You will start with the ingredients and put the cake together in a short amount of time. The diaper cake makes a perfect centerpiece and can be made ahead of time.

You will need about 50 medium disposable diapers and a 16″ disposable cardboard platter. Thin rubber bands will be needed and 5-6 feet of ¼” to ½” ribbon plus 8-10 feet of 1″ wide ribbon. Also purchase a large baby bottle, small candies to fill the bottle, double sided adhesive tape and small baby items like booties, nail clippers, pacifiers, rattles, a brush and comb, etc.

Roll the diapers into tight rolls and secure with the rubber bands. You will use the diapers to make three layers. Begin with the baby bottle filled with the candies and place it into the middle of 5-6 diapers. Tie this all together with the 1″ ribbon.

Make the second tier using about 15 diapers. Tie this layer together with the narrower ribbon. For the third tier you will need approximately 27 diapers. Make the center first and tie it together. Place more diapers around this circle and tie. Finish this layer by adding a third row of diapers around the second circle and tie with the narrow ribbon.

Put pieces of the tape on the platter and place the first layer on the platter. Add more pieces of tape and add the next layer. Finish with the third layer. Tuck the baby items around the outside of the cake by sliding them under the ribbon. Finish the cake by tying the 1″ ribbon around each layer.

A diaper cake is a creative way to make a baby shower special.

For more information concerning baby showers please visit The Baby Shower Zone – a website that specializes in how to make a diaper cake

Once of the great things about iris folding is that you can use any sort of paper which means you can use up all your scraps or even old wrapping paper that you may have thought to throw away.

Because iris folding has such a lovely look to it it may seem that it is really difficult to do when in fact it is really easy, a bit like paint by numbers.

Using iris folding to frame a photo on a scrap book or for one of your card making ideas will give it depth and texture and look fantastic.

Iris folding is becoming more and more popular as it is extremely relaxing and the end result is fantastic, it is something you can sit and do whilst watching the telly but be warned it can become addictive.

You can buy all sorts of iris folding patterns over the internet and in craft shops then you can simply cut your paper into strips folding them lengthways and stick them to the card following the template you have chosen to use.

Iris folding is a great way to make any of your card making ideas stand out and it is very inexpensive, the only items you will need to be able to do iris folding is a cutting mat, scissors, craft knife, different colored paper, card, glue, tape and removable tape.

You place your iris folding template onto your piece of card and draw the initial shape and cut it out. You then choose the papers you want to use and cut them about 1 x 3 inches long.

Fold your strips of paper in half and place the template underneath the original piece of card with the hold cut out so you can see the design.

Begin sticking the paper following the design on the template and secure with tape, always make sure the folded side of the paper strips are facing towards the centre of the card.

Continue to follow the template design until you are left with a small hole in the centre, this is known as the iris. Turn the card over and place one last piece of paper or card to cover the hole, I find holographic paper works really well.

Once you have finished you will notice that the back of the card will look rather messy so you will need to cover this with a piece of card.

Before you know it you have created a wonderful looking card with very little effort. Once you start you will be hooked.

Vicki Churchill writes for a site that specializes in Card Making Ideas providing you with excellent tips and ideas for Scrap Booking and Ribbon including where to find the best bargains

• Baby Powder
• Baby Lotions and Soaps
• Cotton Swabs
• Wash Cloths
• Soft Baby Hair Brush ~ or ~
• Baby Grooming Set ~ Everything You Need for Grooming A Baby!
• Tearless Baby Shampoo
• Hooded Towel
• Toddler Bath Seat
• 2 inch Roll of Pink, Blue, or Yellow wired ribbon

Follow these directions on how to make unique gift baskets: Lay the hooded towel on a clean surface and then place the toddler bath seat in the center of the hooded towel. Make sure that the towel will completely fit around the bath seat with enough room to tie a bow. Lay the bath towel out flat. Load the toddler bath seat with the rest of the baby bath products. Don’t worry that the sides aren’t holding the products at this point, the hooded towel is strong and will hold everything in place once it’s wrapped up.

Make Your Own Gift Basket Bow

Cut about 20 inches of the wire ribbon and angle both ends. Gather the towel up around the bath seat as you would with cellophane (you may need an extra pair of hands for this part of the project) and tie the 20 inch ribbon around the bath towel in a double knot. Take the remaining ribbon in your hand, make a 7 inch loop and wrap the ribbon several times around that loop until the ribbon is gone, possibly 5 or 6 loops if you have a regular roll of ribbon (not an extra large roll!). Pinch the loops in the middle and hold it against the knot you previously tied. Tie a double knot around the center of the loops, and the bow should be secured to your package. Take the loops and separate them from each other, if you twist each loop in alternating directions they stay put.

