About Floating Candle Centerpieces

Creating a centerpiece for an intimate table setting, matching centerpieces for a long table, or even several of them? Floating candle centerpieces are versatile, inexpensive and provide romance and ambiance to complement table settings and linens, according to the Southern Living website. Although they are often just simple combinations of a glass or bowl, some marbles or rocks, water and a floating candle, floating candle centerpieces can be elaborate as well.

Candlelight has long been the most desirable and decorative addition to a dinner table. But when you add to that shimmering water, sparkling glass and perhaps even flower blossoms, you have created extra beauty. When designing your floating candle centerpiece, consider how the light will be enhanced by sparkle and reflection. Use a glass or crystal bowl placed on a small mirror to add to the elegance.

Crystals, small glass prisms, translucent rocks and even marbles can add depth to your floating candle centerpiece. Cover the bottom of your bowl or glass with sparkling rocks that are either clear or colored. Don't use opaque rocks. You want them to have transparency and to shimmer through the water in which your candle floats. Surroundings.com makes "water pearls" that actually plump up when you add water to your centerpiece. See Resources below.

Floating candles come in all shapes and sizes. If you're making a large centerpiece, find several identical or similar candles that carry out your color or holiday theme or special occasion such as a dinner party, wedding reception or birthday party. Use one dominant floating candle for a tall, slender candle holder. Guests attending outdoor events appreciate citronella candles. Other types of candles are great choices as well, such as unscented, flameless, smokeless, dripless, and LED candles. Consider the season and purpose of your centerpiece, too, as well as your home decor.

At Christmas, use white star-shaped candles; on Valentine's Day, use red heart-shaped candles. In the spring, you can alternate flower and butterfly floating candles in assorted colors. Choose wedding candles, white floating candles or even ivory floating candles for wedding centerpieces at nuptial events, and bright colors for party decor. For summer, pastel seashell candles will set the mood, and remember that tiny tealights can add just the right touch of charm to any DIY centerpiece.

The Home Questions Answered website reminds you that you don't need to purchase candle holders because you probably already own items that will serve as holders in your floating candle centerpiece. Large brandy snifters or cylinder vases filled with rocks and water, plus one dominant candle, look beautiful. Votive candle holders placed on a mirror surrounding a dominant floating candle holder are lovely. Martini glasses and wine glasses, when filled with crystals and water and floating candles, make a dazzling display.

Any clear glass container you have can be the foundation for a centerpiece. For example, fill a glass vase with rocks and water and then float candles on top.

A floral centerpiece can be very expensive and soon start to wither and fade. Instead, use just a few flowers to enhance your floating candle centerpiece. Buy one or two roses and sprinkle the petals around the base of the centerpiece on top of a mirror. Any flower with a nice full blossom, such as a rose, chrysanthemum or carnation, can be taken off the stem and floated in the water between your floating candles. You can also buy bags of artificial rose petals at the craft store to scatter around your centerpiece.

Floating candles are available online, as well as at drugstores, gift shops and even dollar and thrift stores. In fact, whenever you see an inexpensive candle set of floating candles, buy them to save for your next centerpiece. Craft stores have a variety of floating candles, plus crystals, sparkling rocks and water gems. While you're at the craft store, find the mirror assortment. You can often find round, square, oval and even diamond-shaped mirrors in assorted sizes.

Mirrors are perfect for placing under your floating candle arrangements to reflect all the sparkle and flickering light. There are commercially produced floating candle centerpiece kits for every occasion and theme, including inexpensive mini-centerpiece kits. Depending on what you have at home, you will probably save money and have more creative fun making your own.