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Health & Fitness

Use Cranberries to Make Thanksgiving Table Candles

Use your extra fresh cranberries for festive candles at your Thanksgiving celebration!

 

Candles are typically our go to item for creating a dramatic and moody table for special occasions. Candles are a staple in our lives for a reason—they're inexpensive, easy to use and get the job done.

Elevate them to the next level by placing them in a glass vessel filled with water and let them float all night. Tall and skinny, short and plump or a simple glass bowl will do! Along with the water, add some cranberries, flowers or greenery to the vessel for an added pop of color. Mason jars are all the rage right now and floating candles look amazing in them. 

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Put a handful of real cranberries in the glass, preferably the ones left over from making your fresh cranberry sauce.  Then, fill the glass with water. When you do, the cranberries will float to the top. The look of the greenery, with the red cranberries floating on top, and all in glimmering water, is elegant and perfect for your Thanksgiving celebration, as well as the upcoming holidays.

But you can take it beyond that by adding a floating candle. If you've made the cranberry and leaf arrangement in a bowl you'll have room for more than one floating candle. Set the candle(s) in the water, among the cranberries, and there you have it. So festive!

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The cranberry centerpiece is one of those that looks spectacular during the holidays and will still look beautiful as a table centerpiece, a mantle accent, or a counter top arrangement.

Check out these inspirational photos to get more candle centerpiece ideas. To achieve this look, before you set your table line your tray with very small candles in holders, leaving an inch or two in between each one. Then with a bag or two of fresh cranberries, fill the empty spaces in at least a single layer. Very seasonal and festive. 

Replace berries when they become soft, which can range from a few days to about a week.

Happy Thanksgiving! Your tablescapes will be even more beautiful and festive with these cranberry candle centerpiece ideas. Enjoy!

Caution: do not leave lit candles unattended.

Darien resident Janine Vairo is the founder of PartyStyle Box. She can be reached at partystylebox@gmail.com.

Editor's note: This blog post is featured on the "Thanksgiving in Darien" topics page, where you can find Darien Patch's articles, announcements and blog posts on Thanksgiving—including recipes.

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