Description:
The Holiday Candle project is based on
the traditional celebration of Christmas.
The white
candle is symbolic of the purity and light of
Christ. The evergreenwreath reminds
us that God's love is eternal. The red
berries on the wreath represent birth. And
the three gold
flowers are symbolic of the treasures that await
us in heaven.
I strongly recommend that you use the materials
described below. Yarn
is the best material for the wreath,
and regular Macrame cord (polypropylene) is
perfect for the candle. The flowers are made
with lace and nylon cord.
This holiday project is rated easy, but you should
practice tying Square
Knotsbefore you get
started. Creating the wreath
is time consuming, and will take several hours to
make.
This portion of the Holiday Candle is made with
Crown knots.
Below are the four steps.
Preparation:
Cut 4 cords of 6mm white
material, each72 inches
long.
Arrange the cords to form an X shape, securing
them at the center. Mentally label the four
segments A - D as shown in the images below.
The two cords in
each segment work together.
<<
Step 1: Fold segment A to
the right,
resting on top of the cords in
segment B. Leave
a space near the curved area.
Step 2:
Fold segment B so they are vertical,
resting on top of the cords in segment
C. >>
<<
Step 3: Fold the cords in
segment C to the left,
resting on top of segment D.
Step 4:
Fold segment D forward
to segment A. Pass through the
curved area, over
- under. >>
Step
5: Tighten the first knot
as much as you can, by pulling on each
end. Make sure the two cords remain
side-by-side in each segment.
Secure the knot to your board, placing the
pin on the outside
edge.
Step 6: Repeat steps 1 - 5
several times, until the Holiday Candle measures six inches.
The knots will stack
on top of each other as you progress.
You will need
to lay the candle on the surface
eventually.
When that time comes, just curve the end
upward slightly to position the new knots.
Important:
Apply glue to the last Crown knot, and then tie
another one, so it rests on the glue. Let it
dry before moving on.
Step
7: Go back to the top
of the Holiday Candle, where you tied the
first Crown knot.
Cut
two pieces of the gold
2mm material,
each 10 inches long.
Work them under the crossed area with your
tweezers or pliers. Match the ends
so they are centered.
<<
Tie a Half Hitch with the two ends on the
left,
around the two on the right.
Pass over
- under - over as shown.
Tie another Half Hitch, with the right
ends onto the left. >>
Separate the
fibers from each end, and brush
until the flame is soft and fluffy.
Trim the "flame" as needed.
Gold Flowers
The three gold flowers
for the Holiday Candle are optional,
if you prefer to use something else to decorate
the base.
Cut 6 pieces of 2mm goldmaterial,
each 12
inches long.
Cut 3 pieces ofgold
LACE , each 30
inches long.
Step
1: Arrange one CORD
vertically.
Place another CORD
and one piece of LACErestinghorizontally, on top of the
vertical cord.
Make sure center
of all three cords match up.
Step
2: Tie an Overhand knot with the
two ends of the vertical
CORD.
Make sure it's in the center,
and tighten firmly.
Step
3: Arrange the two ends of
the vertical
cord heading upward.
Positiontwo horizontal
cords downward
vertically, with the lace on either side.
The gold
CORDS will be the fillers
for the Square Knots below, which are tied
with the LACE.
Step 4: The
instructions below show you the four steps for
tying all the Square Knots in the entire Holiday
Candle design.
Use the Square Knot
page as a reference (click on the link), if these
instructions are not clear to you.
For the flowers, you are tying the knots with lace,
which is challenging. Don't worry about
keeping the lace flat, the end result is no
different.
<<
Move the left
half of the LACE
to the right, over
the fillers and under
the right half.
Move the right
half of the lace to the left, under
the fillers and over
the left half. >>
The two halves of the lace have switched
places, so the left half is now on the
right, and vice versa.
<<
Move the left
half over
the fillers and under
the right half, as you move it to the left.
Move the right
half under
the fillers and over
the left half, as you bring it to the right.
>>
Step 5: The
next set of instructions show you how to make the
petals of the flowers, which are picot
loops.
The evergreen
wreath for the Holiday Candle is made
with this technique as well.
<<
After you tie the first Square Knot, tie
the next one, after moving
down1.5
inches.
Push the second knot up to rest just below
the first. Two picot loops form on
each side. >>
Step
6: Tie a total of five
Square Knots (4 sets of picots), repeating
steps 4 - 5.
