Canning Jar Candles
by Rachel Paxton
Canning jar candles are very easy to make, make great gifts, and
are only limited by your imagination!
To start all you need are some narrow-mouth canning jars, wire
ribbon, potpourri, votive candles, small glass votive candle holders, and craft
glue or a hot glue gun.
If you don't have any old canning jars, you can find some very
inexpensively at thrift stores and yard sales. Wire ribbon can be a little
expensive. Look for it at yard sales and at craft store clearance sales. The
after-Christmas sales a great time to stock up. One roll of ribbon will make
several canning jar candles. Potpourri you can make yourself or buy on sale.
Votive candles are inexpensive at stores like Target or Walmart, and you can
also find glass votive candle holders very inexpensively at Walmart. You want
one that will set in the rim of the canning jar.
You can fill the canning jar with whatever you wish. Potpourri
is one of the easiest fillers. I bought a nice autumn-scented potpourri and
added some orange slices I'd dried in my food dehydrator. You can also add dried
cranberries, apple slices, or cinnamon sticks.
After you fill the jar, you set the candle holder inside the
mouth of the jar. The top of the candle holder should be even with the top of
the jar. You might have a little trial and error before you find just the right
candle holder. Place the candle in the holder and then use the ribbon to tie a
big bow around the neck of the jar. That's it! (You might want to use a little
craft glue or your glue gun to tack the ribbon in place).
You can glue some dried fruit, flowers, or other decorations on
the bow for a more decorative look. You can also put other things in the jar
besides potpourri. I've seen one half filled with white sugar with a short white
taper candle set down in the sugar. Very pretty! And that one doesn't require
the candle holder.
At Christmas you can purchase small ornaments and place them in
the jar instead of the potpourri. Any small figurine would do--in the spring you
could use little bunnies.
Maybe fill a jar with marbles or layers of colored sand. Even
pennies! Use your imagination. These candles make great gifts and are also fun
to make for yourself. If you get tired of one just empty it out and start again!
Originally published at
http://www.suite101.com. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer, mom, and owner
of several home and family web sites. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving
ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit
http://www.crafty-moms.com