(20 crafty days of christmas) nativity candle holder

I love Christmas!  It’s the best time of year because of time off from school, get-togethers with family, and, of course, Christmas crafting.  Since my Christmas decor only stays out for a few weeks, I don’t like to spend a lot of money, but I still want my decor to be beautiful.  I look for items on sale, and I make items myself.  And where’s the best place to get supplies to create inexpensive Christmas decor?  The dollar store!  This nativity candle holder is very easy to make, and you only need a few supplies:

• votive holder
• book page
• nativity silhouette
• rhinestone (optional)
• Mod Podge
• paint brush

Step One: Trace one side of the candle holder on a book page and cut out the traced shape.  The dollar store has an assortment of candle holders and often has large books for sale, or you could check your local thrift store for used books.

Step Two: Adhere the book page to the glass with Mod Podge.  Cover the glass with a layer of Mod Podge and stick the paper to the Mod Podge, making sure to smooth out any bubbles.  When the paper dries, cover the paper with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it.  (I used antique Mod Podge, but regular Mod Podge would work just as well.)

Step Three: Adhere your nativity silhouette to the front of the candle holder with Mod Podge.  I used my Silhouette to cut an image from black paper, but vinyl would work really well.  Or if you don’t have a Silhouette, you could print a nativity silhouette and cut out the image.

I covered the whole front of the candle holder with Mod Podge when I was adhering my silhouette to the glass, but it dried opaque.  I had to use a craft knife to scrape the medium off the glass, so learn from my mistake and cover the back of your image with Mod Podge and adhere that to the glass.  To make sure the paper image will withstand wear and tear, coat it with a layer of Mod Podge to seal it.

Step Four: Glitter the inside back of the candle holder.   I used sparkle Mod Podge, but you could use glue and regular glitter too.  If your silhouette has a star like mine does, you can add a little more sparkle by glueing a rhinestone to the middle of your star with hot glue.

When all the glue is dry, you can pop a battery operated votive (also from the dollar store) in your candle holder and enjoy the glow.

And the fact that the reminder was handcrafted by your with supplies that only cost a couple of dollars is sure to put a smile on your face.  I want to thank Vanessa for letting me hang out with y’all today.  If you like this project, I have many other projects like this on my blog.  Here are a few of my Christmas crafts from last year.

Juice Carton House Ornament :: Embroidery Hoop Snowman :: Gift Tag Ornaments

Merry Christmas!

Hey, y’all!  I’m Bethany from Pitter and Glink.  I’m a wife, mom to a furry “dog-ter,” English teacher, book-lover, want-to-be-decorator, sparkle-addict, crafter, Etsy shoppe owner, and blogger.  You can follow my crafty endeavors via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.