Leafy Votive
November 7th, 2007 @ 4:30 pm by Mrs. Toucan
I recently tested out a few different options to decorate votives for my co-worker Sam’s wedding. The inspiration came from none other than Preston Bailey:
Sam’s votives are 2.5 inches tall, so I bought 3 inch skeleton leaves from HQPaperMaker. Shipping is expensive because the company is located in Thailand, however, even with the extra shipping cost, I found that purchasing leaves here were still cheaper than anywhere else I looked.
When I made my first votive, they looked similar to the picture above. However, we found that when we burned the candle, it posed a serious fire hazard with the leaves sticking up so far from the edge of the votive. So this time, I trimmed down the bottom of the leaves, and now the votives look like this (click images to enlarge):
Initially, I was afraid the glue wouldn’t hold the leaves onto the glass very nicely, so I bought some hemp to tie around the votive. While I leave the choice up to Sam, here are a few other options/looks for her votives:
Tied in a bow
Tied in a knot
Which do you like best? Plain? The bow? The knot?
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25 Responses to “Leafy Votive”
I like both, but I think it depends on what the rest of her centerpiece decorations will look like. What kind of adhesive did you use?
i like it best without the bow-
did you try spray adhesive?
I like it better without the bow.
I tried the exact same thing with silver skeleton leaves after finding this Preston Bailey pic! I ultimately scrapped the project (turned out that simpler was better) but your votives look beautiful! I like the one without the hemp best. So elegant!
Small world, isn’t it…
Without bow. What a cool project!
without bow
Hey everyone,
To those inquiring minds, I actually used Scotch Scrapbooker’s glue with the 2-way applicator. I tried to use some other fancier decoupage glues, but they smelled really bad, and it turned out that normal clear glue worked best. 
without the bow is so simple and elegant- love it!
You can try using raffia and just making a knot with it. In either case, no bow, do either with nothing or with a knot.
Plain or the knot. I think plain is the most striking.
I like plain the best. The leaf really pops.
Cute! I like them best without the string
I like them with a bow.
i loooove this. thanks for the great idea! can i ask how much the leaves cost? i looked for the price on the site and didn’t see it.
i loooove this. thanks for the great idea! can i ask how much the leaves cost? i looked for the price on the site and didn’t see it.
Plain! It looks more ethereal and natural (if that’s not what you’re going for then i choose bow over knot!)
I actually had to request the cost of the leaves. When I bought them I paid $3.13 per pack of 100 3″ metallic leaves, but they are listed at $3.31 now. I bought a total of 600 leaves for about $19, and shipping from Thailand to Boston was almost as much at $17! Still cheaper than what I found at the Paper Source which was $3.50 for 10 leaves.
nicely done! Plain ones are my favorite.
love them
i thought of doing this but my reception place gives me votives for free. I am trying to come up with other uses for the leaves
I like it best without the hemp - but if you’re worried about the glue sticking, I dig the knot over the bow.
Looks fab!
Just in case anyone else is in love with this idea, I found some skeleton leaves at Target packaged as “Vase Filler” 100 leaves for 6 bucks? I bought a pack of them on a whim, had my dad spray paint them copper and used them along with the fall leaves in my hurricane lantern centerpieces a couple of weeks ago! They take metallic paint really well =)
I like it best without the bow. I love the inspiration for Preston Bailey- his work is always stunning. I recently found out that he has a collection for 1-800-Flowers where you can send one of his designs: http://www.1800flowers.com/refer.do?r=designerflowers&d=10320
[...] Awhile ago, I wrote about the leafy votive candle holders I made for my co-worker, Samantha’s wedding. Sam and I both agreed with most of your comments about how the simpler option (no bow or knot) looked the best. After all, sometimes less is more! [...]
Mrs. Toucan, Boston
Age and Occupation: 25, Full-time Research Assistant, Part-time Graduate Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Actuary
Engagement Date: February 18, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: November 07, 2007
Venue: St. Catherine of Genoa, Jin Asian Cuisine Restaurant
About Me: I’m a Gemini to the extreme. On one side, I’m a girly girl. I read countless bridal and fashion magazines, and have an obsession with keeping up with the latest Hollywood gossip. On the other side, I’m a sports fanatic. Despite being a full-time bride-to be, full-time research assistant, and part-time student, I’m also a full-time Red Sox fan from spring training to October, and a full-time Patriots fan from mini-camp to February. I devote almost as much time researching my for fantasy football team as researching for our wedding!
I like without a bow, but both options are pretty. Great job!!!