How to Use Candles to Decorate Your Home Cheaply

Candles have always been a great way to accent our homes. They can completely change the way a room looks and feels. By adding a few accents to the candles you already have you can truly transform a room any room - making it more inviting, more romantic, or more anything else you would like to make it!

• Patterned Paper (such as scrapbooking paper)
• Ribbon
• Rhinestones
• Candles
• Hot Glue Gun
• Hot Glue Sticks

Cut accent paper; such as scrapbooking paper or wallpaper scrapings, to cover the middle of your candle. You'll want to leave at least half an inch between the wick area and the paper's edge. Make sure you've chosen a design that will bring to life other features in your room. If you're using leftover wallpaper that will be extra easy and will match your walls perfectly. For example, if your room is done in animal prints, why not use a cheetah print to accent your candles!

There are two ways that you can adhere the paper to the candle. You can use ribbon to lace the seam - giving you a very pretty "corset candle" wrap or you can simply glue the wrapping to the paper. Which you choose greatly depends on the look that you're trying to accomplish. Using a corset style candle is a simple, yet powerfully effective way to incorporate a color. Sometimes this small detail is exactly what's needed to tie your color scheme or style together!

Finish off your candle by attaching rhinestones. This will add extra sparkle to your candle and to your room - and will be extra lovely while the candle is burning. For those who aren't fond of rhinestones or feel a different look would look better there are other alternatives. Find a craft store - Hobby Lobby is my personal favorite - and look at the different tiny stones, cut glass, metallics and stained glass. Make sure you also purchase the proper adhesive and that it's suitable to use near a flame if you intend to actually light your candle.

• If you are using ribbon to lace up your paper, you may want eyelets for reinforcing the lace-up holes. For a corset appearance you'll bring one lace over the other in a back and forth fashion as if you were lacing up shoes.
• Never let your candle burn down near your paper. Allowing the paper to get near the flame could cause a fire hazard.
• Never leave a burnin candle unattended.
• Certain craft items are not safe to be used near open flames or heat. Certain glues or items may even release dangerous chemicals into the air when heated or burned. Be cautious when choosing your items. Make certain you are using items that are safe and craft appropriate