A traditional baby bath time gift basket would be an infant bath tub loaded with bath products and gift wrapped in cellophane. By taking the approach above, you’ve made an ordinary baby bathing gift basket special.

Elizabeth Graham is a mother of two and an experienced baby shower attendee! Check out her website http://www.bestbabygiftbasket.com for other inspired ideas on unique gift baskets.

An awareness pin does not need to be elaborate or very flashy. In fact, more often than not, it is a mere ribbon with a simple knot with a pin to be pinned to your lapel. The colors of these ribbons are internationally agreed upon. Their color defines the cause that they seek to support. One color though can stand for a number of causes.

The dark blue ribbon is for arthritis, child abuse, colon cancer, crime victim right, education concerns, free speech and water quality. The light blue ribbon is for eating disorders, men’s health, pregnancy, prostrate cancer and thyroid. The brown ribbon is for cancer and the great American smoke out. The gray ribbon is for asthma awareness, mental awareness, brain tumor, children with allergies and diabetes. The green ribbon is for bone marrow donation, childhood depression, environmental issues, glaucoma, kidney cancer, and leukemia, mental retardation, missing children, multiple chemical sensitivity, organ donation and safe driving. The other recognized colors are pink, red, orange, maroon, lavender, purple, teal, silver, white and yellow.

These pins can also be customized according to the requirements of a particular organization. They can be easily purchased at very nominal rates from a number of online stores.

Pins [http://www.Pins-Source.com] provides detailed information on Pins, Lapel Pins, Bird Pins, Flag Pins and more. Pins is affiliated with Lapel Pin Manufacturers [http://www.e-lapelpins.com].

His white satin waistcoat is truly simple to make, because the front part is really all that is needed and is held in place by Velcro with only tapes tied at the back

Our candle is safe because it is made from cardboard.

Costume

Black ordinary trousers.

White shirt

Back shoes

Joke teeth form a toy shop

Shirts with a collar, folding down the collar and ironing for a wing-collar look

Medallion

18 inches of purple ribbon

A piece of fake jewellery and fastening ends for the ribbon.

To start

Position the ribbon into a V point and sew in place

Sew the jewellery to the V point

Turn in the raw edges of the ribbon and sew on the fastening.

The Bow tie

12 inches of white ribbon

18 inches of wide white tape

To start

Cut 9.5 inches of the ribbon and fold it bringing the ends together at the centre of the length and sew the ends in place,

The remaining ribbon you fold in half along its length and wind it tightly around each edge.

Slot the tape through his centre pierce and sew on fastener ends of the tape shortening the tape as needed to fit around your kid’s shirt.

Waistcoat.

12 inches of 36 inch wide white satin material.
5 fancy buttons

2.5 inches of Velcro

¾ yards of narrow white taper

Some graph paper

After you make your waistcoat pattern on paper try it against your child to make sure the size looks ok

Making it.

Copy the pattern outline onto the paper square by square.

Bring together the edges of the fabric.

Cut out the waist coat front pieces 2 times f rot is double thickness fabric.,

Join the pieces together around the edges leaving the shoulder edges open.

Trim seams and then turn right side out and iron.

Turn in the shoulder edges at the seam line and slip stitch.

Now fold back the lapel and oversew the folded back edges to hold in place.

Cut the furry Velcro in half and sew one to each shoulder edge of the waistcoat on the wrong side.

Lay the waist coat pieces side by side with centre front edge together.

Lap the centre front edges 3/8 inch and sew on the buttons at regular spacing right through the fabric.
Cut the length of tape into 2 pieces and sew one end of the side edges of the waistcoat as shown.

To fix this waistcoat to the shirt, place the short medallion and bow tier on the kid.
Place waistcoat front in position and tie the tapes a the back to fit neatly.
Place the shoulder edges of waistcoat level with shoulder seams of the shirt.
Mark the position of the Velcro strips on waistcoat and to the shirt using pins.

Remove all items and attach hooked strips of velcro to the marked positions on the short edges of waistcoat so it can be attached when worn.

http://www.mycostume.co.uk/index.html
Halloween costume ideas and games to play are available at our site.

