This project is very easy to complete. I have seen this type of candle arrangement in mail order catalogues for quite of bit of money. Making your own is simple and very gratifying. I used some wood that a neighbor had put in the trash. It is chemically preserved as it was intended to be used as a deck post. You can use any type of wood. You can even stain or paint your candleholder, depending on the look you desire. This project would make a great gift. You could even stack several in a fireplace and add a little ambiance without the mess of a wood fire.
Materials
4" X 4" piece of lumber
Drill
Drill bits
Saw
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Candles
Instructions
Cut your lumber to desired length. My piece measured 28” long. Remember, even though the lumber yard states the piece is 4” X 4”, it is actually only about 3-3/4” X 3-3/4” due to milling procedures.
Measure the diameter of your candles. I made my candle holder 2 sided. One side is for tea lights that are 1-1/2” diameter. The opposite side is for tapered candles of various diameters.
Select which side(s) of your lumber will hold the candles. Try to avoid drilling into knots. The knots can split as you drill. This can be difficult and dangerous. Arrange some candles on the piece of lumber in a pleasing fashion. I placed my tea lights 2” apart from edge to edge of each candle and 2” in from each side. This allowed me to have 7 tea lights on one side. I place the tapered candles about 3” apart. Mark where the center of each hole will be drilled for each candle. Flip the piece to the opposite side and repeat the measuring process for the different candle size.
Select a drill bit the same size as your candles. I used a 1-1/2” diameter bit for the tea light side and a ½” diameter bit for the tapered candle side. My tea lights candles are about ¾” high, so I placed a piece of tape on my drill bit at the ¾” mark so I know when to stop drilling.
Place the drill bit on the mark and drill to the correct depth. Repeat for each candle hole needed.
Place a candle in each hole. For the tapered candles, whittle the base of the candle to fit into the hole.
This project is very easy to complete. I have seen this type of candle arrangement in mail order catalogues for quite of bit of money. Making your own is simple and very gratifying. I used some wood that a neighbor had put in the trash. It is chemically preserved as it was intended to be used as a deck post. You can use any type of wood. You can even stain or paint your candleholder, depending on the look you desire. This project would make a great gift. You could even stack several in a fireplace and add a little ambiance without the mess of a wood fire.
Measure the diameter of your candles. I made my candle holder 2 sided. One side is for tea lights that are 1-1/2” diameter. The opposite side is for tapered candles of various diameters.
Select a drill bit the same size as your candles. I used a 1-1/2” diameter bit for the tea light side and a ½” diameter bit for the tapered candle side. My tea lights candles are about ¾” high, so I placed a piece of tape on my drill bit at the ¾” mark so I know when to stop drilling.
Place the drill bit on the mark and drill to the correct depth. Repeat for each candle hole needed.
Place a candle in each hole. For the tapered candles, whittle the base of the candle to fit into the hole.
Place on your table, indoors or out, and enjoy!