DIY Beaded Candle Holders

After last week's post, my head kept swimming with more thoughts of beads and tassels.  So to get it all out of my system, I've also added beads to candle holders--one by adding a beaded fringe to a ribbon, the second by stringing beaded tassels onto a ribbon.  I love the clunky shiny beads and if I really wanted to make something shiny, I would have invested in some sparkly Swarovski crystal beads (alas, they are a bit more expensive than I was willing to pay just for a project).  Candles are a great alternative to flowers for wedding centerpieces--they're inexpensive and add a romantic glow to your reception hall.  You can fill a table with candles of various sizes and in different holders, but still achieve a uniform look.

How to add a beaded fringe to a ribbon:

Materials: assorted beads, beading thread and string, ribbon, candle holder, hot glue gun (not pictured)

Step 1: Thread needle with string and tie a knot at the end.  Make the first stitch at one end of the ribbon from back to front so that the knot is on the wrong side.

Step 2: Thread through your desired bead pattern.

Step 3: Skipping the last bead, thread your needle back up the beads.

Step 4: Pull thread all the way through, taking care not to pull too tightly or the beads will bunch up.  Secure the strand by sewing a stitch into the ribbon.

Step 5: Bring needle back up where you want to place the next strand of beads.  Repeat steps 2-4.

Step 6:  Continue until you've covered the whole length of the ribbon.  You can play around with the lengths of the strands to create your desired effect.

Step 7: Using a hot glue gun, glue the ribbon in place around the edge of the candle holder.  If you want to hide your stitches, glue another ribbon on top.

How pretty! =)

 You can also do the same thing with beaded tassels by stringing them onto a ribbon and hot gluing it around the edge of a candle holder:

This method can be a little more time consuming depending on your tassel design, but I like the idea that I can take the tassels off and reuse them again in various projects.

 I photographed the candles in broad daylight to show the colors and details--and since it doesn't seem natural to have a bunch of candles sitting around on a balcony, here are the candles in action!

Beaded Candle Holder 

Beaded Candle Holder

Have fun!