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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. 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!
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