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.
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!
