Votives cast a warm, intimate glow that's perfect for adding subtle ambience to a room or to an evening spent outdoors. With some inexpensive equipment from the hardware store, a piece of vellum, and a few simple steps, style editor Tom Tamborello shows how easy it is to create a hanging votive holder that will look beautiful suspended from a tree, gracing a veranda, or illuminating any outdoor space.

Tools and Materials
Heavy-duty mesh hardware cloth (1/4 inch)
Hanging mesh votive template
Gloves
Tin snips
Ruler
Pliers
24-gauge galvanized wire
14-gauge galvanized wire
Vellum paper
Double-sided tape

Mesh Votive Holders How-To
1. Print out the hanging mesh votive template, and use the tin snips to cut the hardware cloth to the template' dimensions. Using the ruler as an edge, fold the cloth along the seams and bend the four sides around the perimeter of the bottom to create a box; be sure to use your gloves when working with the sharp edges of the wire.

2. Whip stitch the box together by weaving the wire in and out of the squares at the seams.

3. To make a hanger, cut a piece of the 14-gauge wire to a length of 36 inches. Fold the wire in half with the pliers and tightly twist the first 4 inches of the fold. Slide the ends through the mesh on either side of the box, and then through the bottom. Use the pliers to bend the last inch upwards and pull the hanger back toward the holder, locking the hanger into place. Tighten the tips to secure.

4. Cut a piece of vellum that wraps all the way around the box and is flush with the top and bottom. Affix with double sided tape. Place a votive candle inside the box and hang in a place of your choice.