DIY Votive Candle Crafts

Just like the mason jar, the votive candle has long proven to be a DIY wedding classic. We love them for their unbeatable affordability—you can buy them in bulk for less than a buck each!—amazing versatility, and uncanny ability to create instant ambience.

Whether you choose to add a glass holder or go au naturel, here are some ways to make votives fit your party or wedding theme.

The intricate detailing in your favorite craft punch will really shine when it's wrapped around a humble glass votive holder. Gold paper may gleam, but plain brown kraft paper looks pretty, too.

Just a few supplies—vellum paper, scissors, and tape—give simple glass votive candleholders height and an instant wow-factor.

Create these sturdy candleholders from lace saturated with fabric stiffener. The key to giving them their shape? Wrap the lace around a mini inflated balloon, spray, air dry, then pop! Fitted with tea lights in glass containers, these luminarias can be positioned alone or in groups.

Your guests will love seeing their names in lights. These glowing place cards are votive holders wrapped in paper, inscribed on opposite sides. This way, others can read the names from across the table—helpful if people are meeting for the first time.

Flowers and candlelight are nothing new, but together they create tabletop decorations fit for a spring or summer wedding. Place votive candles in tall glass vessels, and attach a flower (dahlias are shown here) outside each, trimming the stem to fit and tying with raffia that matches the flower. Set each display in a saucer of water to keep the flowers fresh.

For an elegant spin on the straight and narrow, try these dimensional candle covers that complement a striped wedding theme.

These informal, inexpensive lanterns are ideal for a garden wedding, as the jars protect the flame from breezes. Wrap a piece of flexible greenery around the jar just below the lip, and twist a piece of floral wire around the ends to secure. The jars here are decorated with ivy, willow, and myrtle.

Lanterns made of vintage Mason jars in various heights and sizes and clad in gold-trimmed ribbons exude homespun charm.

Beware: Jars get very hot. To prevent sticking, fill vessels with 1/8 inch of water before setting votive candles inside.

Give your centerpiece a powerful punch with this simple striped addition: Use double-sided tape to attach streamers around glass holders.

The how-to for this centerpiece couldn't be easier—just layer pieces of punched vellum around glass votives. It works with both round and square containers, and the candles can be arranged on tables of all shapes. When lit, the punched areas filter light beautifully and add an aura of romance.

Punches used: Nos. 6, 14, by Martha Stewart Crafts; Effervescence Border Punch, Diamond Border Punch, by Fiskars, widgetsupply.com.

Light up faces with candid centerpiece candles. Use photo corners to secure snapshots to the outside of glass candleholders.

Evoke a winter wonderland with frosty glass pillars that encase warm, flickering candles. It's a project so simple, you can get it done on girls' night over a bottle of vino.

When printed on translucent vellum in soothing colors, lace appears even dreamier and more ethereal than it already is. To make square luminarias beautiful enough to be centerpieces, we simply magnified the lace pattern. Placed in a row, with no extra flourishes, the presentation positively glows with sophistication.

If you're planning a destination wedding, your DIY decor will be spending some time in a suitcase. These simple candle covers are ideal for packing: They're made with honeycomb rice-paper daisies that start out flat as pancakes and only take shape when you're ready to assemble.