Holiday Decorations on a Budget

By Aviva Patz

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The warm, flickering glow of candles instantly brightens even the darkest days of winter. “Fire is symbolic of warmth,” says New York City-based interior designer Nina Freudenberger, founder of Haus Interior. “Candles create a miniature hearth, making time with family and friends more intimate and cozy.” These easy, do-it-yourself techniques will help you customize candles with seasonal symbols and personal touches. Get glowing!

Mimic a Fireplace
Group pillared candles of varying heights together on your table so you see multiple layers of flames, as you would in a real fireplace. Just make sure any candles you place anywhere near food are unscented. And there’s no rule that they must be white! Try using all black candles, which can be very elegant, or natural waxes mixed with whites for a more nuanced palette.

Spruce up the Base
Go ahead and place candles on household items such as metal jar lids, ceramic saucers or even aluminum foil -- as long as you camouflage them. Simply arrange seasonal items such as spruce, holly sprigs, juniper berries, acorns, dried seeds or even pebbles over and around your base. It not only hides an unsightly base, but it also creates a seasonal landscape.

Try Novel Candleholders
Stow Grandma’s traditional brass candlesticks and opt for a more creative approach: Place tapers or votives in clean glass mason jars of varying heights, mismatched wine or champagne glasses, gem-toned juice glasses, traditional tea tins or even sardine cans. You can also place tea lights in hollowed-out artichokes or baby pumpkins. Or carve out several holes for tea lights in one large gourd or squash. 

Make Each Spot Special
Place a votive candle in front of each place setting instead of clustering them in the center. Then everyone has his or her own light source -- and can easily see all guests. 

Dress up Your Pillars
Wrap plain candles with holiday trimmings: a ring of asparagus stalks tied with raffia (trim the asparagus so it’s 1 inch lower than the top of the candle) or cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon in an earthy hue.

Play With Shadows
Take white craft bags or plain brown lunch bags, and use scissors or an X-acto knife to cut out the shapes of the season -- acorns, pinecones, pine trees, leaves or a sprig of holly. For more personalized designs, cut out the initials of your guests. Place a votive in the bag and enjoy watching the shadows dance around the room.

Double up
Place a smaller jar (marmalade-sized) inside a larger one (mayonnaise-sized). Put a candle in the smaller jar and fill the space between the two jars with decorations from nature -- pine needles, holly berries, cranberries or walnuts.

Illuminate a Masterpiece
Let your children paint colorful pictures or patterns on the outside of clear glass jars, drink glasses or votive holders. They will glow with colored light and add a whimsical touch to your table. 

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