Birdcage Candleholders

I am glad that spring is here for many reasons, one of which is getting to have dinner on the back porch again. I was having girlfriends over the other night and wanted to add a couple of fun new things to the porch to welcome my guests. I was at T J Maxx, and about to buy a large lantern for a candle, when Zac talked me into buying a large birdcage-esque container. Considering its size, I was surprised it was only $24.

I already had this uber cool moss ribbon that I purchased in Fairhope, and have just been waiting for a reason to use it.

I threaded it around the bottom of the cage.


I placed a pillar candle into a glass cylinder and then sat in on a wrought iron stand. It fit inside perfectly.

I covered the table with one of my favorite old tablecloths.


It made for a nice cozy welcome.

Oh, and I liked the black one so much that I bought this pretty white one, too. This one came from Garden Ridge. It was only $14.

These birdcages are a beautiful, yet inexpensive way to add a lovely bit of candlelight to any part of your home. Thanks, Zac.

Uncommon Dollar Tree Candles

I think that battery candles are amazing. You can place them in areas where actual candles with a burning flame can't be used, such as a closed in shelf.

I found these really cool pillar candles at the Dollar Tree. They require batteries, which I also bought at the Dollar Tree. These candles have a soft light that actually flickers like a real flame.

I used this fiber-filled tissue paper that resembles handmade paper. It is available in a virtual myriad of colors at World Market.

I cut the paper to size and poured a generous portion of glue onto some parchment.

I brushed the glue onto the candle.

Then I adhered the paper to the candle, smoothing it out gently to remove any bubbles or wrinkles.



Here they are on my mantel. They add a very cozy glow without the hazards that a flame can produce.

I am going to make a dozen of these in some happy colors and line my screened-in back porch with them this spring.

Have fun with this quick, easy, and super cheapo craft!

Glass Etching 101

"Would you like to see my etchings?"

A guy actually asked me that on a first date back in my college days. Turns out he was an artist and really did have a portfolio of etchings. I'm fairly sure he used that line a lot, though. Lame.

I have wanted to try glass etching for quite some time now, and it turned out to be really easy. I did learn some of it by trial and error, however, and I hope this post will prove to be helpful to those of you who want to try it.

The supplies you will need are:
Etching Cream
Glass stencils
Rubber gloves
Small stencil brushes
Lots of paper toweling
Something glass to etch onto (Dollar Tree has lots of options)

I found the etching cream and stencils at Michaels. Hobby Lobby has them as well.

Place the stencils on clean, grease-free glass, and make sure it adheres well.

Dab a generous amount of the cream onto the stencils. Be VERY careful not to go outside the stencil. You might want to block it off with tape. I had a mishap or two because I didn't use tape and some of the cream etched where it wasn't supposed to.

Leave it on for about 15 minutes.

Rinse it off in the sink. I know I don't have gloves on, but you are supposed to wear them.


We found these "Decorative Accents" at the Dollar Tree. They are some sort of polymer that absorbs water. We had to have them. Plus they were only a dollar.

They are marble-sized, and are very squishy and slippery.

The label says to keep them away from pets.


I sat a candle holder inside the glass I etched, and sprinkled some Decorative Accents in between. The extra designs you can see in this picture are what I did around the top on the other side.

It's really pretty when the candle is lit.

My friend Meagan came over the other night to do crafts with me. She etched a design onto a square candle holder.

Zac and Meagan's boyfriend, Dustin worked on candle holders as well.


This is Meagan's. I love her polka dot design. Such a creative idea.

Dustin actually poured candle wax into the container and made his own candle. The initials he etched didn't show up well, so he went over them with a red Sharpie. Very cool.

Zac poured his candle also, but first he colored some Decorative Accents with food coloring and poured them into the bottom. Then he poured in the wax. It turned out to be very interesting and volcano-esque. He outlined his letters with red Sharpie as well.

Oh, and thanks to Zac and Dustin, we know that Decorative Accents are not flammable.

Happy Etching!

Creative Autumnal Incandescence

Autumn is such a cozy time of year. I love to decorate with pumpkins and warm colors. I like to place pumpkins in various rooms around my house. Our mantel is very prominent, so I give it the most attention. I also wanted little touches of warm light around the pumpkins, so I crafted some candle holders covered in tissue paper. I loved the result! The best part is how easy they were to make.

Supplies Needed:

tissue paper in various colors
white glue
small paint brush
wax paper
small glass candle holders
votive candles


The tissue paper I used has fiber running through it, which gave it a handmade look. I found it at World Market.

Lay the wax paper on your work surface and tear the tissue paper into small pieces:

I used these small candle holders that look like flower pots. Walmart has them for 50¢.
Dilute the glue slightly with water and paint onto glass:

Add tissue paper, one piece at a time. Paint over the piece with the glue until it lays flat. I used the straight edge of the paper around the top of the container. I didn't try to do that around the bottom because it really doesn't show.

Work your way around the entire container:

Repeat the process with the other colors:

The rough, fibrous texture of the tissue paper created more of a leaf-like appearance:

A tip I learned a long time ago is to add a little water to the candle holder right before you insert the candle and light it. This will help keep the wax from sticking to the inside so you can reuse it later.

They turned out beautifully.

Just a hint of a cozy glow that doesn't take away from the look of the pumpkins.