With spare wood lying around, I looked online, and I brought a 40 mm spade drill bit so that I could carve the perfect holes out of wood to make some nice rustic tea light candle holders. I should have considered investing in a higher-quality option. My experience with this particular item highlighted issues with durability. From my experience, lower-cost imports can sometimes have quality concerns. In the future, I’ll look for products with better reviews and consider sourcing from suppliers with a reputation for high standards.
When it finally arrived, I was extremely excited to start making some candle holders. The magic number was four, I made four candle holders before the drill bit snapped, this was all in a small timeframe, within 1 hour, the item was no longer usable and my candle holder journey came to its sad end, not to say I will give up, I will just pay more for something that is up to the job. What did I make?
Using recycled wooden timber, I cut a square out of it, made the perfect tea light candle hole, sanded it all over, and wow, what a result. I was left with a rustic candle holder made out of reclaimed wood that was finished with a perfect carved floral frangipani flower candle that would look good on a dining table.
Then with the leftover Norwegian spruce log and root that I had in storage, I have done the same and created a set of two round wooden holders (a small and larger one) and an extraordinary holder out of the root itself. This was a naturally quirky design. If you decide to make a homemade, handmade candle holder, make sure that you use trusted tools. When the metal drill bit snapped, the drill moved around like mad and could have easily caused some damage.
If you want to make your own candle holders, you will need a few items before you can get started, here are some of them. Firstly you will need some type of wood for the base of the candle holder, a tealight candle holder, tools for the making process, and some safety equipment.
Disclaimer: The information in this guide is for general use only and comes without any guarantees of accuracy or effectiveness. Users should exercise caution, follow safety guidelines, and use high-quality tools; we are not responsible for any injuries or damages resulting from the use of this guide.
Recommendations
If you have all of those items, feel free to move on, and follow our guide to getting started.
Step by step process
1. The first step would be to ensure you are protected by wearing the safety equipment mentioned above.
2. Then prepare your wood, if it is a perfect size then skip this step but if not cut it to the size you would like it using a handsaw.
3. Using a ruler or tape measure, measure the wood to find the centre, mark it with an x so that you know where to drill.
4. Place your wooden piece in a clamp or vice of some sort to avoid it spinning out of control. Then go ahead and start drilling into the x with the 40mm spade drill bit. Do this a little at a time, and keep testing to see whether the tealight candle fits or not. Repeating this process until it does.
5. When the hole is good and the candle fits well. Remove the candle and give the holder a once over with sandpaper to remove any sharp edges and to smoothen the wood.
6. If you wanted to you could put a finish on the wood, this could be a wood stain varnish or a natural based oil just to bring out character within the grain. This step is optional, but finally, make sure you take a picture and tag us on Instagram @carved_culture
Safety tips
Wood is naturally flammable and so if you intend to make your own candle holders, you should ensure that when in use the candles are not left unattended. You must use a metal insert to avoid the risk of the wood igniting. We do not recommend burning candles without a candle shield but if you ignore this advice and don't use a candle shield, you should not allow the candle to burn down to the holder as this would increase the risk of starting a fire.
Handmade Teak Root Candle Holder
The teak root candle holder was made from recycled teak root and small off-cut pieces left over from the production of furniture. It is hand crafted in Thailand, teak is a tropical hardwood tree species that comes from the plant family Lamiaceae. Teak is also known as Burmese teak, Central Province teak, as well as Nagpur teak. Candle holders are specifically designed to improve the look of your candles, bringing back that calming atmosphere. Each is designed in its own unique way.
Up next: Wood Carving for Beginners (Course)
