Keep Candlesticks Straight, step by step

You folks already know that we like to keep all of our idle decorating objects in one cabinet that we lovingly refer to as the Decor Store for straightforward (and free) new arrangements whenever I get the urge:

So when I began jonesing for a new look for our dining room table, I looked no further than our trusty little collection of already-on-hand options. Here is what the table looked like before the mini makeover (I did enjoy having table-setting items right at arm’s reach, I simply hoped something new…):

So I stashed the bowls and the silverware back in the kitchen and chose to keep the plant and the napkins for the green pops of color that they (literally) brought to the table. And I was not quite ready to retire my go-to woven & glass cups so those stuck around too. But what else could I introduce to keep things interesting and perhaps even a little romantic? One peek into the accessory cabinet- er, Decor Store- had us seeing red. Wine that is. A giant ziplock bag of collected wine corks (thanks to friends and neighbors who save theirs up for us- no we did not in fact “earn” them all ourselves) caught my eye and a plan began to emerge. I enjoy corks as vase filler, but did I have a larger vessel for the center of the table? Yessss, I swiftly grabbed a low-cost hurricane snagged a while back at Ikea and a pillar candle for the center. Here are my supplies all laid out before the especially plain “assembly” process began:

But what is that juice glass in front? Well, I introduced that after I tried putting the pillar candle and corks in the hurricane only to notice that it did not look as full or as dramatic as I’d hoped. See, by placing the glass upside-down under the pillar candle it became a stand of sorts and raised the candle up a few inches…

… it also took up a good amount of volume in the center of the hurricane so the next time I began to add the cork “vase filler” it instantly looked a lot more full. Score.

Here our new centerpiece bursting with corky goodness. Is not it funny how some collected corks, a juice glass we had hanging around, a pillar candle and an old Ikea hurricane can come together like they were meant to be?

I enjoy how the woven basket-turned planter works with the woven cups and the corks for a natural and rugged texture that truly complements the more polished looking ceramic candlesticks and the gleaming glass hurricane.

And speaking of those candlesticks that we snatched up at Goodwill for $1 a few months ago, we in fact have a little oldie-but-a-goody taper candle pointer to share with anyone who is at their wits’ end with a wobbly candle (because the last thing that you want a flaming stick to be is precarious). It is in fact something that John’s mom taught me in passing, and it has since come to the rescue many many times (and possibly saved Casa Petersik from going up in a cloud of smoke). Simply light the wick of your candle a bit and drip some hot wax into the base of the candlestick. Then place your candle base in the candlestick (taking care that you are inserting it so it looks straight and even) and the hot wax will bond to the bottom of the candle to hold it in place like glue.

Ta-daaa. No more obsessive candle straightening necessary. And no more fears of your new cork centerpiece going up in a fiery blaze. Wax on, folks. Wax on. And you gotta enjoy how candles and wine corks keep the dining table feeling inviting and even a little, dare we say it, romantic…

So that is our latest little mini makeover around these parts. Any go-to candle pointers of your own? Any unusual vase filler suggestions or centerpiece solutions? We wanna know what is living it up on your dining table.

Update: One of our readers replicated our corks-&-candles-in-a-hurricane idea using skinny taper candles instead of a big fat pillar candle and did note that they burned down a lot faster and posed a potential fire hazard if they were not being watched (since corks are certainly a flammable material if the flame burns down to that level). We certainly recommend using a large slow-burning pillar candle set about eight inches above the corks and never leaving it unattended. Safety first!