Candle Soot Technique

This technique looks complicated but is so easy! You don’t even need ink. The resulting look is beautiful and unusual. This technique has a huge “WOW factor!” You will love it! Here’s how to stamp with candle soot.

Supplies Needed:

Cardstock
Candle
Hairspray or Matte Sealer spray
Rubber stamp

Directions:

1. Light your candle. I like to use a big pillar candle or a taper candle firmly in a candlestick. Now, take a piece of cardstock and swipe it through the flame. Hold the cardstock parallel to the counter or table and swipe it through the flame, kind of near the top of the flame works best. Hold the cardstock lightly on the edges. Soot will accumulate on the bottom side of the cardstock. Continue to swipe as many times as need to cover the cardstock in soot. Start at one end and work towards the other end of the cardstock. If you swipe quickly the soot goes on lightly. When you go slowly the soot accumulates thicker. Play around see what speed works best and gives the best coverage. When you have finished coating the cardstock with soot, take an uninked stamp and stamp it on the cardstock. The stamp lifts off the soot. Clean your stamp. Handle the piece with care as the soot can rub off before it is sealed. Carefully spray the cardstock with hairspray or a matte finishing spray like for tole painting. This seals in the soot so that it will not rub off. When you seal it, the color will change from a brownish black to more of a gray. That is normal.Now, just mount and attach the stamped piece on your card, gift bag or project of any kind.