Can you spray paint candles? 

Painted candles as decorative items are an excellent choice to improve the look and feel of any room in your house. In fact, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty painting them is one simple thing you can do to enhance them even further. 

However, can you spray paint candles?

• The answer is yes! However, it depends on the type of paint you are using, the type of candle as well, and how you are painting them. The safest is to use water-based paints. Some blogs recommend acrylic, which is okay but you should know that acrylic paints can be based on not water but on solvents as well. However, if you choose latex paint, they are almost always water-based. When it comes to spray painting candles though, the best paint is milk paint. 

In this article, I will go over more in detail about whether can you spray paint various types of candles or not, and explain why and how each and every type. 

Let’s go.

Is it safe to spray paint candles?

The simplest answer is technical yes. You can safely spray paint candles. But that depends a lot on the type of paint, you’re using and surely the candles themselves. However, if you’re planning on using the industrial paint you got left over from your paint job. It’s not the wisest plan to use them on your candles. 

Many of the paints on the market today are made of various kinds of materials. Most of them are very flammable, not only that, but they also release a smell that you don’t want in your room. The smell can be very hazardous.

However, when it comes to using the type of paint: Go for water-based ones specifically made for art projects like acrylic paint and other water-based paints and milk paint. Yes, there is a paint called milk paint which is made of made out of calcium from milk.

If you’re going for acrylic paint, which is a very common choice. You need to be very careful as various types of this paint exist in the market today. If you’d like to have a safe experience make sure to go for a water-based one. 

But some of those industrial paints don’t really stick to the wax. In those situations, you’re going to want to consider using a candle painting medium. Now let’s talk about it and explain it to you more in detail. 

What is a spray painting medium? 

In simple words, it’s just like any other medium that helps your pain stick to the surface better.

Because by nature many paints do not adhere well to wax. Medium is what people use. 

In fact, in many situations, you don’t even have to use the paint itself. Because many of the mediums today come in different colors allowing you to achieve your desired look on candles without spray painting. 

Spray painting medium can also be used on various types of candles from your traditional tapers to jar candles to pillars even to containers and all other kinds. 

However, if you’re planning to use a decoupage or a Mod Podge. You will need to mix the medium into your paint. Since you’re going to be spray painting your candle through decoupage or perhaps the Mod Podge. The color needs to be already mixed and prepared. Of course inside the paint sprayer. 

In terms of mixing ratio, don’t be afraid to go 50/50 if necessary. Just make sure to be careful and not make the pain too thin. That’s why you need to keep adding little by little while paying attention to the consistency of the paint you’re getting.

Don’t be afraid if you got the paint too thick or too thin, you can always add more paint if it is too thin, and you can add more medium if it’s too thick.

How to spray paint candles 

If you’re thinking about spray painting your candle there are many ways to go about it. Of course, you could use a spray gun or ray paint canister. It is also possible to actually brush it and not use the spray paint.

But this is not an article on painting candles but on spray painting them. So, I’m going to explain how to spray paint candles so that not only will the paint stick but also remain there for as long as you keep your candle. 

Can you spray paint candles during winter? 

This might seem like not a popular question if you’ve never spray painted the winter. But it is actually one of the most commonly asked questions. Of course, the general question is whether they can spray paint during winter or not. But since we’re talking about spray painting candles. I decided perhaps to add this title to give extra clarity to the topic. 

Spray painting during winter indeed is difficult. Your paint inside the can gets congealed and thicker which makes it harder to come out. It won’t matter how many times you shake it or how hard you do it once the paint is congealed inside the can. You will need to warm it up to thin it again.

So the secret to spray painting during winter is actually to keep your spray paint can or the gun inside or at least inside for as long as possible. Most likely, your setup place is going to be outside. Yet, you should regularly bring it inside and keep it there every time you’re not spraying it.  The same goes for when spray-painting candles. 

You should also make sure to shake up the can really well before each usage. If you’ve been keeping the paint sprayer inside. This is not going to cause you any problems but shaking it often is going to let you know if the paint is getting thicker. 

Because if you shake the can, but the paint won’t come out. Iit means the painting side wasn’t thin enough and that it was getting thicker. This is your clue to warm it up a bit.

Now when it comes to answering how long you should keep inside and how long you can use it outside is a matter of temperature, humidity in other things something that I’m not knowledgeable about. 

So the idea is to use the paint sprayer outside only when you’re spray painting it and keep it inside when you’re doing all other kinds of things. And if all there is left to do is to spray paint then to take regular breaks so that your paint inside the can won’t have time to get congealed.

What kind of candles can you spray paint?

Earlier in this article, we answered the question of whether you can spray paint candles. Or not and the general consensus was that you actually can. 

What if you don’t have the normal spray paint or your candle is not made out of wax?

Perhaps you have birthday candles, Vaseline candles or LED candles, or any other type of candle. 

Can you still spray paint candles of different types and perhaps use the same type of paint for all their kind?

Now I’m going to go over the types of candles that you can spray paint and also list which paint is better to use for which type of candle. 

Wax candles? 

Vax candles are the most common and popular candles available today. They come in different shapes and different forms. Spray painting wax candles isn’t a difficult task. 

