DIY Halloween Candle Holders Using Painted Glass Bottles
If you love decorating for Halloween but don’t want to spend a fortune, these DIY Halloween candle holders are one of my favorite projects. All you need are a few empty glass bottles, dark paint, and taper candles to create a spooky vintage display that looks much more expensive than it is.
This idea came to me last week when I was helping my daughter prepare to host a Halloween party at her house.
We went to several stores without much luck, but we found almost everything she needed at the Christmas Tree Shop. Because it’s so close to Halloween and all the Christmas decor is already out, all the Halloween decor was 40% off.
Update: Now that the Christmas Tree Shops are closed, I’d recommend other discount stores for the candles. I will also link to some online options at the end of this post.
The best part is that you probably already have everything you need. A few empty glass bottles, some dark paint, and taper candles are all it takes to create a dramatic Halloween display that looks like something you’d find in an expensive home decor store.
Why You’ll Love These DIY Halloween Candle Holders
If you’re looking for a Halloween craft that’s easy, inexpensive, and actually looks beautiful when it’s finished, this is it. These DIY Halloween candle holders come together quickly and can be styled in so many different ways around your home.
- Budget friendly
- Uses recycled glass bottles
- Beginner-friendly
- Great for mantels and tables
- Looks vintage and elegant
- Can be made in under an hour
Supplies You’ll Need
- 7 Taper candles in dark colors (such as these: brown, deep red, dark blue, or black.
- Paint to match the candles
- Assorted glass bottles or jars
Important note: Make sure the candles you buy are NOT dripless. You want them to drip down the sides for maximum impact. Usually, cheaper candles will drip more.
I picked out two sets of tapers in darker colors – dark blue and grey. We also picked up two or three small glass jars. They had beachy shells tied around the necks and were very cheap. I planned to remove the shells and reuse these jars alongside any glass bottles I could find around the house.
If you plan ahead, you can save and reuse jars from your house. Wine bottles work too!
Once home, I gathered a few more glass jars from my fridge. I used a soy sauce jar, two beer bottles, and a sparkling water bottle.
The Best Bottles to Use
Here are a few ideas for bottles that work well for this project to get you started. But anything with a narrow neck that the bottom of the candle will fit into. If the opening is slightly too big or small, we can fix that.
- Beer bottles
- Wine bottles
- olive oil
- sparkling water
- soy sauce
Removing stickers from glass bottles
Here’s a quick tip for easily removing labels or stickers from glass bottles. All the food bottles I chose had labels wrapped around them.
To quickly and easily remove those labels, I put the bottles in the dishwasher with the heated dry setting. When the cycle is done and still hot and steamy, remove the bottles and the labels will come right off!
How to Paint Glass Bottles for Halloween
First, clean your bottles and remove any labels.
Next, you’ll want to paint the bottles to match the colors of the candles you’re using.
I had dark blue and gray candles to work with. Because I’m always DIY’ing something, I have a ton of paints on hand. If you don’t, you can easily buy inexpensive bottles of acrylic paints, which come in a ton of different colors.
I painted the bottles, four blue and three grays. I like decorations in odd numbers because they usually display better than even sets.
It took me a few tries to get the gray paint close enough to match the candles. After painting the jars gray, I realized the color of the candles was more gray/brown, so I had to mix paint colors to match those.
It was extra work, but I don’t think the finished look would be as good if the paint and candles don’t match at least closely. I lucked out with a blue paint (Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore) that was an exact match for the blue candles.
You don’t have to be super neat with the paint. If you end up with a few drip marks, it will only add to the final effect we are going for.
Lastly, add a second (or third) coat of paint to get solid coverage and then let the bottles dry.
Quick Tip: To get this look easily without matching paint colors, use black candles and paint the bottles all black.
Add the Candles (how to make them fit flush into the bottles)
Once the bottles are dry, it’s time to add your candles. Obviously, bottles aren’t designed for candles, so chances are they aren’t all going to fit perfectly.
For bottles that are slightly bigger than your candles, wrap the bottoms of the candles with aluminum foil and insert them into the bottle. The foil will fill the gaps and make it fit snugly.
If the bottle is slightly smaller than your candle, hold a lighter to the bottom of the candle for a few minutes to soften the wax. Place it into the bottle while it’s still warm, and it will mold to the bottle.
One of my jars had such a small neck that I flipped the candle upside down because the tapered side fit perfectly. Then I just cut down the top part to expose the wick. For this project, that worked and only added to the overall effect.
Be sure the candles are in there snug so there’s no risk of them tipping over or falling out.
The Final Touch
Now burn the candles about halfway down to let the candle wax drip down the bottles. This will give you that spooky effect!
Isn’t that cool?
The candles weren’t dripping as much as I wanted at first. To hurry that along and get the very drippy look, I held a grill lighter around the top to help the sides melt down for dripping.
Important Note: I am not a fire safety expert; always do your own research when working with and using candles at home. See also: safety with candles.
Decorating with Painted Bottle Candle Holders
These last-minute Halloween decorations were cheap, easy, and quick to put together! They will make a pretty display or centerpiece for my daughter. Here are a few more ways to decorate with them.
- Halloween mantel
- dining centerpiece
- buffet
- entry table
- bookshelves
Tips for the Best Results
Mix the height of the bottles for a more eye-pleasing display. Also, use a matte paint, which will add to an authentic old-world look. Use bottles in different shapes for interest. Lastly, group them in odd numbers.
You could also add moss, pumpkins, or books around them to create a full centerpiece or display.
Where to Find dark colored taper candles for Halloween
More Ideas For Last-Minute Halloween Decorations
Here are some more last-minute Halloween decoration ideas.
- String lights
- Spray paint artificial flowers black
- Search online for free Halloween printables
- Cover books with fall or Halloween-themed paper
- Drape a table with black lace
- Use removable wall stickers
- Hang a grouping of witch hats from the ceiling
- Cover balloons in white fabric for ghosts
- Gather branches, spray paint them black, and put them in a vase. Attach bat cutouts to the branches. (these bat branches are super cute)
- Place plastic spiders in ice cube trays or in a clear hand soap dispenser
- Make a wreath out of black lace
I hope you love these DIY Halloween candle holders as much as we do and that you found some last-minute ideas you can use!
Happy Halloween!
Frequently Asked Questions
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