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DIY Christmas Candle Holders: Add Sparkle to Your Holiday Decor

Learn how to make Christmas candle holders to decorate your home during the holidays? Get over 35 beautiful ideas on a budget, easy enough for beginning crafters.

DIY Christmas Candle Holders Add Sparkle to Your Holiday Decor

So you’re thinking about how to spruce up your home for the holidays but don’t want to break the bank? Why not try a quick decor project on a budget! This Christmas, create some festive and pretty homemade decorations with these easy-to-make DIY Christmas candle holders.

I love decorating candle holders. Not only are they relatively easy due to their size (making them perfect for beginning crafters), the peaceful glow just goes so well with the vibe of holidays.

They’ll look wonderful on a fireplace mantel, Christmas table display, or anywhere else in your home where you want a little bit of a glow. Put the Christmas music on, light a candle, and get into the spirit.

Before we get into the Christmas candle holder ideas, I wanted to give you a bit of information if you’re a newbie. If you want to scroll down to get the list, you can do that. I hope these tips help shorten the learning curve.

While not all of the candles are glass, a lot of them are, so I’m going to give you tips for working with glass in those projects. Otherwise, refer to the instructions in the original tutorial when you see something like wood or clay.

Christmas candle holders with pine cones on wooden background

Tips for Decorating Candle Holders

Decorating a candle holder is relatively simple, but there are some things you need to know – like where to buy, how to prep, and paint to use. I address those three things below.

Where to Buy

One thing I love about glass candle holders is that they can be found just about anywhere – and the first place to look is your recycling bin!

A lot of people use jars (like pasta sauce, Oui yogurt, or jelly) as their base. You can remove the labels with these tips.

But if you don’t have anything in your recycle bin, you can also get your glass holders at Dollar Tree (or your local dollar store) or the thrift store/Goodwill. You might have to do some regular checking for new stock, but they show up frequently.

Of course a place that is always reliable for candle holders is the craft store. Check your local shop or Michaels, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, etc.

They’ll have something you can use. Mason jars always make good holders – you’ll see several of those projects in the list.

How to Prep

Before you decorate your Christmas candle holders, prepare your glass. This step is important if you want the paint or Mod Podge to stick.

Thoroughly wash in warm, soapy water to remove dirt, dust, and grease from your fingers. You can also use rubbing alcohol and cotton balls to do the same. Let your glass dry before crafting.

Paints to Use

You’ll want to check out my post about painting on glass to get all the details, but typically I use spray paint, chalk paint, or glass paint (including multi-surface) on any candle holders.

You can use any of the Mod Podge formulas for glass, but I always like Gloss or Matte, personally. I have a guide for Mod Podging on glass too!


Are you ready to get the projects? Just scroll down to see them!

