DIY Yule Votives

DIY Projects are a great way to celebrate the Yuletide season. Learn how to make these simple yet elegant Yule votives for yourself or as gifts. 

yule votives

Celebrated throughout the world, Yule coincides with the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. The holiday begins at sundown on this shortest day of the year, and continues for twelve more days. Traditionally, fires are lit and candles are burned to celebrate the "return of the light" as the days will now grow longer. Here we show how to use our Yule Grimoire Page printable pdf to create custom votives for your Yule celebration or to give as gifts.

items you'll need

• Yule Grimoire printable pdf - available on Vervain & Rue HERE or on Etsy HERE
• 8.5x11 inch parchment paper and/or full sheet clear stickers
• Glass votive holders
• LED pillars
• Your choice of candles: LED or Wax votive
• Scissors or Paper Cutter
• Clear matte tape (plain or double-sided)
• Coordinating ribbon (optional)

how-to Instructions

Once you have all your tools assembled, print out enough grimoire pages to decorate the number of votives you have. You can use whatever type of paper you'd like - the votives we've made show the pages printed on parchment for the glass jar votives and clear sticker sheets for the tall LED pillar votive. The great thing about our printables is that once you purchase the file, you can print it out as many times as you'd like for this and other personal use projects and gifts. Of course, any design you already have on hand can be used for this project as well other decorative papers you might like to use.

paper wrapped votive

Making a paper wrapped votive is super easy. Measure the height of each glass jar (straight-walled containers work best) or pillar, then determine which part of the design you'd like to feature on the votive. This can be different for each one, or you can print multiple images to make them all the same. Cut strips from the grimoire page at the appropriate height then wrap the strip of paper around the  jar or pillar - trim the width as needed to eliminate any overlap. Next, fasten the paper wrap with a clear piece of tape. You can also use double-sided tape or spray glue for a more permanent adhesion, but clear matte tape works fine if you're like me and want the option to change these out for different celebrations.

​CLEAR STICKER WRAPPED VOTIVE

 We used clear sticker sheets to decorate the tall LED pillars, but they work equally well on glass jars. They're a great option for creating the appearance of the design being part of the candle or glass and  they also let more light shine through.
Once it's cut to the required size, lay your design out on a flat surface print side down and peel off the paper backing from the sticker sheet. Holding the pillar just above the sticker, line up the top and bottom of where you'd like to adhere the sticker to your votive (or pillar) then begin rolling from one edge to the other. At this point you can double-check your alignment and re-position the sticker before pressing it down and rolling it completely across while pressing firmly to remove any air bubbles. 

Yule votive display

Amass a number of these decorated votives to create a festive display of light. We show them as part of a display including other seasonal decorations and the grimoire print in a shadow box. At mealtime, you can add several at the center of your tablescape or a small votive at each place setting. They also make a nice festive addition to your Yule altar. Whether using them for your own decorations or giving them as gifts, these simple Yule votives are an easy DIY that make a big impact.