How to Make a Candle Votive With a Baby Food Jar & Tissue

Recycle an ordinary baby food jar into a useful candle votive.

If you have a baby or know somebody who does, you likely have access to lots of empty jars. Put old baby food jars to good use and transform them into candle votives. Stick with a single color of tissue paper or mix and match several in a colorful collage. Create a set to illuminate your own home or design votives appropriate for each holiday by matching the paper to the holiday and embellishing the jars.

Things You'll Need

• Tissue paper
• Paintbrush
• Decoupage medium
• Votive candle
• Accents like ribbon, small silk flowers or stickers

Instructions

1. Peel the label off an empty baby food jar and clean it out thoroughly, removing all food.

2. Tear tissue paper into 1-by-1-inch squares. You need a full sheet of tissue paper to cover each jar. The tissue paper can all be one color, two or a mixture of several colors and patterns.

3. Cover the outside of the baby food jar with decoupage medium with a paintbrush. Place tissue paper squares on it while the jar is still wet. Overlap the squares so you cover the entire jar except the rim and lid. If using multiple colors or patterns, alternate colors for each square applied so you end up with an even mixture.

4. Press down on the tissue paper firmly to ensure it is securely attached to the jar.

5. Turn the jar upside down so it sits on its rim. Allow the jar to dry for at least two hours.

6. Flip the jar over and place a votive candle inside.

7. For holiday and seasonal candle votives, decorate the jars by adding small silk flowers, ribbons or bows, stickers and cut-outs on top of the tissue paper. Glue these elements in place, holding them down for several seconds to ensure they will stick.