Tool Tuesday: Candle Lighter

I know what you are thinking. "Jamieson, that is NOT a crafting tool. That is a candle lighter." (A Bic Luminere Candle Lighter, to be exact.)

I'm going to have to disagree with you though. It is most certainly a craft tool, at least in my craft studio. I should begin by mentioning my extreme fear of matches. I can't light them. Never could. I've tried, both the book and box kind -- I am just no good at lighting matches. Which is probably because I think that you should never have a flame that close to your hand. I mean, seriously, who thought that a teeny tiny less-than-two-inch match was a good idea?

Which brings me to another fear. I am not really a fan of fire. I was a girl scout, for many years in fact. However, I never came to love the whole campfire thing. Just not my cup of tea.

That being said, this candle lighter is one of my favorite tools. Partly because it keeps the flame far, far away from my fingers.

But the main reason I love this candle lighter is because I looooooove ribbon. Its a mild obsession. Please see exhibits A, B, and C below for further proof.

Exhibit A: Ribbon organized on Ribbon Ring Tags. I found these nifty organizers after reading LollyChop's review on her blog. The ribbons are organized by color, of course. At the top you can also see my embroidery floss organized by color on rings.

Exhibit B: More ribbon on white plastic ribbon cards. All of my ribbon used to be on these cards... until I ran out of room and decided to use the ribbon ring tags. Now, I only store plain ribbon or ribbon that I have yards and yards of on these cards. They are organized by color in glass jars on a floating shelf. And clearly, I have a lot of buttons as well.

Exhibit C: The stash of unorganized ribbon in my closet in a box. This ribbon is just begging to be organized, which would be possible if I wasn't out of ribbon ring tags! Some of the plain stuff will going on the ribbon cards too.

So, there you have it. I clearly have a lot of ribbon. Polka dot, striped, gingham, grograin, floral, velvet, mmm... I love it all!!

The thing only thing I dislike about ribbon... is when the ends fray. *Cringe* It is horrible! You start out making this lovely 45 degree cut, or even a fancy V-cut in the end of a wider ribbon... and then the end starts to fray, ruining the whole thing. You can cut the end again, but inevitably it will start fraying again. *Sigh* What's a ribbon-obsessed crafter to do?!?!

This is where the candle lighter comes in. You can use the heat from the flame to seal/melt the end of the ribbon. Most of the ribbon I have works for this nifty trick. Ribbon that is all cotton or another natural material will not work (at least it doesn't work for me) -- so, most of my ribbon is synthetic stuff I guess!

Before we proceed... WARNING: Please read all warnings on the candle lighter you use before you try this nifty trick. Don't allow children to use the lighter and follow any other directions that come with your lighter. Thank you!!!

Hold your ribbon in one hand, with your fingers well away from the end (at least two to three inches. Light the lighter by pulling the trigger/button. Slowly bring the lighter closer to the end of the ribbon. I find that I have more control if I move the lighter, rather than the ribbon.

Bring the lighter near the end of the ribbon, but DO NOT touch the ribbon with the flame. We are trying to melt the end of the ribbon, not set the ribbon on fire!! It will only take a fraction of a second to melt the end of the ribbon, so please watch closely. Once you see it start to melt, move the flame away and release the trigger to turn off the flame. If you hold the flame near the ribbon end too long, it will singe/scorch and turn black. If you aren't happy with the results, cut off the melted end of the ribbon and try again.

Here is the sealed/melted end of the ribbon. Nifty, huh? And much better than messing around with that sticky ribbon sealer gluey-gooey stuff that you find a in a bottle, at least in my opinion. I've never had much luck with it. (By the way: The ducky pin snuck in the picture -- He was so proud of himself for holding the ribbon steady while I took the lighter photos! And, just for future reference, I do not recommend trying to photograph and use a lighter at the same time. Just not a good idea, folks.)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Remember, please be safe when trying this trick!