Connie Crystal and Shell Candle Holder

If you've ever been to a beach, especially if you have kids, then you probably have a box, bag, jar or, in my case, ketchup squeeze bottle full of shells.  I ran across our collection the other day and thought it would be perfect for a fun summer candle holder.  This project is super quick, easy, inexpensive and functional....what's not to love?!

You will need the following:
Small glass votive candle holder
Med glass votive candle holder (I got both of these at Hobby Lobby - at 50% off, the pair was less than $2.00)
E6000 Glue
About 1/2 cup of small shells
30 - 40 Connie Crystals in various sizes, colors and shapes.  (I really love the octagon crystals in this!)
I also added some pearls I had leftover from a previous project.

Step 1 - Remove any price tags or labels.  Run a bead of E600 around the bottom of the small glass and place it inside the larger glass.

Step 2 - Begin filling the area between the glasses with shells - filling about 1" up the glass.  Shake the glass gently to get the shells to settle.

Step 3 - Once you have a fairly solid layer of shells, begin adding crystals in a random pattern.  Add pearls, if desired, and some smaller shells.  You want this layer to be primarily crystals so that they catch the light of the candle.  I used a mix of purple, blue, aqua, amber and clear.  The various shades of blue mixed with gold reminded me of a sunset on water.

Once you are happy with the arrangement, add a votive candle and enjoy.  The crystals throw beautiful sparkles of light. Also, since none of the beads are glued in, if you decide you need a bead for a project, there it is.  Why keep your beautiful crystals in a box or drawer, when you can have them displayed in a candle until you need them for something else?!