However, you need to prepare both your paint and a candle properly.

1. First, because your paint won’t easily stick to the back surface
2. Second, you need to make sure that the candle is ready to be spray painted. 

What I mean by having the candle ready is that you need to prepare an area. Perhaps lay down some tarp, and a table so that you can spray the can. Ideally, you would prepare a stool chair that you can spin around.

Then depending on the type of paint you’re using. You will need to identify whether you’re going to prime it or not. You don’t necessarily need to use a primer. But you need to use a spray painting medium. The medium will allow your paint to stick better. However, as I’ve mentioned you can also use all those spray paints that already include primer in them. 

Once you’ve done with preparing the place and the paint you can definitely spray paint your wax candle.

Flameless candles

Flameless candles are usually electronic candles that many people use to decorate their houses. They are also sometimes made of wax. But include led lights inside which in fact could last for hundreds of hours, unlike wax candles.

Spray painting these types of candles is an easy job. Because when they burn, they don’t really melt the wax or cause any mess, and your paint won’t burn along with it. 

Compared to other types of candles, flameless candles are ideal for spray painting. Because the material they’re made of won’t really burn, but light up using electricity. Your paint is going to stick to the candle for a long period. The candles themselves are also long serving to enable your design to remain as a decorative item in your house for as long as the candle functions.

Another good thing about spray painting flameless candles is that you could actually use any sort of paint you want. Of course, it’s advised to not use oil-based or solvent paints that omit harmful odor. But technically it would still be possible to use those because they are likely to stick to the plastic material. Some of the flameless candles are made of.

It’s still much safer to go for interior paints that don’t have harmful smells and I actually meant for interior painting. 

Taper candles

Taper candles are your usual long and thin wax or wick candles. They are the most popular and common types of candles available today. In fact, many people use them not just to light the room but also spray paint. Stencils are also very popular with this type of paint as well. 

If you’re thinking about spray painting your taper candles you definitely can. But like with the other candles, you can only use a few types of paint. The types of paint you can use are usually water-based such as acrylic latex or the most special my personal opinion is milk paint. 

However, if you decide to paint your taper candles, make sure to leave enough time for them to dry, and cure. Burn your candles only after you’re sure the paint is dry. It’s also advised to keep a candle holder of some sort, or perhaps to put some dish beneath it. 

Because taper candles happened to drip more often than some other types. Those drips could cause some damage to your furniture or the surface you leave them on.

Fake candles (LED Candles)

These are the same types of candles as flameless candles. The only difference sometimes could be that fake candles are also made of plastic. Pillars, the flameless candles could sometimes be made out of wick.

However, almost 100% of the time fake candles are the ones that are made of plastic and use electricity to light. They are also operated with a battery.

When it comes to spray painting these candles, it’s safe to assume that you can. Because the material used to construct them are plastic. The kind of material that paint sticks well to. It’s not only possible to spray paint them. But it’s also okay to do so.

If you’re thinking of spray painting your fake candles then consider buying plastic paint. Of course, you can again technically use all sorts of other paints since most are likely to stick to the plastic surface of fake candles. However,  the paint that is made especially for this plastic is going to stick better. 

Another thing you want to pay attention to is whether they’re exterior or interior paints. If you spray painting exterior paint into an interior decorative item that’s not a good idea. Because as I’ve mentioned already the exterior paints omit harmful odor and could cause health issues if you are to breathe in them for a long time. 

Of course, the amount you’re going to spray paint onto a few pieces of candles isn’t going to be enough to hurt you. but it’s always better to be on the safe side. 

So, yeah, you can paint fake candles, and like always make sure to use the right type of paint to do your job. My recommendations as always are water-based paints like latex or acrylic. 

Birthday candles 

Today most modern birthday candles are made of paraffin wax that’s actually safe when it drops into the frosting. Of course, there are a few variations of the wax. But if you’re going to buy the ones there are small taper candles. Then it’s likely going to be made of paraffin wax which is a non-toxic type. However, if you’re thinking about spray painting these to make it look better or include the number that you want to celebrate. It’s not going to be an easy task. 

Because they’re small and you’re likely to be holding a spray gun that’s 10 times its size. Spray painting on them is going to be really difficult, especially if you want to paint a certain look. The best thing to use is a stencil or so, some sort it to achieve the look that you want. 

However, if you are using other types of candles that are longer or perhaps even wider it may be possible to spray paint.  Perhaps, even to achieve a certain look. Including some sort of pictures there at least would also be more feasible compared to birthday candles.

But it’s not going to be easy with the kind of birthday candles that are available today and I wouldn’t personally recommend you spray paint them.  

It is possible to use a small pen brush that painting artists use and perhaps paint manually using some sort of acrylic paint. But it’s not something that we’re going to go into in this article. 

Vaseline candles 

Vaseline is a very popular material for making DIY candles. Many DIY lovers use Vaseline to make candles out of literally anything they have on hand. 

In fact, you could literally grab a match light it up stick it into a Vaseline and it’ll turn into a candle. Of course, you won’t be able to make it beautiful by spray painting it but a candle nonetheless. 

