This is one of the first Christmas decorations I made for my house when I first moved out on my own. It couldn't be any easier. One basket, a block of Styrofoam, a bunch of boughs, pine cones, and flowers, and four candles. I left a space in the middle of it and have swapped out the center decoration over the years. It's been a small teddy bear, a large candle, this Santa candleholder, and several other things. I've had it since Christmas 1989, so it's had a lot of incarnations, and I've gone through several red and green tapers. Yes, I know better than to burn them when they're this close to the decorations--it's time to put new ones in for sure. It doesn't get lit very often, but occasionally, on Christmas eve, or for holiday dinners with friends, I'll light the tapers for mood lighting.

Since the center item can be swapped out, I can put something shiny in the middle and use gold or silver tapers for New Years. A little sticky wax holds the candles in place when I swap them out, but I put it a pretty deep hole for the candles, so it's still safe.