Add ambiance to your outdoor space with budget-friendly outdoor lighting (25 cents per light)

When I'm attempting a crafty project, my inspiration springs from my current selection of supplies, before I buy anything new. I really don't need more supplies in my cupboards.

Each spring/summer I dream over glossy images of strings of lights, suspended over decks and patios. The lights glisten in the dark and make an ordinary night look festive. I had a bad case of downright envy, at a neighbor's house one evening, two years ago. She had these adorable dragonfly lights hung from the overhang over her patio. We have no such overhang. There is nothing to suspend the lights from over our deck or patio.

So I just need to be creative. Candles (both real and faux) are always lovely, and can be set anywhere, just needing some protection from winds (for real candles).

In Dollar Tree the other day, I was browsing the candle aisle, and saw some votive candles, priced 4/$1. I looked over their votive holders, but for $1 a piece, none caught my eye. In that moment, I realized that I had all the makings of something far cuter, all in my own cupboards. Making use of things I already had -- that is always a happy thought! So I bought a 4-pack of sage green votive candles, to make into my own outdoor lighting.

Here's what I used:

half-pint jelly jars (from the pantry)
a length of grosgrain ribbon in a light shade of green (from my gift wrap ribbons box, came on a gift last spring)
raffia (who here doesn't have a bag of raffia sitting around -- ask around, someone you know is bound to have some)
faux ivy (this is leftover from the wreath and basket I made for spring decor)
hot-glue gun (if I didn't have a hot-glue gun I would have used rubber cement-type craft glue)
sand, (about 2 to 3 tablespoons sand per jar, alternatively some people use salt in candle jars) if using a traditional candle; not necessary for battery ones

and of course the purchased votive candles (a 4-pack for $1)

I wrapped the ribbon around the jelly jars, just below the threads for screwing on a lid. It took about 9 inches to go all the way around, and have a bit of overlap for gluing.

I used hot glue to secure the wrap of the ribbon to itself (but not to the jar, I want to be able to use these as jelly jars again this fall). The glued ends are on the backside of the candle holder.

I hot-glued a sprig of faux ivy to the front of the ribbon wrap. Lacking faux ivy you could also just tuck a sprig of evergreen like Camellia, under the raffia bow.

I laid the jar on a cloth, to make the bow-tying easier. Then I took a length of raffia, doubled it over and wrapped it around the ribbon and ivy, concealing the end of the faux ivy under the raffia. I tied the bow and trimmed the ends.

Pour in some sand, level, and plop in a candle and I've got a votive candle in a holder for about 25 cents. (I also tucked in some sea glass and shells, as I think they look pretty.)

These were quick to make. I did 4 in about 30 minutes. If you had a large event in your garden this summer, you could easily do a dozen in an hour, especially if you made these assembly line-style.

And you don't need to go to all the trouble of layering the ribbon with ivy and raffia. You could just tie on brightly colored ribbons. Those would look very festive.

We have a lot of small critters in our area. So I wouldn't leave these on the deck railing overnight, but would tuck them up against the house at the end of the evening.

And if I had small children running about, I'd use the battery-operated faux votive candles. I also buy those at the dollar store in packs of 4 for a dollar.


Candle and glass safety

Glass can and does break from candles. This mostly happens when making a poured candle, not with votives, or using non-canning jars or vintage canning jars. But just to err on the side of caution:

• use votives or tea lights, not large pillar candles
• do not use vintage canning jars, as they are prone to crack
• do not use a cracked, chipped or heavily scratched jar
• only use canning jars, do not use other food jars
• the sand will both balance the candle and serve as a bit of insulation at the bottom of the jar from a bit of the heat of melting wax. Balancing the candle will keep heat from building up on one side of the jar. The bonus with the sand is that melted wax comes right out of the jar.
• do not burn the candle all the way down
• trim the wick to about 1/4-inch
• place jar on a level and heat-resistant surface, away from dried matter of all kinds
• if using for indoors, consider the battery-powered lights. They're just as pretty and won't pose any risk, should they be unattended (like in a powder room when you have guests over).
• if you are wanting to use vintage jars (the blue ones are beautiful with a light in them), use the battery-powered tea lights. You won't run the risk of ruining your lovely vintage jars.
• if you are still not sure about a candle in use, the battery-powered tea lights are also priced at 4/$1 at Dollar Tree, and will most definitely not cause a fire.

A tip for making bows nice and straight

Do your bows ever look crooked? As a girl I worked in a department store in the gift wrap station. I learned a trick for tying bows which don't go crooked after tying.

First, you make the half-knot part of the bow. Then turn the package or item that you are tying, around 180 degrees. Tie the remaining portion (the two loops) of the bow.

So, for these jelly jars, I tied the half-knot with the jar in what would be the upright position. Then I spun the jar around until it was what would be upside down, and finished off the bow.
I've never thought this all through, but by doing this, my bows turn out straight, instead of the formerly crooked ones.

Pizza in 5!! 5 steps, 5 minutes

This is the easiest (and possibly least expensive) pizza you may ever make at home. But to qualify, this isn't pizzeria-style pizza. This is have a snack, go with soup for dinner, make quickly in the morning for breakfast, feed the kids lunch type of pizza. It's what my kids will make for themselves after school, in the morning, and late at night. We call them pizza sandwiches. They are oven-toasted, open-faced sandwiches.

The crust -- sliced bread, any will do. I've used the super cheap stuff, bread machine bread and thick slices of French bread. (This one is whole-wheat bread machine bread).

The sauce -- pasta or pizza sauce. You can even make "instant" pizza sauce in the microwave from canned tomato paste. Here's my recipe:

"Instant" Pizza Sauce
In a microwaveable measuring cup or bowl, stir together 1/2 cup tomato paste, 1 minced clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil, and 1/2 cup of water. Microwave for 40-60 seconds. You can sub onion (1/4 teaspoon) and garlic powder (1/8 teaspoon) for the fresh, and this is even more "instant".

Cheese -- mozza, cheddar, Parmesan, whatever we have in the fridge.

Toppings -- after Thanksgiving, we like to make turkey-pizza sandwiches. These are thin slices of turkey breast, lightly salted and peppered, and layered between the sauce and cheese (between, so the turkey doesn't dry out). Any cooked meat can be added here. Other "regular" pizza toppings for on top of the cheese an be used. I like olives and green pepper slices.

The Method

STEP 1
Lightly toast the slice of bread in your toaster, just until firm, but not browned.

STEP 2

Spread the toasted bread with pizza or pasta sauce. You can use jarred sauce, "instant"sauce, leftover spaghetti sauce. I keep homemade pizza/pasta sauce in the freezer. I do big batch cooking, and it's ready when I want it.

STEP 3

Sprinkle with cheese -- mozzarella, Parmesan, feta, cheddar, whatever you have in your fridge.

STEP 4

Add toppings -- olives, sliced veggies, pepperoni, mushrooms, cooked sausage/ground beef -- the sky's the limit!

STEP 5

Broil in your oven until the cheese is melty and golden. And you're done. Pizza is served!! Pizza in 5: 5 steps, 5 minutes.