When it comes to spray painting vaseline candles, this is a difficult task. Because those aren’t really manufactured vaseline candles. the ones that people usually have are the ones they’ve made. Yet, no matter the kind, it is not recommended to spray paint vaseline candles. Because it’s not worth the try. 

So if you got some homemade DIY Vaseline candles and you’re thinking about spray painting them, my recommendation is don’t it’s not worth your time. 

Battery-operated candles? 

I won’t go deep into explaining whether you can spray paint battery-operated candles or not. Because fake candles are usually operated by battery and I already explained that.

So, if you entered a google search, “can you spray paint battery candles” and you ended up here you’re going to want to read the section about fake candles. 

However, if you don’t want to scroll up there, the simplest answer is you can because they’re usually made of plastic and these are actually the types of candles that are best for spray painting. 

Ceramic candles 

Spray-painting ceramic candles are different though. Because ceramic is a different material than plastic and candles that are made of ceramic is going to be made truly for decorative purposes only. Of course, they’re usually going to have LED lights inside as well. 

However, if you’re really into decorating your house with candles then you probably know there are certain candle holders, particularly some sorts made of ceramic meant to hold candles. 

Those cups or candle holders can in fact be spray painted. Because of the nature of the material they’re made of. It’s easy to spray paint on them or use any sort of paint. But make sure that you’re using interior paints namely acrylic or latex. 

Even though you’re probably not going to burn the whole area itself, interior paints are made for interior use. Because they don’t release harmful orders. 

Pillar candles 

Spray painting these types of candles isn’t really a good idea. Because pillar candles are your traditional common candles that you could encounter at any store. These are the tall, thin ones with the pointier top. and they’re usually made of wick or candle wax. 

Many now prefer painting their pillar candles for many occasions like holidays. Regardless of the type of event, If you want to spray paint them. Then you should strictly use only the kind of paint that not only doesn’t release harmful odors but is okay to burn along with the candle itself. 

That type of paint in my personal opinion is milk paint.

Can you spray paint brass candlesticks? 

The shortest answer is yes you can! brass candlesticks are obviously metal brass which is a material that pain sticks well too. but it’s important to prepare the surface before spray painting the candlesticks. new line

To prepare your brass candlesticks, you’re going to either want to sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper or rub a layer of primer. In fact, doing both is also recommended practice. 

You should also prepare an area to spray paint your brass candlesticks. Because of the possible overspray, it’s recommended to perhaps lay down a tarp on the floor or table where you’re going to be painting your brass sticks.

Usually, just one coat of paint is enough for these types of jobs. However, if you want your candle brass stick to look like new for years, you might want to prepare the brass Candlestick very well and spray at least two coats of paint. 

Obviously, you’re going to want to wait enough time for both to dry and cure and especially if you’re using primer. 

Spray painting brass candlesticks don’t have to be a difficult job or take a long time. This is really simple as long as you have the right tools and the right preparation. 

Can you spray paint candles jars?

Yes. You can spray paint candle jars. and just like spray painting brass candlesticks. You need to make sure to prepare the area and the jars themselves well. However, candle jars are usually made of glass. You don’t need to sand them which might be an obvious thing but still decided to warn you about it. 

What I’ve personally seen a lot of people do is use stencils or perhaps a certain level of pattern spray paint to achieve a certain look on the jars. But it’s also possible to straight-up paint the whole surface into one color. 

Another obvious thing that I decided to mention is that you don’t have to paint the inside of the jars. 😉

When it comes to choosing the right type of color, however, I don’t have much to say. Because it all depends on your taste and your room’s look. So, pick any color that you think would fit the room or room’s design and prepare a safe area for yourself and the jars and spray paint them well. 

Can you use mod podge on a candle?

Yes, you can. Mod Podging a candle is something that many people do for special occasions. 

Yet, again regardless of this special occasion, if you want to make your candle look better, perhaps stick a certain type of picture on it to celebrate or to remember. Mod Podge is a great way to do it.

However, when it comes to Mod Podging a candle, people usually don’t use spray paints or paint sprayers which must be obvious. So you’re going to need to use a brush. 

Just pick your favorite candle and try to make sure that it’s got solid and smooth sides. Mod Podges usually come in different finishes, from Flat to High Gloss finishes.  You can also choose to add some glitter to it but again that’s just a choice. 

So, once you’re done choosing the right Mod Podge finish, rub over the candle nicely and slowly. Insert your image or your paper. Wait for it to dry. It dries within 10 to 15 minutes sometimes, you can wait a little longer to make sure it’s fully dry. 

After that, if you want you can go over the paper one more time with a mod podge or even just leave it the way it is. 

Verdict

Spray painting candles is possible. Of course, it is possible to spray paint literally anything that is in this world. 

But you should compare it to other types of painting and think about which fits the job better. and in the case of candles, it’s not the best idea to spray paint them

Because candles are small and waxy things, you’re better off using a brush.  However, if you’re using a stencil then using a paint-spraying canister could make your job faster. 

So the verdict is that you will need to think logically about the type of painting that fits your material. And choose wisely which fits better. Spray painting usually is faster and easier which might be the appeal for many people. 

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