of a Catholic artist who painted paschal candles. They were seriously the most beautiful paschal candles I had ever seen: Gilded with gold paint, and featuring artwork of saints and religious symbols across the entire length of the candle. And while I was mesmerized by her process of creating these candles, I had ZERO desire to paint any myself.
And then, through an unfortunate misunderstanding, I found myself with a blank baptism candle for our youngest child on her baptism day. I was pretty bummed that her candle was void of any artwork (not that baptism candles typically have aesthetically pleasing art on them…most look like they were created in clipart from the 90s…).
I couldn’t stop imagining our little girl one day standing in a beautiful gown and veil for her First Communion with that blank candle from her baptism day.
And then I remembered the paschal candle lady I had come across online, and thought, why not paint my daughter’s?
I was amazed by how relaxing the whole process was, and then one of my best friends had a baby…why not paint hers as well?
Before I knew it, I was buying an entire box of blank 51% beeswax candles from a Catholic supply company and painting them at the kitchen table while my kiddos did homeschool.
Finding creative time within my days as a homeschool mom has been pretty difficult in this season of life, but for some reason painting baptism candles fit rather seamlessly into our homeschool routine. I could grab one paint color and focus on just that one color per paint session instead of getting ALL the supplies out.
The more I painted and researched, the more I realized that our Church actually has a rich history of using hand painted candles within the liturgy.
And while I still don’t intend to primarily paint candles, I am grateful to dabble here and there to help work that creative muscle of my brain among the daily cooking, cleaning, and endless math facts.
Looking for a keepsake baptism gift that can be displayed as a symbolic work of art?
These original baptism candles feature NO clipart and NO stickers that yellow and peel over time;
They are all hand painted with acrylic paint, and intended to be displayed as a work of art and continual reminder of a child’s (and parents’) baptismal calls.
I have only 5 available right now, but if interest is shown, I will paint more. (The homeschooling never seems to end, so neither will the candle painting, I’m sure!)
Grab your candle here…
Peace to you and yours!
Haley Dessauer
Artist, This Little Fiat
