Spring and summer weather calls for outdoor entertaining! One of the easiest ways to add ambiance to an evening party is with accent lighting, but you don’t want to have extension cords and power strips draped all over your dinner table. This easy outdoor centerpiece is inexpensive and easy to make, and provides beautiful lighting without an electricity.
Watch this quick video to see how I assembled my centerpiece or scroll down for the step out photos. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for tons of creative tutorials like this!
I paid $5 for my supplies at Dollar Tree, but you can make these bottle candles even more cheaply by using glass bottles from your recycling bin. Beer bottles and wine bottles would work just as well as these decorative bottles.
Start by removing any labels that may be on the bottles. Then insert a taper candle into the mouth of the bottle. If the candle is too thick or too long, you may have to cut it down with a sharp knife.
To keep the candle from wobbling in the bottle, use a match or lighter to melt the wax where the candle meets the bottle. When the wax re-hardens, it will keep the candle in place more securely. Obviously, you will still want to always keep an eye on the candles when they are lit to make sure they do not tip over.
TIP: If it is windy outside, you can fill the bottles with water or sand before adding the candles. This will make the bottles more bottom-heavy and less likely to topple.
Consider adding a plate or tray under the bottles to protect your dining table. This will catch any drips from the candle wax, so you don’t have to be scraping hardened wax off of your patio furniture at the end of the night. The more bottle candles you group together, the prettier this centerpiece will be.
To finish the centerpiece, add a few small bottles with inexpensive flower to the arrangement and light the candles. You now have a beautifully decorated table and accent light to create lovely ambiance wherever you are!
