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!
About the Author
Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance
writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving
ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com