Apply glue to the last SK. When it's
dry, cut off the remaining LACE.
Do not cut off the CORDS.
Fold
the picot designs so the vertical
cords at the top are now below
the lace.
Position them under
the fillers and lace, horizontally.
Tie an
Overhand knot with the two ends, around
the fillers and lace.
This is the completed Flower. The
cords will be together below it.
Step
7: Repeat
steps 1 - 6 to create two more
gold flowers for your Holiday Candle (total of
three).
Step
8: Locate the two cords in one
segment of the Crown knot, just above
the bottom of the Holiday
candle.
Use your tweezers or pliers to pass the 4
gold cords from the flower under
them in opposite
directions.
So two go in from the left, and the other
two go right.
Tip the candle
so you are looking at the bottom
of the last Crown knot.
Pass two gold
cords around the ends of the white
cords closest to them.
Tie two tight
Overhand knots with the gold
cords. Repeat with the other two
gold cords.
Step 9: Repeat step 8
to attach the other two gold flowers to the
candle.
The Wreath
The evergreen wreath decorates the bottom of the
Holiday Candle. It's made with Square Knot
picots, similar to what you did with the lace for
the flowers.
Don't
cut the yarn ahead of time. It's
best to cut as you work with each cord, since the
number will depend on the thickness of the
material.
Step
1: Cut one piece of red yarn,
24 inches long. Fold the cord in
half and place it under
the ring.
Bring the ends over
the ring, and under
the folded area.
Tighten the Larks Head knot firmly.
<<
Use each
end to tie another Larks Head
knot next to the first.
Bring the end over
- under the ring, and over
the cord.
For the second half, bring the end under
- over the ring, and under
the cord. >>
Repeat this step, mounting more red
cords to the ring, until it is completely
covered.
You will probably need at least 15 to 20
cords.
Step
2: Cut one green
cord, 90
inches long.
Tie an Overhand knot in the center
of it, but don't tighten.
Slide two red
cords through the knot.
Push the knot close to the ring, and then
tighten it firmly.
Step
3: Leave a 1.5-inch to
2-inch space, and tie a Square knot with
the green
cords. (See tip
below)
Push the knot up towards the ring, so it
rests next to the Overhand knot. This will
form the picots.
Repeat this step until the ends of the green cord
are around 4
inches long.
Design
Tip: The picots for the wreath of
the Holiday Candle should not
be the same size.
The spacing between the SK should be
between 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
Step
4: Use the two red
filler cords together,
to tie an Overhand knot as shown.
This will form the red berry at the tips
of the wreath.
Tighten it completely, but be gentle, so
it's not too small.
Step
5: Tie the first
half of a Square Knot, so it
rests below
the Overhand knot.
Tighten it slightly and then pull on the
berry so it stands up. (see images below)
<<
Fold the red
cords to the back
of the picot design. The
half Square Knot you just tied should also
rest in the back.
This is how the berry should look when you
are done. >>
Step 6: To
finish off the green
cords, tie a tight
Overhand knot, so it rests on top of the half
SK. You can apply glue if you wish.
Cut off the excess material close to the knot
(both green and red cords).
Step 7: Repeat steps 2 - 6,
creating one picot design on each set of two
red cords.
Time
Consuming: Be prepared to spend
several hours completing the wreath for your
Holiday Candle.
Finishing Touches
Slide the
candle design through the ring from
the bottom up.
Make sure all the ends
remain under
the wreath, and the flowers
are above it.
Select two gold
cords close to each other.
Bring one around the ring.
Use the two cords to tie a tight Overhand
knot. Apply glue and tie a second
knot.
Repeat this step with the other sets of
gold cords.
You can stop here and cut off the excess
material, after applying glue to the last Crown
knot (no fringe).
To make a white
fringe for your Holiday Candle, separate the white fibers
and brush the cords one
at a time.
The best way
to unravel braided
material is to pull out individual
fibers.
Do this near
the ring, not at the tip of the
cord. Once three or more fibers are
free, the rest will unravel more easily.
Add
extra white cords by sliding them under
portions of the Crown knots, near the bottom of
the Holiday Candle. Separate the fibers and
brush.
Make sure you
hold the two ends while brushing.
Trim the fringe so it's neat, and arrange it in a
circle, around the evergreen wreath. (Look
at the image at the top of the page.)
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