Nature Luminary Candle Holders
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Average
Age: 8 and up
Average User Rating:
;)
These lovely votives add a soothing feel to any room. These make wonderful gifts, and when coupled with scented tea lights, add a fragrant bouquet to your house as well.
What you'll need:
- Leaves and foliage
- Glass votive holder or jar
- White tissue paper
- White craft glue
- Water
- Paintbrush
- Tea light candles
How to make it:
- Collect small leaves and other foliage from outside. Be sure there’s still some life in the leaves – they shouldn’t be too dry or crumbly. (Note: We found several of our leaves on bushes as their leaves are smaller.) Once selected, lay leaves in a single layer and place a large book on top to flatten them. Leave for an hour or two.
- Spread a layer of white craft glue on the outside of the votive holder. Stick the leaves to the glue and press into place. Let dry.
- Mix equal parts of water and white craft glue to create a decoupage paste.
- Tear tissue paper into squares about one to two inches in size.
- Use a paintbrush to glue the tissue paper over the leaves using the decoupage mixture. Overlap the tissue paper and make sure all of the glass is covered. Carry over the lip of the votive holder as well and be sure that the tissue paper is decoupaged against the inside of the glass.
- Allow the jars to dry overnight.
- Place a tea light candle inside each votive holder!
Notes:
- Tea lights are inexpensive and will burn themselves out when the wax is gone. They come most often unscented, but you can purchase scented tea lights for a little bit more!
- Votive jars are available in the craft aisle at discount department, dollar and craft stores. Any glass jar works great for this project and the more different sizes you have, the more visually pleasing!
- You can use a tan tissue paper as well to give your jars an antiqued look.
