How to Make a Beautiful Candle Sand Centerpiece

Recently, I’ve been seeing gorgeous underwater floral arrangements in my Instagram feed. The submerged flowers are topped with a lighted layer of candle that covers the entire surface of the vase. The look, I learned, was done with candle sand, I couldn’t wait to make a candle sand centerpiece for Miss T’s upcoming birthday.

First, the Party Decorations

Miss T officially became a teenager on this birthday, so I wanted to make it special. A rose gold party decorating package ($11.99) had everything I needed: a happy birthday banner, a few mylar balloons, shimmering curtain backdrop, hanging swirls, and confetti-filled balloons.

But the star of the show was the fascinating candle sand.

What is Candle Sand?

Googling candle sand, I learned it’s a kind of granulated, non-toxic, plant wax that looks like fine sand. When poured over water, the granules float. Simply stick a wick into the candle sand to light it.

When you extinguish the light, the wax around the wick will have melted and hardened. You simply toss the wick and the small puddle of wax around it, then dry the remaining candle sand on parchment paper to use again.

I researched top candle sand brands and bought Foton ($34.99 for 18 ounces) because it was convenient. There are a lot of cheaper options but given it was my first effort, I wanted to ensure a good result. The package came with a generous number of wicks. Plus, the candle sand is reusable so I justified the expense.

How I Made my Candle Sand Centerpiece

I already had two matching tall vases, so that was a good start. I snipped white shrub roses from my garden for my arrangement. Next, I arranged the roses on the bottom of the vase and filled it with water. To my dismay, the roses floated to the top. How to keep the flowers weighted and submerged?

Referring to candle sand centerpiece posts, I found quite a few used clear glass beads to anchor the stems. Conveniently, I had some on hand, but when I tried to lodge the stems, the flowers floated to the top again.

Rummaging in my vase cabinet, I found two small pin frogs 7/8-inch in diameter. The frogs anchored the roses to the bottom of the vase. Then I surrounded each frog with glass beads. (You don’t need to buy mini pin frogs. I have other viable anchoring suggestions below.)

More birthday party ideas.

Finally, I filled the vase with water, leaving enough space to add a 1-inch layer of candle sand on top. I made the arrangement the day before the party to give myself enough time to practice. Concerned the sand might sink if left in the water too long, I didn’t add the sand until the next day. (I’ve learned since that candle sand will stay afloat for days or even weeks.)

I raked the top with a small. offset butter knife to even the sand layer. My candle sand instructions advised having at least 1inch of thickness and a clearance of 2 inches from the edge of the vase. I stuck a whole wick into the center of the candle sand, then snipped off the excess so I had just 1/2 inch of wick protruding, as specified.

Clean Up

Can you leave your candle sand centerpiece in place to enjoy for a few days afterwards? I dismantled my arrangement that evening, concerned that by sitting in water, the flowers might deteriorate, cloud the water, and discolor the precious candle sand. You–or I–will have to experiment to find out.

Other Choices; Other Ideas

So that was my first experiment making a candle sand centerpiece. Here are other ideas I gleaned from my research.

To anchor flowers to the bottom of the vase, one suggestion was to use crumpled plastic sheets. I took two clear plastic page protectors and cut off the margins. Then I crumpled the plastic sheets into the vase and arranged baby’s breath that I had on hand. Not bad.

Another way to anchor flowers is to use ones that have stems that are malleable, such as tulips or mini calla lilies. Gently coil the stems inside of the vase so they are secure.

Try using heavier flowers like peonies, dahlias, regular roses (not shrub roses), or orchids. That’s my next experiment!

My tips: use a chopstick to maneuver the flowers in place, spread open petals under water, or to arrange clear glass beads or stones.

If you spill candle sand while pouring into your vase–especially if your vase is already on a set table–use a small paint brush to brush away excess.

Here are more candle sand centerpiece ideas from my Pinterest board. Better illustrations can be found on Instagram under candle sand ideas.

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