If you're in the market for candle holders, you've probably found that there's no shortage of them. Candle specialty stores carry tons of them, home décor stores have lots to choose from, and most discount stores have a decent selection. But you can save money and display your candles in a more unique way if you make your own holders.

With a little creativity, you can make candle holders using items you already have around the house or things you can buy for next to nothing. Here are some ideas to try.

* Transform an ordinary jar into a lovely candle holder. Place a votive candle in the centre, and pour sand or marbles around it, or add the sand or marbles first and burrow a taper candle down into the centre. You could also mix equal parts white glue and water, paste on some pieces of tissue paper, and let dry. Then cover with another coat of the glue and water mixture for a beautiful stained glass look.

* Turn miniature pumpkins into candle holders. Simply cut the top off like you would if you were carving the pumpkin, and scoop the insides out with a spoon. Place a votive or tealight in it for a great natural candle holder.

* Buy a plain votive cup and spruce it up. Glue on some jewels, beads or sequins in a colour that matches the rest of your décor, and tie a pretty ribbon around the centre and glue into place if you like.

* For taper candles, use a wine bottle. You can simply leave the bottle as-is for a retro look, or remove the label and decorate as you like. Place the bottle on an old plate or saucer when burning the candle to catch any melted wax that may drip down.

* Recycle a baby food jar to make a hanging tealight candle holder. Paint the jar with glass paint, or decoupage tissue paper onto it as described above. Let dry, and wrap wire around the jar just under the lip, fashioning a loop on each side. Then bend another long piece of wire into a triangle shape and hook it to the loops to make a hanger.

* Sculpt a candle holder out of clay. Air dry clay works just fine, and you don't have to worry about finding a kiln to fire it in. Just sculpt the candle holder to your liking, let it dry, and spray it with a coat of clear varnish to finish.

Whether you're trying to save money or just want something unique, making your own candle holders is easy to do. Just find something that can stand up to heat, decorate it as you please, and add a candle. That's all there is to it!