Antique stores usually carry a lot of Victorian Christmas decorations. You will easily recognize them since the designs have lace touches, delicate ribbons and richly-colored draperies. You will be fascinated with picking the best decorations such as wreaths, paper chains, angels, glass balls, fairies and not to mention Santa ornaments. And to give a festive glow to your room, you can also choose colored glass lamps and candles.

Should you want to stick with this vintage theme, remember that Victorian Christmas decorations tend to be very detailed and the main idea of the design is quantity. The ornaments may look more cluttered but nonetheless, they will still appear very elegant and classy.

If your local antique shops do not carry these products, you can just work your way conveniently to the Internet. You can find all sorts of Victorian Christmas decorations through online auctions or websites that specifically sell these ornaments. With this manner, you will have a lot of options. You can choose from various designs of different price range. You can be sure that you will get the exact designs that you wish.

However, if you want to be more creative, you may always turn to nature for inspiration to create your own unique, cheap and colorful displays. You may use rich greenery to cover your front stairway and add on wide red and silver ribbons. You can also use pinecones, berries, holly, flowers and fruits to dress up your house during the holidays.

Here are economical decoration suggestions you may try, if you want to a add a touch of classic elegance on your Christmas decorating this year:

1. Make a Victorian candle centerpiece using a dinner plate. Use a white lace to cover a dinner plate and arrange candles with different heights. Fill the spaces with green leaves and add on flowers and gold ribbons. This makes a wonderful centerpiece and creates a cheerful ambiance with the glow of light.

2. Create your own Victorian lampshade. Use a plain lampshade and paste Victorian images from fabrics with Victorian prints. Paste them neatly and outline them with gold fabric paints. Glue ruffles and laces at the edge of the lampshade. Just make sure that the color of your laces will match the Victorian images that you have pasted. If desired, add buttons, pearls and bows to embellish the lampshade.

3. Cover mantel top with lavish greenery. Arrange assorted fruits like pineapples, berries, grapes or oranges at different heights. Accentuate the arrangement with ribbons, pearly beads and tassels. This makes a lively ornament along with the blazing fireplace.

4. Make your own Victorian Christmas tree with crystal drop ornaments. You can buy plastic versions in craft stores and hung them with gold ribbons. You can add garlands of silk roses, pearls and feathered birds and dominate the tree with ribbons in silver, gold, pink and lavender. Hang lights that would look like miniature candles.

5. Make easy Victorian centerpieces. You can fill a glass bowl with pinecones. Make sure to spray your pinecones with gold or silver paint. You can also tie colorful ribbons around tall glasses and fill with pinecones, potpourri, berries, pearls or even candy canes.

If you want the extravagant beauty of Victorian decor, you can always innovate and create even more crafts to transform your home into a holiday masterpiece. You don’t even need to spend more when all the resources you need are just within your reach. You will find that every year, you just have to go with this theme during the Christmas seasons. After all, Victorian Christmas decorations are timeless.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Holidays. For more information regarding Victorian Christmas Decoration [http://www.christmasworldbest.com/victorian_christmas_decoration.php] please drop by at [http://www.christmasworldbest.com]

Whilst you might hold on to the traditional dinner with turkey, potatoes, sweet corn and brussel sprouts, you may want to experiment with your decoration. So, why not try a ‘Thanksgiving Balloon Bouquet’? It’s quick and easy to make and your family will be impressed, guaranteed!

For one bouquet you’ll need:

• one foil balloon that matches the theme, for example a pumpkin, a smiley pilgrim or – in honour of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – your favourite cartoon character,
• three high quality 11″ latex balloons in a colour that goes well with your foil balloon,
• colour matching curling ribbon (5mm wide),
• a small basket, filled with autumn fruit and vegetables (the basket should have a handle where you can attach the ribbons) and
• a small flask with helium to fill the balloons.

Please keep in mind, that helium filled latex balloons will only float for about 12 hours, so create your bouquet on Thanksgiving Day, whilst the turkey roasts in the oven!

How to make it

Start with preparing the foil balloon for inflating. Take roughly 150cm length of the curling ribbon. Measure 100cm and at that point fold it back over on itself, leaving the remaining 50cm for curling. Attach the ribbon with sticky tape to the neck of the foil balloon, on the opposite side to the self-sealing filling valve.

Gently insert the nozzle of your helium flask into the opening of the balloon valve and start inflating. Continue until the balloon begins to feel firm. Then tie the balloon to the handle of your basket. The height from the base to the bottom of the balloon should be about 80cm.

