DIY: Thanksgiving Candle Holder

 

On Saturday evening I was down to only one child (insert: gasp, clap hands, happy dance).   The "littlest me" was off on an sleepover adventure with her aunty and baby cousin and "pre-teen me" had a friend over.  Initially I thought H. and her friend would want to help me out but they had other plans, which was just as well.  How often does a mother of two get time just to do her own thing on a Saturday night???  NEVER! 

 

I decided to forge ahead with the project that I had seen on Pinterest.  I will be hosting 16 people for Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday evening and I want to do a couple of things to spruce up the space without breaking the bank.  These candle/vases were easy-peasy (kindergarten teacher talk)  to make.

 

Materials:

-mason jars (I bought a pack of three but also switched things up and used the ones I had)

-fake leaves

-glue (I used Tacky Glue)

-mod podge & brush

-twine

 

 

Procedure:

1.  Glue leaves onto the mason jar.  I overlapped mine, it looks better if you overlap quite a bit.  Initially it was tricky to get them to stick to the jar but  once I placed a layer of mod podge over top it was much better. 

2.  Right after you've glued the leaves down use mod podge to seal the leaves to the mason jar.  I found it easiest to turn the jar upside down, with my one hand inside of it, and then to apply the mod podge with a paintbrush.  I was generous with the mod podge and made sure I covered every bit of surface.  It will appear white, like white glue, but it will dry completely clear.  I also repeated this step once more the next day after it had a chance to dry. 

 

3.  Let the mod podge dry overnight.  I simply then used the twine and the Happy Thanksgiving tags I created to place around the rim of the jar. 

 

4.  I used small mirrors and the craft leaves to create a center piece for our dinner table.  The candle light, along with the fall shades  of the  leaves,  created a stunning reflection in the mirror.  My plan for Saturday evening is to have one long mirror with the mason jars serving as candle holders in the middle of our table and two decorated mason jars filled with fresh flowers.  I will update the photos once Saturday actually rolls around.  Until then I have used the jars to add some seasonal décor to our regular cabinet display. 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Canadian friends!