Life candles are a German birthday tradition. The candle burns down one notch every year until the child is 12. To make your own life candle, you need a 10-inch pillar candle, a permanent marker, a ruler, and decorations. Measure 3/4 inch from the bottom of the candle and write 12. Then measure and write numerals from 11 to 1 from bottom to top, with each numeral 3/4 inch apart. Finally, decorate your candle with stars, stickers, sequins, glitter, and colorful shapes.