Now inflate the first of your latex balloons with helium. Before you tie the knot you should make sure that the balloon is fully inflated to its 11″ size. This is important as the bouquet will only look good if all balloons are blown up to the same size. There are two easy ways to do this: you could make yourself a simple ‘balloon sizer’ by cutting a circle of 11″ diameter out of a piece of cardboard or you could set up two chairs back to back, so that the distance between them equals 11″.

So, before you knot the balloon, pass it through your sizer and if necessary, deflate or inflate the balloon until it fits. Now take about 100cm length from your curling ribbon and tie it to the balloon neck, leaving ca. 30cm loose for curling. Then attach the other end of the ribbon to the handle of your basket, making sure that the latex balloon is just touching the underside of the foil balloon.

Repeat these steps for the remaining two latex balloons. When finished, the three latex balloons should be sitting at an even height with the foil balloon in the centre just above them.

The only thing left to do is to curl the loose ends of the curling ribbon … oh, and take out the turkey from the oven!

As a picture says more than 100 words, you might want to check out the instructions for a similar decoration on our ‘Balloon Decoration Guide’. It is actually a Valentine’s Bouquet, but it can easily be altered into a ‘Thanksgiving Balloon Bouquet’, as described above.

Margit Streifeneder has been a successful Small Business Owner for 10 years. Together with her life partner, a professional balloon decorator, she developed the ‘DIY Balloon Decoration Guide’ to provide useful how-to-information for everyone interested in creating their own balloon decor.

I came across Barbara’s stars a few weeks ago and was struck with an inspiration. I had made up some two-tone organza wine gift bags.

On this starry organza bag, I used one color on the inside and another on the outside. The result is a jewel-tone that simply gleams. Try green and silver; maroon and gold; blue and silver; or blue and gold. Sew up your bag using the directions referenced above.

Cut two lengths of thin ribbon: one 34 inches and the other 37 inches. Lay the ribbons side by side and stagger them so that each of the four stars will hang at a different level.

Put the bag on a wine bottle (like a mannequin) to determine how high to position the ribbons. Tack the ribbons to the center back of the bag. Heat up your glue gun. Lay the ribbon ends flat on a piece of wax paper. Position a star on the end of one ribbon. Lay a line of glue where the star will touch the ribbon and press in place. (Use the tip of the glue gun or your finger nail to press down gently.) Repeat with the other three stars.

Eileen Bergen is the editor of the Artful Crafter. For more ideas, visit the Holiday Crafts Section of her site.

Links for: Basic Gift Bag Construction – www.theartfulcrafter.com/gift_bag.html and Organza Gift Bags – theartfulcrafter.com/gift-bags.html

Group two, three or more items (mix and match) and place in an interesting basket or unusual container to present your gifts, covering the container with colorful cellophane and topping it all off with a fancy ribbon and bow.

Purely Personal

- Scented candles, handmade soaps, bubble bath and a big fluffy bath towel.

- Fancy hair ties, hair clips, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner for the teenage girl

- A movie night basket with a video of DVD of a movie you know they don’t have, a box of microwave popcorn, candy and a movie guide book

- An interesting book or magazine (and a gift subscription), a tiny booklight, a cute mug and packets of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, or a small bag of flavored gourmet coffee

- A cozy robe – one pocket containing envelopes of hot chocolate and the other, a small bag of mini-marshmallows.

- A spa day with a pair of comfy slippers and a big fluffy towel or robe

- A set of fancy beeswax candles and a brass candle snuffer

- A towel wrap, terry-cloth slippers, shower soap, shaving lotion and a fancy hair comb (or a special moustache comb for the moustached man!)

- A hot/cold pack (see how to make – www.whimsies-online.com/hotcoldpack.htm) with a box of soothing herbal teas and a whimsical mug

- Buy a variety of medium to large seashells and fill some of the shells with melted red wax and a few drops of cinnamon candle scent; and the rest of the shells with melted green wax and a few drops of pine candle scent; adding a short wick before the wax sets and you have an assortment of bath candles all ready for the holidays.

Holiday Bath Salts

2-1/3 cups of epsom salts

1/2 cup of sea salt

5 drops of peppermint scent

3 drops of red food coloring

Pour half of the first three ingredients into a bowl. Pour the other half of the ingredients into another bowl, adding the red food coloring only to the second bowl. Using a tall, clear bottle, layer contents of each bowl until all ingredients are used up (think red and white stripes). Close the bottle and tie with a festive ribbon and a couple of small candy canes.

- The Gift of Time: coupons for one night of baby-sitting, car washing, gardening, cleaning out the garage, walking the dog, re- arranging a closet, etc.

