Thanksgiving Votives

This simple votive candle idea makes a nice little gift or a creative way to use some of the leaves you collect during an Autumn nature walk. You could also create a few to sit on your dinner table during your Thanksgiving Dinner to add a little something special to the setting. Plus, it’s a nice little craft that older kids will be proud to use on the Thanksgiving dinner table.

You Will Need:

1. A small drinking glass or votive holder (a baby food jar would also work well).
2. Real or silk fall leaves
3. Glue
4. Raffia
5. A votive candle
   

If you there are no more autumn leaves left to collect here is a way to make autumn leaves from coffee filter:

1. Cut leaf shapes out of basket-type coffee filters.
2. Fill an ice cube tray with water and then put a few drops of food coloring in each of the sections (orange, red, yellow, and brown). Make each section a different color.
3. Flatten out each of your pre-cut filter leaves and use an eyedropper to make designs on them. Each color will spread and run into the other colors.

This is a lot of fun for the kids and is a good lesson for what happens when you mix colors. Let the filters dry completely and don’t forget to put down some newspaper or your table will likely be stained.

Then you can use these pretty leaves for the Thanksgiving votive below or you can tape them to windows, or in a pretty Thanksgiving display.

To Make the Votive:

1. If you’re using silk leaves, peel the cloth off of the plastic veins. That will give you a flat leaf to work with.
2. Glue the leaves (real, silk, or coffee filter from above) around the outside of the votive holder, glass, or baby food jar. You can arrange the leaves in any way you want.
3. Take a couple of strands of raffia and tie them in a bow around the middle of the votive holder, over the top of the leaves.
4. Drop in a candle and you’re done! Take a look at how pretty it looks when it’s lit. Although this picture doesn’t do it justice, it looks really pretty with the candle light peaking through the colored leaves.

NOTE: You can pick up tons of small drinking classes, votive holders, and small jars at thrift stores, Goodwill, or the Salvation Army. Craft from Kids Craft Magazine