A Not So Cheesy Luminary

Here's a "Grate" Idea for You!

What do you do with a rusty old cheese grater? Make a luminary.

If you've seen the rusty kitchen utensils at flea markets and yard sales, you've probably also wondered what to do with them. Many are too rusty for food grade use. I purchased my rusty cheese grater at a tag sale and the lady at the checkout stand asked what I planned to do with it. I said I planned to put a candle inside and make it a luminary for my kitchen counter. She laughed and offered to refund my quarter and keep the grater for that purpose. I kindly declined. Seriously, I'm not heartless, but a sale is a sale.

Making a cheese grater into a luminary is a simple as putting a jar under it with a tealight candle inside. It can be any sized jar as long as it fits under the grater. I tied raffia and some dried berries on mine, but make sure that the decorations are well out of way of the flame. Using a tealight assures that the flame is low and small.


If you are at all concerned about the surface getting too hot, just stand your candle jar on a piece of marble or ceramic tile.

After I made one cheesy luminary, I made a second one to stand on top of the wood pellet stove. It's a "grate" conversation piece when it isn't lit. People always want to know what the grater is for.

See this and other fun projects on Flea Market Style Magazine's "I'm a Flea Marketeer Link Party."

And also on Beautiful Life Friday at The Inspired Room.