Loadshedding making you feel left in the dark? As South Africans, we’re used to making the best out of a bad situation, and with the rolling blackouts of the past few years, we’ve become pros at bringing light to a bad situation. We show you how to create your own trendy candle holders out of budget-friendly cement.

You will need

cardboard (3 mm thick) 1 x A3 sheet per shape

roll of self-adhesive contact plastic

sellotape / duct tape

skewer sticks

polystyrene cups

water

cement mix (sand and cement)

Tools

scissors

craft knife

stick of glue

ruler

measuring cup

bucket / container to mix cement

newspaper

Method

Download the shape template HERE. Print the A3 template and glue it onto the cardboard. Cut the shape out. Cut a sheet of contact adhesive that will cover the shape. Stick the contact adhesive onto the shape and trim off the excess. Turn the shape around and score the fold lines.

(What is scoring? Using a craft knife and a ruler, cut the fold line lightly so that the cardboard is cut halfway through. Be careful not to cut the side off completely. Scoring tears the paper particles to ensure a clean and neat fold.)

Fold up the sides so that the contact adhesive is on the inside and the scoring is on the outside. Stick the sides together with sellotape and ensure that all gaps are sealed.

Next, prepare the polystyrene cup (the resist) that will create the opening for the candle. Skewer the polystyrene cup widthways 2.5 cm from the bottom of the cup and push the skewer all the way through.

Pour 1 C (250 ml) cement and 2 C (500 ml) sand into a bucket. Add ½ C (125 ml) of water and mix. The consistency should be loose, but not runny. If the mixture is too runny, the cement and sand will separate.

Set sheets of newspaper out over a flat, waterproof surface. Working over the prepared surface, pour the cement into the containers. To level the cement, shake the container lightly. Once the container is filled to the correct level place the resist into the cement. Weigh the resist down by placing a small scoop of cement inside the cup and use sticky tape to secure. Leave to set for a day or until completely dry.

Once dry remove from the cardboard container, paint or decorate if prefered and then pop in a tea light candle and light up!