What to do with antique Christmas tree candle holders?

Use them as place card holders on a fancy dinner table. Clip one to a folded fabric napkin and put the name card and a little candle in the candle holder spot.

Can you find faux candles and actually use them on the tree? Or, "open" the holder part (where the candle would go) and put an ornament or other "bauble" inside. You could mod-podge a picture, but, frankly, they are so wonderful as is! Even with the patina (aka rust) :)

Put LED candles inside go them.

Great ideas, I like the place card one, I love dinner parties and this gives me a reason to have one!

Use them with real candles on a "tomato cage" Christmas tree (made with non flammable materials and decorations of course).

Use them as birthday candle holders to be set around the cake on the dish.

They could be used as napkin holders,paper holders,Paint them colors,and such.Those are lovely!

I am an antique dealer And have also worked in a museum. Your holders appear to be in rough shape. I have spray painted many small candle holders such as yours with an antique silver or mercury glass type paint. I bought battery type miniature candles. They looked fabulous on my Christmas tree with various antique ornaments. The tree looked very similar to a Victorian antique tree.