Quick, Easy and Chic Candle Centerpieces for Weddings

Crafty but clueless about making your own centerpieces for your wedding bash? Candles are a great way to create a romantic and inviting atmosphere, though many brides tend to shy away from using them because they feel impersonal, or the bride wants something to go with the theme of her wedding. Whether your wedding is beach-themed, fantasy-themed, or frog-themed, candles can be the perfect centerpiece for you. You've just got to know how to work with them.

What you'll need:

Differing heights and/or widths of pillar candles
Make sure you get good quality pillar candles. The cheaper candles burn more quickly and will ruin your centerpieces. It's usually best to buy a test candle and burn it for the length of time your reception will be held to make sure that the candle will stay upright. A good quality candle can be burned for a long time. Most craft stores like Michaels, Jo Ann's, A.C. Moore, and Hobby Lobby have a great selection of pillar candles in all shades of different colors. Check for coupons in your newspaper, or special sale days to help offset the price of the candles if you are on a right budget. Keep in mind scent, also. Make sure candle scents work together. For instance if you plan on using red and blue candles they may be scented cranberry and ocean breeze which aren't going to smell good together. Other fragrances work great together- such as vanilla and any fruit flavor. Unscented candles are available. You can have as many candles on the table as you wish, but try to work in odd numbers as it is a more flattering design.

Ribbon
The ribbon can also be found at any craft or sewing notion shop. Get coordinating ribbons of varying width, style, material, shape, pattern, or color. You can have as many or as few as you'd like. The only limit here is your imagination. Again, if you are on a budget, watch out for ribbon sales at the craft stores in your area. Plain colored ribbon often goes on sale 4/$1 and patterened ribbon 10/$10 at Michael's. Make sure you get enough ribbon to wrap around the circumference of your candles. If you're not sure if you have enough, use a measuring tape to measure around the candle. Add a little bit to account for overlap (this makes adhering the ribbon so much easier) usually 1/4 inch is sufficient. Then multiply that number by the amount of candles you have, and the number of ribbon stripes you are adhering to your candle to get the length of ribbon you'll need. Note that you don't have to use the same ribbon on each candle.

Straight Pins
Different types of pins can be purchased at any craft or sewing notion shop. As with the ribbon, you can get differing types of pins, or one kind. Think of what type of atmosphere you are trying to create. If it is elegant you might want to go with crystal or glass headed pins. If it's more classic, perhaps a plain gold or silver headed pin to coordinate with whatever metal tone you are using with your decor. For something fun and funky you can use pins with flower shapes, designs, etc. Look around at different stores as well as online shops. Online shops are going to have a wider selection of specialty pins. You'll need to figure out how many pins you need just as you did with the ribbon. Decide about how far apart they are going to be and then divide that number by the circumference to see how many pins you'll need per row. Then multiply that by the number of rows, and then the number of candles. The only thing to keep in mind with pins is that you'll want to make sure that the length of your pin is not longer than the diameter of your candle. Otherwise, the pin will poke through to the other side. Also, if you plan on decorating the top part of your candle, make sure you do the burn test to see how much of the candle will burn over a period of time. You'll either want to find a shorter pin for that area, or decorate down past the point where the candle burns so that you don't singe your pins. Trust me, that's not going to add a nice aroma to your centerpiece!

Quick dry tacky glue
You aren't going to need a lot of glue, but you might find that it's helpful to use a little bit to secure down stubborn pieces of ribbon edges. You might also find that you don't need to use any. It really depends on the type of ribbon and where it was cut from the barrel. It's a good, inexpensive thing to have around just in case you need it. Aleene's is a good brand to work with and can be found at most major craft stores and other discount stores like Wal-mart or Kmart.

Variations:
Use small beads on your pins. Just make sure that the opening of the bead isn't larger than the head of your pin or you're going to have a problem. Use them with or without ribbon, create a pattern all over your candle, or place them randomly. Thread the bead onto the tip of your pin and then push the pin into the candle. Easy, right? I think an all-white candle would like wonderfully elegant with clear glass beads and a small metallic pinhead.

Putting it all together:
Start by cutting some ribbon and placing it around different parts of the candle. Decide if you want all of the ribbon to be touching, if you want it spread out, overlapping, etc. Decide where you want to place the pins. Do you want to use them just in one area to adhere the ribbon to the candle? Or do you want to use them as a decorative accent. The best way to get started is to start with a practice candle (it could be the one you used for your burn test) and begin pinning the ribbon on. Decide what you like and what you don't like. Are all of your candles going to be exactly alike? All different? The possibilities are limitless. Really that's all there is to it! Whatever you choose to do, your centerpieces will be unique and are sure to delight your guests.