Safe, Simple Candle Holders
I love the flicker of candles throughout the house during the winter season, but I’m also aware of the safety factor that needs to be taken into account when burning wicked candles. You can find flameless candles that run on batteries and are made to flicker like a real candle in stores or online. Some of them even have timers you can set so they’ll turn on and off at set times.
Here are a couple of easy candleholders you can make, and ones in which you can burn real candles.
DIY Mercury Glass
Old mercury glass has an interesting look to it, and it seems to go especially well with holiday decorations. This is an easy way to achieve a similar look to old mercury glass.
In a well-ventilated area, take a clear glass hurricane and rinse it off, but don’t dry it. Set it on newspaper or a piece of cardboard. Keeping the glass pretty wet, lightly spray Krylon Looking Glass Mirror paint all the way around the outside of the globe. Don’t coat it heavily – a light coating is all you need. Leave it to dry for an hour or more.
The water running down the sides of the hurricane after rinsing it will leave subtle streaks in the paint that will give it that antique finish so it looks like mercury glass. When it’s dry, place your candle, flameless or wicked, inside the hurricane and watch it flicker behind the glass.
Floating Candle Holder
This project will not work with a battery-powered candle; it instead requires a wicked floating candle.
Rinse and dry a clear glass hurricane. Attach some holiday garland or ribbon of your choice around the base of the hurricane, and hot glue it in place.
Next, add some foliage. I used real cedar twigs, each about 2 inches long, with plenty of foliage left on them. Other species of tree branches would also look nice, or faux foliage from the craft store, along with a few fresh cranberries
bobbing in the water. Fill the hurricane halfway with the foliage.
Once your foliage has been added, carefully add water to the hurricane, filling it to just below the rim. Place your floating candle in the holder, and it will rest right on top of the floating foliage. Light the candle, and enjoy its beauty.
Want more rustic holiday decoration ideas? Read DIY Holiday Decorations With Rustic Charms to get more great holiday décor.
Kellsey Trimble is Web Editor/Assistant Editor for GRIT magazine. She spends most of her spare time reading, cycling with friends, or planning her next adventure.