Hobbies and Sports Gifts

- Tickets to their favorite game and a sweatshirt or t-shirt imprinted with their favorite team logo

- Art supplies that they use often – sketch pads, paint in often- used colors, charcoal pencils, etc.

- Scrapbooking supplies, storage boxes to keep supplies in, rubber stamp set, embossing powder and heat gun

- Computer supplies: CDRW’s, blank CD cases, a furry Pet Virus novelty or a Virus Survival Kit just for fun (www.petvirus.com)

- For the aspiring writer (or student): folders, pencil case, binders and lined paper, fancy colorful pens, notebooks, personalized notes, a good thesaurus and dictionary, an agenda or diary, colorful post-it notes and a personalized CD coaster to hold their favorite mug of coffee (see how to make one – http://www.whimsies-online.com/cdcoasters.htm)

- For the young artist of craftsperson: a craft box with handle; colorful paper squares, set of scissors with different fancy blades, glue, felt in an assortment of colors, wiggly eyes, lengths of colorful wool, colored pipe cleaners

- For the person who love to bake: a set of cookie cutters in letter and number shapes, a pair of colorful oven mitts, a cute timer, a set of fancy cake tins, mixing bowls, cookbook on baking

- For the BBQ chef: BBQ apron, mitts, a set of large salt and pepper shakers, a BBQ brush, a BBQ recipe book

- A large interesting piece of pottery, kitchen utensils, a cookbook, a set of cute salt and pepper shakers, apron and potholder set

- A fancy flower pot with gardening tools, plant ties, garden gloves, a plant care guide and a kneeling pad.

Fancy Food Gifts

- Chocolate-dipped Spoons: buy heavy clear plastic spoons and dip them in melted chocolate, either all dark or all milk chocolate or let cool and re-dip in melted white chocolate but only halfway up the spoon bowl. Sprinkle with abit of cinnamon before the white chocolate dries for a variation. Let dry on wax paper. Wrap individually in colorful cellophane and tie with a curly ribbon. Add a couple of chocolate-coated spoons in a fancy mug along with packets of gourmet coffee.

You can also add abit of extract or liqueur or even cherry juice to flavor the chocolate before dipping.

For another variation on the chocolate-covered spoons, sprinkle the spoons with finely-crushed candy canes and let dry.

Drizzle melted white chocolate onto your dark chocolate-dipped spoons or drizzle dark chocolate onto your white chocolate-dipped spoons for a different look.

- Here’s a different twist to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Make up a batch, let cool and then dip them halfway into melted chocolate. For a variation, add a sprinkle of coconut or candy sprinkles before the chocolate coating dries.

- Here’s a way to use up those little plastic coffee creamer containers you’ve been saving. Check out this yummy recipe: Coffee Creamer Cherry Chocolates – http://www.whimsies-online.com/cherries.htm

- Breakfast Treat Basket: pour a box of pancake mix into a clean glass jar. Add the lid, cover the top of the jar with a square of pretty scrap fabric and tie on a colorful ribbon or raffia. Type the recipe from the pancake box and print it out onto cardstock to hole-punch and add to ribbon before tying the finishing bow.

Add small zip-lock bags of the following: chocolate chips, dried fruit including raisins, walnuts, almonds, pecans, coconut. One or more of these added to the pancake mix makes a unique treat! Include a bottle of pancake syrup and the gift is complete.

- Muffin Magic: add your favorite muffin recipe to a 1 or 2-quart mason jar or clear, fancy container. Decorate the jar with a square scrap of fabric and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Add your recipe to a printed card (make sure you adjust your recipe if you’ve cut the ingredients by half to fit the jar!). Include a muffin tin, a wooden spoon tied with a pretty bow, a bag of fancy paper muffin cups and a colorful oven mitt or two.

- Pasta Perfect: an assortment of clear glass jars filled with fancy pastas, a wooden spoon tied with a festive ribbon, a shaker of mixed Italian spices and another of grated parmesan or romano cheese

- Your Fortune: mix up a batch of Chinese fortune cookies (see recipe at www.whimsies-online.com/weddinggallery.htm) that you add your own printed fortunes or silly sayings to (think Confucious Say!). Place them in a colorful tin from the dollar store.

