Creative Ways to Use Votives

Candles aren’t the only things you can put in a votive, Lee Rhodes says. Here are a few creative alternatives.

• Use them as vases. Rhodes always has a Glassybaby on her kitchen table ― “Even in winter, I’ll cut an evergreen and stick it there.”

• Plant them. In spring, you can plant sturdy votives with bulbs. During the winter holiday season, try filling them with small pebbles and forcing narcissus.

• Anchor tablecloths. Place heavy votives strategically when entertaining outdoors. • Put them in the garden. Light outdoor walkways with votives or sink wrought-iron votive holders in a perennial bed. Rhodes buys candle stands at her local garden center, then fills each with a Glassybaby. • Hold everything with them. Rhodes keeps Glassybaby holders on all her bathroom counters: “They’re great for toothbrushes, rubber bands, makeup brushes …” • Light them en masse. Keep a row along your mantel, ready to light at a moment’s notice.