A Thanksgiving Cornucopia & Wire Votive

by Ardith Beveridge, Tastemaker in Residence

Here's a twist on the old Cornucopia that can be used on a wall, table or anywhere else your creative brain wants to display it. A wire votive of your color choice and style is easily made with a balloon as your template, yes, really!

Ingredients - Cornucopia

1 cornucopia or low container
Use fresh floral foam with fresh and/or permanent botanical products.
Insert two small sticks or stems in the base of the owl to prevent it from moving; you may also use a small pumpkin or candle.
Use fresh flowers and permanent botanical interchangeably

Instructions - Cornucopia

1. Insert greens around the outside base of the container. Larger leaves on the bottom graduating to the smaller ones at the top
2. Insert branches, cones, flowers around the center focal area

Ingredients - Wire Votive

Most important ingredient is your creativity!
Fresh or Permanent leaves of your choice or birch bark or other holiday greenery or ribbons
LED lights
Balloons the size and quantity of the wire balls you prefer
Aluminum wire - your color choice
Base = any piece that is round and sturdy (see instructions for base used in image)

Instructions - Wire Votive

1. Choose a base that will accommodate the size of your wire ball. 
2. You might be able to find a wire ball at your local florist but you can make your own by blowing up a balloon to the size of sphere you want for your votive holder. Then wrap aluminum wire around the balloon creating a wire sphere, pop the balloon. Voila, you’ve created a wire sphere of any size or rounded shape that you prefer.
3. The base is your choice. Find something amongst your kitchen/dining containers, but it should be round and sturdy. The base in the example is flat wire, 1" wide, from Smithers Oasis. It’s wrapped and secured together with Smithers Oasis glue dashes; you can also use your glue gun.  
4. Place your leaves or preferred accent in the container. 
5. Place the LED light in the wire ball 
6. Put the ball inside the base

Optional - Wire Votive Tips

1. Choose wire that takes you through the holiday seasonal colors 
2. Use Christmas ribbons mixed with holly or mistletoe for repurposing the wire ball. 
3. Use artificial snow flakes or glittery white bark in the base and around the ball