The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Photography by Becki Clark

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.

Buy this month's The Simple Things -buy, download or subscribe

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InMaking Tagsissue 162, candles, winter projects
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Featured
 JUNE ISSUE   Buy  ,   download  or  subscribe   Order a copy of:  Our new Homebird bookazine    Flourish Volume 4 , our wellbeing bookazine  A Year of Celebrations  – our latest  anthology  See the sample of our latest issue  here   Listen to  our p
February 27, 2026
February 27, 2026

JUNE ISSUE

Buy, download or subscribe

Order a copy of:
Our new Homebird bookazine

Flourish Volume 4, our wellbeing bookazine
A Year of Celebrations – our latest anthology

See the sample of our latest issue here

Listen to our podcast – Small Ways to Live Well

February 27, 2026
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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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