Make tealight candle holders

Use a spade bit of 38mm or 40mm in width to create wonderful candle holders. All you need are some pine offcuts, Woodoc gel stain and tealight candles to create decor for your home, or gifts for family and friends.

 

YOU WILL NEED:

Pine offcuts 50 x 50 x 100mm
38mm or 40mm spade bit
Woodoc gel stain
Clean cloth
Rubber gloves
Orbital sander with 120- and 240-grit sanding pads
Tealight candles
Raffia or ribbon to wrap

 

CONTINUES BELOW

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

1. Use a ruler to mark the diagonals across the top of the block so that you can determine the exact centre.

  2. To drill to the right depth for the tealight candle, wrap a piece of masking tape around the spade bit so that you will know when to stop.

 

3. Don't be stupid like me! Clamp the block to a firm surface so that the block won't spin as you drill. Start off at a slow speed just until the bit starts to bite into the wood and then increase the speed.

4. You should end up with a perfectly drilled out circle that is the right size and depth for the tealight candle.

5. Now you can use your orbital sander and 120-grit sanding pads to smooth all the corners and around the top. Finish off with 220-grit sanding pads for a nice smooth finish.

6. Choose the wood tint of Woodoc gel stain and apply this to the candle holder with a soft cloth. It dries almost instantly.

To finish off, make up a total of three candle holders and wrap these together with raffia or ribbon to make a lovely gift.

Now you're ready to try the next project - using trimmed timber to make decorative candle holders for your home.