The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Photography by Becki Clarke

Make | Hand-painted Taper Candles

Iona Bower November 27, 2025

A simple project to help light up your December table

You will need:

Taper candles (dark colours look most effective)

Metallic gold markers

Candle holders to hold them while they dry

To make:

Using a gold metallic marker, you can create decorative candles to complement your advent candle*, or use for other festive occasions. Stars in different sizes with dots work well, or you can try a foliage and berry motif along the length of the candle. It’s up to you.

Take care not to smudge the bits you’ve done as you go. Put them in candle holders so they can dry completely on all sides.

* See page 18 of our December issue for instructions on how to make the Advent candle, pictured above.

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InMaking Tagsissue 162, candles, winter projects
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  Buy,   download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Order  our new Celebrations Anthology   Order a copy of  Flourish 4 , our new wellbeing bookazine   Listen to  our podcast  – Small Ways to Live Well  Wear our  Slapda
Aug 29, 2025
Aug 29, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Order our new Celebrations Anthology

Order a copy of Flourish 4, our new wellbeing bookazine 

Listen to our podcast – Small Ways to Live Well

Wear our Slapdash Patches and show your support for ‘good enough’

Aug 29, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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