Candles are a great low-cost way to add a touch of ambiance to a room. Whether you are using them to set a relaxing mood before stepping into a bath or you are looking to add a bit of hygge to your office, you are going to want to have a fair amount of candles on hand.
Candle holders are especially great because they provide an opportunity for decoration as well as for luminescence. You can combine candle holders with tea lights or taper candles, which are usually quite cheap and come in large packs. All of the DIY candle holders on this list can be made from materials that you have at home or can find at a craft store. They look just as good as store-bought options—the only difference is that they are half the cost.
DIY Glass Beads
This glass bead candle holder is bedazzled to the nines and we’re loving it! It can be made using only a small glass jar, an assortment of beads, and some hot glue. It is the perfect craft opportunity for an older child or a teen. Get the instructions over at Mom Luck.
Lace Candle Holder
Lacey accents are in these days, especially if you’re into a vintage vibe. Instead of shelling out the big bucks on Etsy, why not try your own hand at making lacy candle holders as seen here. Decorative doilies may be a thing of the past, but who is to say that lace isn’t still welcome in our lounge areas.
Black Lace
There is still another option for lace even if white lace isn’t your thing. This beautiful black lace candle holder as seen at Musely adds a traditional and classy touch to any room that it is placed in. Of course, you can use any color that you’d like—but we think that the black lace looks especially understated.
Bottled Botanicals
Some of the very best crafts get their inspiration from nature! This tutorial is in Finnish, but it’s worth putting it through Google translate to see how you can make unique and beautiful floral candle holders. This is sure to be a conservation starter.
Easter Egg Candle Holder
Here is a great option for anyone who is looking to decorate for the Easter holiday season! We love the way that this DIY candle holder from the CSI Project uses actual (fake) Easter eggs to form the actual base of the candle holder.
Plastic Spoon Flower
Sometimes the most attractive crafts can come from the least ordinary of places! Case in point: this beautiful flower candle holder is made out of plastic spoons. If you’re wondering how the plastic spoons can act as an egg holder if plastic easily melts, then you better check out this tutorial from DIYs before you get to work crafting.
Glittery Candle Jars
Everything’s better with a little bit of glitter. However, sometimes the store-bought items that we buy are just not up to our glitter standards. If you want to add a little bit of sparkle to an existing candle holder, then look no further than this tutorial at Bird’s party. You can use any color glitter that you would like!
Sea Glass
Have you ever been to the beach and been amazed at the look of beautiful sea glass? This candle holder from Happy Happy Nester is not made of actual sea glass, but it uses a technique that makes it very convincing to the untrained eye. Perfect for any room with beach-themed decor.
Upcycling Through Spray Paint
We don’t always need to start from scratch when we are DIY’ing. That’s the thought process at least behind this tutorial from On Sutton Place, where they take some bland and otherwise uninspiring candle holders and glam them up with a little bit of creativity. This is also a more environmentally approach than buying brand new candle holders.
Cinnamon Sticks
This one seems a bit unusual at first, but when you think about it it makes sense to use cinnamon sticks as a candle holder. Aromatic and aesthetically beautiful, cinnamon sticks themselves recommend everything that a candle should be. Check the idea out from DIYs.
Dollar Store Frame Lantern
This tutorial is a bit different from the other ones on this list because it’s not a candle holder as much as it’s a lantern. Believe it or not, this lantern from Gros Grain Fab is actually made out of dollar store frames! What a unique idea.
Transformed Yogurt Containers
What could be better than a cheap craft? How about a cheap craft that is made out of recycled materials? If you find yourself going through a number of yogurt containers in any given week, you should put them to good use by making them into a candle holder as seen here. Of course, if you’re not a yogurt fan, you can use any kind of miniature plastic container.
Butterfly Mobile Candle Holder
Just when we think that craft idea can’t get any more creative, we see an entry like this butterfly mobile candle holder. We call it a mobile candle holder because it features a hanging ornament over the top of the candle.
Multicolor Swirl
These colorful candle holders from Lovely Indeed look like a sort of painting. However, they are easier to make than you think—although guests are sure to think that you bought them at a store. You can personalize these candle holders to match the overall theme of your home.
Paper Towel, Glass, and Glue
Did we mention that sometimes the prettiest crafts can be made up of the least expected materials? This beautiful dainty candle holder is made from paper towels, glue, and of course the glass of a candle holder itself. Get the look here.
Miniature Tree Trunks
Here is a candle holder option for those of us who are into the outdoorsy vibe. While you could certainly make your own out of large branches that you collect outside, you can also buy miniature tree trunks at your local craft store and drill a hole inside of them for your tea lights. Get the inspiration here.
Concrete Candle Holder
Here is a candle holder that is perfect for anyone who is looking for a challenge! Even if you have never poured concrete before for a craft, you can easily take the project on by following the instructions over at DIYs.
Faux Stained Glass
Stained glass is one of the most beautiful art forms out there! Can you believe that it is possible to make your very own stained glass candle holder? Okay, so it’s faux stained glass, but we think it looks just as beautiful as the real thing. You can get the details over at Rhythms of Play.
Button Candle Holder
Is it okay if we say that this candle holder is cute as a button? We’ve never quite understood that expression, but seeing this cute candle holder is starting to make its meaning seem more clear. While you can certainly use buttons of the same color, you can also come up with a beautiful candle holder that is made up of buttons of a variety of color. Get the look here.
Teacup Candle Holder
Do you have one of those beautiful old-fashioned teacups? Maybe you inherited them from your grandmother, or picked one up when it caught your eye at a thrift store? If you have a beautiful old teacup laying around without a reason to use it (high tea isn’t that popular of activity these days), you could always turn it into a candle as seen here.
Once you see how much a candle can improve your home’s coziness, you will probably want to add more and more candles to every area of your house. Good thing you have such an assortment of DIY candle holder ideas are your disposal!