Fall Craft Ideas: Easy Decorative Autumn Candle Holders

Take an apple and carve a hole into the top of it large enough to accommodate a votive candle. Using a craft paint brush, brush a coating of petroleum jelly on the inside parts of the flesh that are exposed. This will prevent it from drying out and rotting very quickly. Place your votive candle in the hole and light it. These make for a beautiful decoration for your harvest table.

Alternately, you can use gourds or miniature pumpkins- just make sure they sit sturdily on the table. If they're too round, they'll roll away if the table is bumped or moved, creating a fire hazard. If the gourds are too small or shallow for votive candles, use tea candles.

Autumnal Pillar Candles:

Purchase a large pillar candle in a glass holder. Take some artificial fall leaves and a glue gun. Glue the leaves around the glass sporadically. Do not let the leaves go up over the edges of the glass holder, or when you light the candle inside it might set the leaves on fire.

Alternately, get a grapevine wreath. Glue the artificial leaves onto the wreath. If you like, you can include miniature craft decorations such as pumpkins or apples. You can also tie an autumn-colored ribbon around the wreath. Once the wreath is decorated, lay it on the table and set the pillar candle (in a glass holder) inside of it.

Art Deco Stained-Glass Candle Holders:

Take a clear glass votive or pillar candle holder, some clear-drying craft glue, and tissue paper in autumnal colors, such as yellow, brown, red and orange. Cut the tissue paper into small squares and rectangles. Mix the craft glue with a little bit of water to thin it out. Dip the tissue paper into the thinned glue and layer on the outside of the glass candle holder. Overlap them slightly, but don't overlap too many layers or they will lose their translucency. Do not allow tissue to go over the top rim of the glass. Allow it to dry, then place the candle inside and light it. The light will shine through the colors.

Log Taper Candle Centerpiece:

Find a nice log, or reserve one next time you're pruning your trees. Lay it on a table to find a position in which it is stable. On the top of the log, drill ½ inch holes, approximately an inch deep. Drill an uneven number, such as three, or five holes if your log allows, because uneven numbers are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Insert the bottom of your eight inch red, orange or gold tapers into the holes in the log. If the candles don't fit in, use a kitchen knife to scrape off the sides (only on the bottom inch) until they fit snugly. If they're too loose-fitting, drip some candle wax inside the hole, and, while it is still soft, push the candle into it and hold until it solidifies. For a nice centerpiece display, lay the log on a bed of autumn leaves on a platter. Be sure to watch the candles and extinguish them before the flame reaches the log.