Sometimes crafting inspiration comes to you in the strangest, or in this case, spookiest of places! While visiting the Troy Target just the other day to pick up a few grocery essentials, I found myself hanging out in the Halloween section trying NOT to put all of the glittered pumpkins into my basket. I saw packages of dyed gauze, from deep black to dingy white. Impressed with the ready-made Halloween crafting staple, I put some in my basket and moved along, this time past the candle aisle. Looking down at my gauze I had an instant idea – mummified votive holders.
These easy-to-make votive holders use LED tea lights instead of burning candles to keep small fingers safe and the glasses crystal clear and free of wax drippings. No adhesives are needed to make these wrapped accessories, so get the family ready to help you make enough to cover your mantle.
Materials
- Black gauze cloth ($5, found in the Halloween decoration special section at Target)
- Clear votive holders ($1.44 each, found in the home decor aisle)
- LED tea lights ($5.41/package of four, found in the home decor aisle)
- Scissors
- Newspaper or scrap material to use as work surface
Instructions
| 1. To wrap your votive holders, you don’t need many supplies! Make sure your scissors are sharp for easy cutting. The gauze will fray as you unwrap it, so if you’re not in the mood to wipe down your work surface, work on top of some newspaper or other scrap paper that you can discard when finished. |
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| 2. Start out by removing the packaging from your gauze. Unfold it so you have a rectangle that’s four layers thick. Cut a 1-inch-wide strip from your main piece. |
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| 3. Once cut, carefully unfold your gauze so you have one, long continuous piece. Place one end across your votive holder, letting it dangle past the bottom of the holder. Wrap your long piece around the glass, leaving the tail loose. Continue wrapping the glass. You can wrap all in the middle, or make crosses as you work your way around. Don’t pull the gauze too tight – it can pull apart! |
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| 4. When you’re finished wrapping, bring the two tails together and tie a knot in the center of your wrapping. Trim the tails to your desired lengths. |
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| 5. Take a look at your wrapped glass. You can adjust the gauze to achieve different looks. Experiment a bit. |
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| 6. Take one tea light out of the package, pull the battery tab on the bottom, flip the power switch and place inside of your votive holder. |
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| 8. Since the gauze is wrapped, and not glued, around the glass, you can remove the casing at the end of Halloween and use the holders for your next decorating inspiration. |
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