Light it Up!

There's just something magical about candles. Especially in the summer time. They can be cute and quaint for lunch picnics, or elegant and romantic for an outdoor summer dinner. The best part about candles is that they come in hundreds of shapes, colors, and sizes and there are endless simple ways to make them look fun and unique without major hassle.
A cute and simple design that requires little effort and can easily be turned into a kids craft is creating a hanging candle with a twist. By using a craft knife, cut designs into decorative paper. (If you are using this as a family craft, it might be safer to have the kids draw their designs onto the paper so you can cut them out.) Then, wrap the paper around a glass candle holder and hang it from twine. Fun designs are highlighted by the candles glow and can make any old tree extraordinary.

For a more sophisticated and elegant design, spoon potting soil around the bottom edge of a pie plate and arrange small succulents on top. Finish it off with a pillar candle and hurricane in the middle. These fantastic centerpieces will last forever and only need occasional watering!

For a rustic farmhouse feel, take old soup cans and remove the labels. Then, using a hammer and a nail, Punch holes around the can in designs like swirls, stripes, or polka dots. This is what you call, a summer Jack-o-lantern!