1
Mason jar Christmas luminaries
Frosted Christmas Luminaries with Faux “Snow”
Use textured epsom salt and Mod Podge to make these gorgeous mason jar Christmas candle holders. These are easy and so pretty for winter.
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2
Kim Demmon
Quick Cranberry Cedar
These five minute Christmas luminaries with fresh cedar clippings and real cranberries will save your bacon when you need an easy and fabulous holiday table centerpiece. Simple supplies and simple to put together. These always get rave reviews!
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3
Make DIY winter village vases
Winter Scene Cylinder Vase Decor
Create this unique seasonal vase decor with a silhouette winter scene! Perfect for glowing candles on a holiday mantel or for gifting. Easy to make!
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4
These DIY glitter votives are guaranteed to make your table setting sparkle this Christmas, New Year or whenever you have a gold-themed party!
Glitter on Glass
Learn how to make these holders with glitter the easy way – no previous crafting skills required. Perfect for any celebration or holiday festivities.
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5
Steve Carrell
Recycled Bottles
Recycle glass soda bottles into these fun and modern Christmas candle holders made to look like trees! SO easy to make and customize.
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6
DIY Mason Jar Holiday Luminaries
thebudgetdecorator.com
DIY Mason Jar Holiday Luminaries
I love that these go together to spell "JOY"! These were made with mason jars and frosted spray paint.
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7
Peppermint Striped Christmas Candlesticks
oldsaltfarm.com
Peppermint Striped Christmas Candlesticks
Grab a 4 x 4 wood post to make these simple painted candle holders! It just goes to show that sometimes the easiest ideas can be the most beautiful.
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8
Rustic-Glam DIY Christmas Candle Holders
www.twelveoeightblog.com
Rustic Glam
Tanya used Dollar Tree vases and a matte decoupage finish to create her cute candle holders. She applied paper snowflakes, and it took minutes for her to make.
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9
Rustic Wood Branch Candle Holders
hoosierhomemade.com
Rustic Wood Branches
These DIY rustic wood candle holders will add simple beauty to your home for any season. Group them with greenery and berries for perfect Christmas decor.
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10
Farmhouse Style Christmas Candle Holders
Sarah Nenni-Daher
Farmhouse Style
Making these simple Christmas candle holders was fast and easy! I love the farmhouse charm they add to a dining room table for a holiday dinner.
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11
Christmas Mason Jar Luminaries
maisondepax.com
Christmas Mason Jar Luminaries
Decorate your home this holiday season with these simple Christmas mason jar candle holders. Such an easy, charming touch to your holiday home.
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12
Christmas Cut Out Wooden Candle Holder
www.virginiasweetpea.com
Christmas Cut Out Wooden Candle Holder
Paula shows you how to make wooden candle holders for Christmas using wood table legs as well as wood from Home Depot. They are way easier than you think!
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13
DIY Clay Star Candle Holders
muminthemadhouse.com
DIY Clay Stars
If you're looking for simple holiday holders to hold tiny candles, these clay ones are perfect! They are very easy to make with cookie cutters.
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14
Bottle Brush Mason Jar Candles
aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com
Bottle Brush Mason Jar Candles
Make these adorable bottle brush mason jar candles for your holiday table in just a few minutes and with a few simple supplies! These are so beautiful for Christmas and so easy to make.
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15
DIY Wood House Candle Holders
thenavagepatch.com
DIY Wood Houses
These DIY wood house candle holders are rustic and beautiful. They’re so easy to make, you’ll want to create your own little wood house village for the holidays!
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16
Dollar Store Christmas Candle Holder
onecrazymom.com
Dollar Store Gems
Looking to jazz up your holiday decor on a budget? Try this DIY Christmas candle holder that takes only minutes to make and leaves a festive glow in your home.
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17
Linda Braden
Christmas Tree Mason Jar Votive
Mason jars make perfect candle holders for Christmas! Linda provides the free stencil, and the rest is easy, including the epsom salt filler.
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18
Holiday Mason Jar Luminaries
organizeyourstuffnow.com
Holiday Mason Jar Luminaries
There’s something peaceful and calming about the warm glow of a candle on a cool night! These holiday candle holders are pretty with or without the candles.
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19
Wood Christmas Tree Mason Jar Sconce
Angela Made
Wood Christmas Tree Mason Jar Sconce
This wood scone looks perfect on the wall, a mantel, or a Christmas table! It's a very simple woodworking project, and I love the incorporation of a mason jar and other embellishments to finish it off.
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20
Diana Miller
Simple Christmas Centerpiece
If you're looking for a simple Christmas candle display, this is a perfect idea! Decoupage a snowflake to a glass candle holder, then place it in a bowl of ornaments. So perfect for the holidays!
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21
Snowy Frosted Candle Holders
Michelle McKinley
Snowy Frosted
Grab a few glass votives from the dollar store to make some frosted Christmas candle holders! They look so snowy and beautiful for the holidays.
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22
DIY Snowy Christmas Candle Jars
hollygrace.ca
DIY Snowy Christmas Candle Jars
Holly used her Cricut to duplicate some cute candle holders she saw at the store – and the results are beautiful! I like her Christmas creation better than the original.
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23
DIY Candy Cane Candle Holders
hallmarkchannel.com
DIY Candy Cane Candle Holders
Turning candy canes into candlesticks? Genius! I absolutely love this display for a holiday table. This would make a cute kids' craft as well!
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24
Dollar Tree Christmas Candleholders
thelatinanextdoor.com
Glass and Rhinestones
Bling out some dollar store glass candle holders with rhinestone-y adhesive wall decor! You will have this holiday decor completed in minutes.
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25
Holiday Candles with Packing Tape Labels
hearthandvine.com
Holiday Candles with Packing Tape Labels
While these simple yet beautiful labels were attached to candles already in the jar, you can use the exact same method with any glass candle holders. These would make great holiday gifts!
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26
Arena Blake
DIY Christmas Mason Jars
One of my favorite ways to refresh a room during the holidays is to use some scented candles as decorations. With this type of Christmas candle holder, all you do is plunk a new scented candle in the top when needed.
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27
DIY Christmas Wine Glass Candle Holder
foodwinesunshine.com
DIY Christmas Wine Glass Candle Holder
This Christmas wine glass candle holder is easy to make and a festive holiday decoration. It would look great both on the mantel or as a holiday table centerpiece.
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28
Snowflake-Etched Candleholders
www.suburble.com
Snowflake-Etched Candleholders
This way of decorating Christmas candle holders is very simple but also very pretty! Etched glass just has a special way of glowing. Learn how to do it with adhesive stencils in the blog post.
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29
Five Minute Christmas Mason Jar Candles
aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com
Five Minute Mason Jar Candles
If something says it takes five minutes to make, that immediately catches my attention! I love the pretty buffalo plaid ribbon used in this Christmas candle holder.
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30
Dollar Store Snow Globe Candle Craft
Sarah Nenni-Daher
Dollar Store Snow Globe Candle Craft
If you want to decorate your holiday table with candles for Christmas this year, these cute snow globe candles are perfect! They are super fast to make and very whimsical.
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31
burtonavenue.com
Christmas Mason Jar Candle Holder
Turn red mason jars into the perfect DIY Christmas candle holders – great for decorating and great for gifts! Angie used her cutting machine to cut the vinyl, and you can use the saying of your choice.
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32
Snowy Pinecone Candle Jars
Amanda Formaro
Snowy Pinecone Candle Jars
Make pretty winter luminaries that appear to be covered with freshly fallen snow! Oh so gorgeous and perfect for the holidays, they are very easy to make.
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33
If you need a budget way to decorate your home for the holidays, these DIY candles are a great idea. Just add decoupage medium!
DIY Christmas Candle with Festive Napkins
This is actually a candle covered in a napkin with Mod Podge – however, it's reusable! You'll see exactly how it was done in the blog post, and it's easy.
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34
Christmas Township Candle Holders
www.shabbyartboutique.com
Christmas Township Candle Holders
Kerryanne first used these Christmas township candle jars as a table decoration for a Christmas dinner party. It is one of those projects that is super quick and easy, but gives spectacular results!
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35
lydioutloud.com
Icicle DIY Candle Holders
These glittery icicle DIY candle holders are beautiful decorations that are perfect for the holidays and beyond! They are very easy to make with Mod Podge and fine glitter.
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If you enjoyed these for the holidays, I’d love if you’d check out these other ideas:

Deirdre Henry

Wednesday 8th of September 2021

I can't wait to get started. There are so many lovely crafts to do and some of them seem so simple with very clear instructions. Thank you for inspiring me to get going. Deirdre