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Vegetable Candleholders 101

The following 101, on veggie candleholders, comes from Farm Aid's volunteer coordinator and frequent HOMEGROWN contributor, Toni Tiemann. Check out her list of things you might not be composting but could. Toni, keep the bright ideas coming!

I saw this project on Martha Stewart and decided to give it a try. These candleholders look adorable and only cost a couple bucks and about five minutes to make. They're the perfect centerpiece for a farm-fresh dinner party and a great way to light up any event. Bonus: You can use this template to make candleholders out of lots of different fruits and veggies. More on that below!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

» Melon baller
» Turnip/s
» Tealight candle/s

WHAT TO DO

1. Wash and dry the turnip. If the bottom isn’t flat, cut off the end so the turnip can stand on its own.

2. Remove the metal case from the tealight. Press the case's sharp metal ridge into the top of the turnip to form a circular indent.

3. Use the melon baller to hollow out the turnip so that it fits the candle, using the indented circle as a guide.

4. Pop the tealight into the turnip and voila!

One tip: Like any fresh veggie, the turnip will start to go bad in a day or two. I’d recommend making these on the day of your event. Hungry for more? There are plenty of other tutorials out there on turning veggies into candleholders. I especially like this post from Evette Rios’s blog, explaining how to make candleholders from asparagus, green beans, and artichokes!

SPEAK UP!

Got a question for Toni or another tealight-friendly veggie to suggest? Post your comments below and keep the conversation rolling! If you’re throwing an alfresco dinner party, you might also be interested in Andrea’s 101 on turning wine bottles into wind chimes, Lisa’s 101 on building an outdoor dining table, and (naturally!) Charlyn’s 101 on making beeswax candles. Don’t miss Toni’s other 101s, on making your own etched drinking glasses, gutter gardening, and hanging record planters. You can always find more things to make, craft, cook, preserve, plant, grow, and scoop in the HOMEGROWN 101 library.

PHOTOS: TONI TIEMANN