KID'S CHRISTMAS CANDLE...

Someone I know still has the Christmas candle he made at our Primary school, way, way back in the 1960s.  At least, he did when he told me this around a quarter of a century ago.  You may be wondering whether his informing me of this fact is what inspired me to re-create my own candle, or it was seeing my 'replica edition' which prompted his revelation; or at least you would be if you had the same interest in trivial detail as myself.  (It was the latter, actually.)

I used a toilet roll tube as the basis for the candle, which I wrapped in red cellophane and then added a flame effect to the top.  Next, I smeared a polystyrene ceiling tile with POLYFILLA, sprinkled it with some glitter, and then fixed the candle and a quartet of fir cones (bought from WOOLWORTH'S, as they were bigger than ones I'd picked up from the street) in place until the Polyfilla dried.  I finished it off with some cake decorations, and later added laminated, colour laser copies of two Santas, taken from ones I acquired in my Primary school days.  (That's my best BLUE PETER audition attempt.)

Of course, it's far better quality than the one I made as a kid all those years ago, but it's constructed in exactly the same way, with one minor exception.  Namely, the flame effect, which, back then, would've been drawn with wax crayons, whereas I used inks, paints or marker pens on this occasion.  (Maybe even a combination of all three - can't quite remember now.)

Anyway, so proud of it am I that I thought I'd show it here.  I won't mind in the slightest should any of you be consumed with an overwhelming desire to tell me how creative, multi-talented or wonderful I am.  Go on - one little lie isn't going to kill you!

UPDATE: Aha!  I knew I had them somewhere.  Here's a couple of snaps I took not too long after I first made the candle, but before adding the Santas.  And yes, that's real snow it's sitting on - out in my back garden.  I reckon around 1988.