Coming from a non-English speaking country, when I heard IGGPPC was hosting a Yule Ball, my only reference to one was in Harry Potter. So I wondered, what can symbolize the holidays and special occasions at Hogwarts ? My answer is Floating Candles ! Because most of Iggles have to act like muggles, here is a non-magical trick to create some!

Supplies 

  • Electric candles
  • Toilet paper rolls (as many as electric candles)
  • Hot glue
  • Stick glue
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Scissors
  • Acrylic white paint
  • Medium paint brush
  • Invisible thread
  • Sharp needle

Pro tip: First of all, you have to make sure your electric candles can fit in your toilet paper rolls. It would be a shame to do all the craft and realize you can’t complete it.

Prepare the candle base

With the hot glue, create small drops on one top of the toilet paper rolls, as if the candle is melting. It is easier to make pretty drops if you begin from down and drag the glue toward the top of the tube. For a more realistic creation, the drops shouldn’t be similar or regular.

While the hot glue dries, draw circles on the paper with the other ends of the toilet paper rolls as pattern.

Cut the circles with the scissors, but leave 2 fringes of paper on 2 sides of the circles. (See picture below for sample.)

Apply glue the fringes of each circle, then insert them into the bottom of the toilet paper rolls. It should look as if the toilet paper rolls are plain.

Time to paint

Paint the toilet paper rolls in white. I advise to do it in a vertical way so it doesn’t matter if in the end we still see the brush. According to the colour of your paper roll and your paint, you may need several layers.

NB : I choose acrylic paint because it is what sticks the best on hot glue, but you may use another white paint.

Cut as many pieces of thread as the number of candles you have. I chose to cut long threads of different lengths, and thread should at least be 20cm (~8 in) long.

Once the toiler paper rolls are dried, mark with a pen how tall the electric candle is on the roll on opposite sides. Be careful to make sure that on the opposite of the mark, on the toilet paper rolls, you don’t have a drop of hot glue. (You don’t want to have to poke a hole through your glue drops!)

Putting your floating candles together

With the sharp needle, perforate the toilet paper roll on the mark and on its opposite side, and make way for the invisible thread through it.

Light the electric candles and slip them in the toilet paper rolls. Your floating candles are ready !

Attach them wherever you want, I use a hanger for this because it is easier to place them where I want in my house, and it is as efficient as Alohomora.

Enjoy the IGGPPC Yule Ball with a magic atmosphere !