How to Make Lighted Fireplace Vases

If you live in a warm climate or have allergies that prevent you from enjoying indoor fires, then you may have been forced to abandon your mantle and fireplace. Get the pleasant glow of a fire without the heat or the smoke with this innovative vase lighting scheme that highlights your hearth without irritating your eyes, nose or throat. Even better, you will never need to have the chimney cleaned as long as these pleasant lights reside in your fireplace.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3 to 5 large glass vases
• Mini light strings (one for each vase)
• Power strip
• Iridescent glass marbles

1. Place 2 inches of marbles in the bottom of each vase. This will keep them steady and prevent rocking, tipping and breaking. Layer in the marbles carefully by placing handfuls in the bottom of the vase. Do not just pour them in, or you risk cracking the vase.

2. Fill each vase with a string of lights. If your vases are more than 2 feet tall, you may need two strings of lights to fill them. Do not pack the lights in, but rather allow them to coil and pile on top of each other. The part of the light string that does not have any lights should hang over the back of the vase.

3. Arrange the vases in the fireplace. You can line them up in a straight row, or arrange them more randomly. Put them in positions that you find pleasant to look at.

4. Plug all the vases into the power strip. This prevents you from having lots of cords snaking out of your fireplace and across the floor to an outlet. You can simply plug the power strip in to light all the vases. If necessary, you can cover the cord with a rug or tape it to the perimeter of the room.

Tips & Warnings

• At Christmas, add colored glass ball ornaments and tinsel to the vases for a festive look.