Doodle Bug: A Crafty Fall "Candle"!

Ooh, I got the bug today! Usually I'm downstairs working on projects for work, etc...but I had to wait for paint to dry today and I got that little bug that says "ooh, I have an idea!"

Up until now, I have had no fall decorations up. 1) I don't have any 2) I don't have any fabulous shrubs to bring in clippings 3) I didn't really feel like it.

Well, today I got the inspiration, and I did it all with things that I already had on hand! I betcha you can figure out a similar little craft with things you have on hand, too!

First, the inspiration:

I found this old rusty wheel in the woods beside our house (yes, it was okay that I was out there), and it looked interesting to me, so I kept it. It has sat for about 4 months in the basement now, and I just kept mulling over what to do with it. Well, today it sang to me: "I want to be a Candle Holder!"

Well that's fine and dandy, but I don't have a candle anywhere near that size, and I'm sure not going to buy one (have you ever noticed how expensive big hunks of wax are?) just for a rusty wheel!

So I thought...
And thought...
And then I saw this:

That, my friends, is our empty coffee can from Trader Joe's.
Hmmmm, I thought. That's about the right size for a candle in that wheel.

And so I gathered the following:

1. Burlap
2. Rope-like trim leftover from another project
3. A small piece of white cotton cord
4. Hot glue gun
5. Scissors

First, I glued the trim around the top & bottom edges:

Then I glued on a strip of Burlap--enough to make two layers so you couldn't see the coffee can through it! (Make sure to be lining up your seams, so you just have one bad side...). I also put a circle of burlap on the top.

And I put on a few extra pieces of the trim around the top & bottom to make it look more finished.

Ooh, are we starting to get the vision?

Next, I did something scary...
Matches, meet cotton cord.

I wanted to make a "wick" that would pop out of the top, but I wanted it to be burnt so it looked a little more believable. So I went over by the sink to do it, not knowing if it would just fizzle out or start a blaze and go down in family history. As it turns out, it was something in-between. I was able to blow it out, but I did have to dab it in some water to make the red embers go out! So yes, the sink was a good idea.

Then, I punched a hole in the top of the "candle" with a screwdriver and hammer, and threaded the "wick" through it. To secure it, I flipped it and glued the tail to the underside of the can:

And here she is!

Ooh, I could squeal!

Then, to honor the time of the year and get at least a little fall into the house, I scrounged around the yard for pretty leaves and stuck them through the burlap (that's the advantage of burlap--it's such a loose weave you can put whatever you want in it).

Can you guess what kind of leaves the ones on the candle are? Gooseberry! Who knew?
*I am noticing that my little leaves are starting to wilt. I think I need to dry them, then put them back in*

And here it is on the table with a corn husk pom pom. Instructions for that easy little project are found on one of my favorite blogs, Centsational Girl. Check it out, she's great. And of course, I have a John Deere decoration on there, too. Joe has one little statue scene for each of the seasons. When you marry a farm boy, you take some things along with it. Tractors in my kitchen comes with the territory.