Autumn Votive Centerpiece

Expand your creative skills today with this elegant arrangement of berries, leaves, and glass-painted votive holders -- because everything looks more beautiful in candlelight!

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Sheet, 18" x 12" x 2"
• Translucent spray paint for glassware: orange; yellow
• Brown antiquing gel
• Fern-print tissue paper, two sheets
• Artificial Nandina leaves, six large sprays
• Artificial orange/yellow berries: 36" flexible vine; individual stems, 14
• Light green reindeer moss, one bag
• Clear glass candle holders, 3" tall, five
• Orange votive candles, five
• Floral pins
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Waxed paper
• Disposable bowl and spoon
• Paper towels
• Water basin
• Wire cutters or floral shears
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue
• Optional: Disposable gloves. Hair dryer.

Instructions:

1. Use pencil to draw one 15" x 4" rectangle and one 18" x 6" rectangle onto foam sheet.
    
2. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut out foam rectangles. Center and glue smaller rectangle to top of larger rectangle; reinforce with floral pins. Let dry.
    
3. Tear tissue paper into several 2" x 14" strips and several 3" square, or smaller, pieces.
    
4. Mix one part white glue with two parts water in disposable bowl; stir with spoon. If desired, put on disposable gloves.
    
5. Dip each tissue piece into glue/water mixture and smooth onto all surfaces of foam base until base is covered. Let tissue pieces wrinkle and overlap. Place base on waxed paper to dry overnight. Note: Hair dryer may be used to speed up drying process.
    
6. Place small amount antiquing gel on paper towel and rub over tissue paper. Use clean towel to rub away excess, leaving light coat. Let dry.
    
7. Glue small pieces of reindeer moss to bottom of base and to lower edges of each foam rectangle.
    
8. Wrap berry vine around base; secure with floral pins. Use wire cutters to trim berry stems to about 3" long. Insert three stems into center of each long side of base and two stems into center of each short end of base.
    
9. Trim Nandina spray stems to same length and insert into base behind berries on long sides so they point toward short ends. Let some leaves extend around corners.
    
10. Follow manufacturer's instructions to spray paint candle holders yellow; let dry. Spray paint holders orange; let dry. Glue candle holders to top of base; let dry.
     
11. Glue small pieces of reindeer moss around candle holder bases. Place candles in holders. Insert remaining berry stems into base between holders.
     
12. If desired, remove each leaf and berry stem and apply glue to ends before reinserting stems into foam. Let dry.

 
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For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.