- Caffeine-fix: a set of small tins filled with an assortment of special hot cocoa mixes and/or flavored coffee using the following recipes. Create tags for each to describe each mix and the directions. (All cocoa recipes: add 1/3 cup of mix to 6 oz. hot water. All coffee recipes: add 1 heaping teaspoon, or more, to 6 oz. of hot water)

Basic Hot Cocoa Mix

1-1/4 cup dry milk

3/4 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

——————————————————————————–

Mexican Cocoa

Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to above mixture and a cinnamon stick to the tin when you tie on the recipe card.

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Cocoa-Malt

1/2 cup malted milk mix

1 cup instant cocoa mix

1/3 cup powdered coffee creamer

——————————————————————————–

Very Berry Cocoa

Mix one package of unsweetened Koolaide in a berry flavor to 3 cups of instant cocoa mix

——————————————————————————–

Coffee ‘n Spice

1 cup instant coffee

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice or apple pie spice mix

1 cup sugar

——————————————————————————–

Mocha Magic

1 cup instant coffee

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/4 cup dry milk

——————————————————————————–

Toffee Coffee

Mix equal amounts of brown sugar, instant coffee and powdered coffee creamer

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Personalized Gifts

- An arrangement of family photos in a large frame – use nice gift wrap or other fancy paper as a background, or a collage of handmade papers from your art store.

- Any item personalized with the person’s name: a t-shirt with an interesting graphic along with their name; a personalized coffee mug; a picture of their favorite hobby or occupation in cartoon form with their name; a silly caricature made from their photo; a personalized BBQ apron.

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You’ll find a unique assortment of personalized cartoon pictures for any hobby, occupation or occasion and fun computer novelties including the Pet Computer Virus at:

http://www.whimsies-online.com. Be sure to pick up your free gift just for stopping by!

Heather creates unique personalized cartoons for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. Fun & personalized with any name or message. Cartoons to fit any occasion, hobby, occupation or personality! Choose one of her designs and request personal changes such as hair color, glasses or even a moustache, or order a total custom personalized cartoon! Everyone loves a gift that’s truly unique. Give them something they’ll always remember! Free – Personalized gift with any purchase, and be sure to sign up for our free ezine, On A Whim, for your free time management gift. http://www.whimsies-online.com

This is so easy, even a child can do it! I had my 8 year old son help me. For my own wedding, we picked up stemware at our local thrift stores. The idea wasn’t to have every table look exactly the same, but rather for each table to be a variation on a theme. If you’re looking for a more unified appearance, please make sure your count is accurate and buy everything you need at once, to ensure colors and shapes match.

For each centerpiece, you will need:

1 wine goblet, or other stemware

2 pieces of tulle 9-12″ in width (either square or circle)

2 contrasting curling ribbons approximately 10-14″ long

1-3 tea light candles (the 7-hour floating type)or other floating candles, depending on the width of the glass

water

1. Stack the tulle pieces. If you are using square pieces, turn one of the pieces so that you have an 8-point star shape. It will add more visual appeal to the finished project. You might consider using 2 different colored pieces of tulle to add a more dramatic appearance.

2. Center the glass on the tulle. We’re about to tie the tulle around the base of the glass, but before we do, we need to get our ribbons ready.

3. Take the 2 lengths of ribbon and pull them together. Make sure they are not twisted. You want one color on the “inside” and the other on the “outside” so that when we tie them around the stem of the glass, we have a beautiful contrasting mix of color.

4. Pull up the tulle and secure it in place with the ribbon. Tie a knot to secure the ribbon to the stem. Now make a bow and pull the ribbons apart so that your bow has more volume. Curl the ends of your curling ribbon and arrange the curls around the base of the glass.

5. Fill your goblet with water. You might consider coloring your water with a bit of food coloring to match your wedding colors.

6. Float the candle(s) on top of the water. Light the candles as the reception begins. Look for long-burning floating candles. You don’t want your candles burning out just as dinner ends. A single candle floating on water will gravitate to the edge of the glass. Try to find glasses big enough to float 2-4 candles safely. Too much heat may damage fragile stemware, so use caution.

For a more elegant look, arrange goblets of different heights on the same table or change the level of the water in each glass to create the illusion of height. You can also decorate your tulle with beads, or find tulle that is already adorned with sequins or beads. Use your imagination and create something perfect for your special occasion. Place the goblet on a mirrored coaster to create a beautiful reflection of light.

Good luck, and best wishes on your special day.

Lisa Robbin is the Director of Product Development for the giving candle [http://www.thegivingcandle.com], the maker of Heavenly Gems resin-based clear candles. Lisa writes articles on all things candle related in an effort to educate consumers about making the most out of their candle purchases.

You can email her directly at lisa@thegivingcandle.com