- 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
old wide mouth canning jars, wire ribbon, potpourri, votive candles,
small glass votive candle holders, and craft glue or a hot glue
gun.
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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. |
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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! |