Simple Thanksgiving Candle Displays

Elevate a basic pillar candle to Thanksgiving-worthy status. Hot-glue ears of Indian corn around a pillar candle and tie twine around the arrangement. For a more elegant look, substitute pretty satin ribbon for the twine.

Easy can be impressive. Simply place a votive candle in a clear glass container and surround it with unshelled nuts. This go-anywhere decoration can be displayed on a table, buffet, or fireplace mantel. When Thanksgiving is over, remove the nuts and replace with jingle bells to ring in the Christmas season.

Garnish plain pillar candles with colorful leaves for an elegant and understated display. Determine placement of leaves on each candle. Coat the backs of the leaves with decoupage medium and smooth in place on the candle. If necessary, use tacky white crafts glue to hold the stems down. Cover the sides of the candle -- including the leaves -- with one or more coats of decoupage medium.

Add a touch of elegance to an autumn element using luminous pearls. Glue acorns to a crafts-foam wreath, placing the caps squarely on its surface. Mix whole acorns and acorn caps for a natural look. Hot-glue large pearl beads to some of the acorn caps to add pops of pearly white to the rich brown ring of nuts.

Simple votive holders are transformed into beauty when fiery leaves are casually tied around them with string or twine.

To make this clever arrangement, fill the cups of a muffin tin with various spices, seeds, and dried beans and lentils. In some of the cups, nestle groupings of votive candles. To make the lentil and bean balls, coat small plastic-foam balls with glue and cover with dried beans or lentils. Let dry. Apply a coat of polyurethane to the balls to make them shimmer in the candlelight.

For a bright, seasonal centerpiece, tuck a trio of pillar candles into a branch from the yard. Fill the open spaces with gourds, pods, and berries.

Line up colorful votive cups on an antique bread tray and flank with fall branches. Expand beyond the expected Thanksgiving colors -- yellow, orange, red, and brown -- and add dark purple for a rich pop of color.

Pick a few finds from the supermarket produce aisle to create a colorful candle display for Thanksgiving. Hot-glue unshelled almonds around a candle and wrap with a length of twine. Place the candle on a decorative plate and surround with kumquats and an evergreen sprig. For extra holiday flair and fragrance, poke cloves into some of the kumquats.

This dimensional fall centerpiece comes alive with a gathering of candles surrounded by autumnal elements.

Cast a soft glow over your Thanksgiving table with a multicandle centerpiece. Bundle large pillar candles together (we used nine) with a length of wide satin ribbon. Surround the base of the centerpiece with bittersweet or greenery.

Incorporate a favorite family snapshot into a Thanksgiving decoration. Measure the circumference of a glass hurricane and cut scrapbooking paper to measure (you may need to overlap two pieces to fit). Adhere a photo to the paper with scrapbooking adhesive squares or glue. Decorate the paper with fall-theme stickers and embellishments. Wrap around the hurricane, securing the overlapping edges of the paper with double-sided tape. Finish the look by tying complementary shades of taffeta ribbon around the base.

Dried beans and lentils are affordable and versatile items to use for Thanksgiving decorating. For this arrangement, place a large pillar candle inside a large glass cylinder. Pour dried white beans into the cylinder around the candle, filling the container about 2 inches deep. Place the cylinder in a wide glass bowl and pour dried black beans around it. Surround the cylinder with white candles in glass votive cups.

Shop architectural salvage stores for old finials, table legs, and porch posts to use as interesting candleholders. Longer posts can be cut into shorter pieces to make multiple candleholders.

Editor's Tip: Add a spacer between the candle and the wooden base to reduce the risk of fire and prevent melted wax from discoloring the surface. Use an antique saucer to add a decorative element or a small round glass disc (or mirror) for a subtle touch.

For this colorful fall candle arrangement, start with a wide clear vase (ours is 12x8-1/4 inches). Nestle a smaller cylinder vase inside (ours is 11x4-3/4 inches) and insert a candle. Layer dried corn, burgundy cockscomb, pale green dried hops, and brown oak leaves between the two vases. To expand the display, fill 6-inch cylinders with similar layers and insert small pillar candles into them. Position small glass votive holders around the larger cylinders and add harvest-color votive candles.

Editor's Tip: Be sure the candles extend well beyond the dried materials to prevent a fire hazard.

The most beautiful candle displays are often the simplest. For a modern touch, place a pillar candle in a clear, square glass container, then add corn kernels about halfway up the height of the candle.

This autumn-color centerpiece is perfect for the Thanksgiving table or any autumn gathering. Best of all, it looks great even without the candles lit. Simply fill a shallow bowl with unpopped popcorn kernels and dried beans. Nestle votive candles into the mixture until they are stable. Be sure the mixture isn't too close to the candlewicks.

For a quick autumn centerpiece, place candlesticks in a dish and surround with mixed nuts. Have an extra bowl of the snacks nearby so guests aren't tempted to eat the display.

Take nature-inspired decorating a step further by decoupaging leaves (real or artificial) onto glass votive holders.