Hump Day Etsy Find: Twilight Spells Candles

These old teacups light up beautifully when illuminated from within by soy candle wax.  Etsy crafter TwilightSpells has come up with a truly ingenious way to repurpose old but still beautiful teacups into very usable candle holders.  The patterns on the cups look even more beautiful by candlelight.

She calls these creations Vintage Twist Tea Cup Candles and I think they’d be absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other time when you’re trying to “set the mood”.  This artisan put together a love of vintage tea cups together with a new found awareness of the benefits of soy candles over traditional wax candles which are made from a byproduct of crude oil.

She picks up the tea cups from a variety of places — second hand stores, charity shops and markets so all of these cups have been used.  She has many single tea cups for sale in her shop as well as some doubles so that you could have a matching set!

There is quite a range of patterns and they all look quite gorgeous lit up.  She has pictures of the cups both lit and not lit so that you can get a good feeling for what it will look like in a variety of situations — whether stored in your china cabinet or lit on the table.  There’s a huge range of styles as well from traditional portraits to floral tea cups to cups that are quite simple or modern.

The floral tea cup candles, in particular, would make a great gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day.  This would make a much more sustainable statement of love than that of fresh picked flowers which will soon wither and die.

I think that this is a fantastic idea for repurposing what you already have or what you find second hand and turning it into a natural and sustainable product that is very usable.  Definitely check out the range of candles that she has available.  Remember that supporting handmade items is a way to reduce consumption and waste!