Wintry Floating Candle Centerpieces

One of the most elegant ways to bring warmth to a table setting is floating candles. Nestled in cylinder vases, the candles are suspended in water above flowers or branches, casting a gentle glow over the surroundings. These types of candle arrangements are popular centerpieces at weddings and other formal affairs, but they are easy to adapt for your own home for any occasion.

For winter, I filled the vases with simple twigs for a stark yet classic look. Best of all, the twigs were from my yard and, therefore, free.

What you’ll need:
Glass cylinder vases
Twigs
Water
Floating candles

1. Floating candle centerpieces look best when you use a set of three or four vases in various heights. Look around the house to see what you have handy, or pick up some inexpensive vases at the dollar store or places like Michaels or Marshalls. Just be sure that the openings of the vases are large enough to accommodate your floating candles. 

2. Position a cluster of twigs in the vase. If you pick a cluster that’s wider than the vase, the twigs will squeeze in and hold tightly against the vase wall so that they don’t float when water is added. Trim the top of the twigs so there is room at the top of the vase for the candle.

3. Pour water into the vase, and place a floating candle on top of the water. You’ll see that the water magnifies the twigs beautifully. Keep in mind that floating candles are designed specifically to float on water — don’t use regular candles for this purpose. They are typically three inches in diameter, and you can find them at Michaels and Bed, Bath & Beyond.  

Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.