I walked into Joran’s garden. The grass was barely visible from all the pieces of branches and leaves that were scattered over his grass. I looked at the tree in the back of his garden. It was gone. Well, technically it wasn’t gone. Half of it was still there. The tree just had a dramatic make-over into a new, sheared look. I curiously inspected the branches on the ground. I knew that what he saw in them was trash and firewood. My eyes saw a hundred possibilities for new fun DIY projects.

“Joran, would you mind sparing a few branches for me if you find any that split up into three on one end?”

Later that night he, being the awesome boyfriend he is, proudly presented me a whole range of branches that perfectly matched my description. Hence, today’s DIY.

So, let’s talk about how to make a candle holder out of a branch.

Materials: Thick branch split up into 3 ends on one side, 3 candles, candle cups, acrylic paint.
Tools: Saw, drilling machine, drill, spade drill, paint brush.

When searching for a good branch, pay attention to if the separate branches will be thick enough to hold a candle. Also make sure the single end side is thick enough to balance on a surface.

When you find a good branch, you need to saw it. Define what you think would be a good length. It will probably depend on the shape of your branch. Mark it. Saw it. Test if it is straight. The bottom should be sturdy and balanced when standing. The top should provide a straight surface to later make sure your candles won’t stand in crooked.  It can be tricky to make it straight. Repeat the process of marking and sawing if necessary until you get it straight (enough). Get help if needed (hurray to handy boyfriends with handy tools).

When you’re happy with the way your branch is cut, find the middle of the three ends. Drill holes in them. Make the direction of the hole in a 90 degree angle to the surface the candle holder will be standing on. You first drill a smaller hole. This way the chance that the wood will split will be smaller. Also it will be easier to drill the bigger hole straight in the middle once you have a smaller hole pointing in the right way.

After you drilled a first smaller hole, drill a bigger hole using a spade drill. I used a 20 mm one, which was the perfect size for a candle I had laying around the house. However, the new candles I bought where slightly wider than 20 mm. Make the hole deep enough so it can hold a candle.

As I just explained, my candles were a bit too thick for the hole I drilled. This isn’t a disaster. You can drill a bigger hole. Or, if you don’t have a larger spade blade (like me), you can also just scrape some access wax off with a knife from your candle bottom until it does fit into your holder.

Paint the top of your branch in a colour you like. I used turquoise acrylic paint and applied two layers.

Wood will burn. So create a safety layer between your wood and your candle by for example putting in candle cups. However, I would still recommend keeping an eye on your holder when the candle is almost finished. To be safe, I wouldn’t burn the last part of the candle in this holder, even if it’s protected. The risk isn’t worth it.

Put your candles in. Enjoy your new candle holder!