DIY Rustic Candle Holders
Once I made these candleholders, I couldn’t narrow down how I wanted to present them—and I still haven’t, really! They look great as individual place-setting markers, table centerpieces, wedding favors, and handmade Holiday gifts. So. Many. Options. I definitely plan to use the motif in my own wedding (currently planning) and give them away as favors. This particular batch is meant for gifts at our holiday party.
When I saw the idea on Diary of a Mad Crafter, the blogger used twigs to cover her store-bought scented candle—what a great idea! I took the craft one step further, and in a slightly different direction. I liked the look so much that I made it re-useable and gave it an even more rustic look!
DIY Rustic Candle Holders
• Several candle holders (I chose fluted votive-sized holders)
• Twigs and sticks varying in thickness between a ½ centimeter to ½ inch
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticksMethod:
Probably my favorite part of this craft is that I could spend a shameless few hours at our local park—to go stick hunting! I took a plastic bag with me in order to pick up handfuls of hardwood twigs and sticks. The size of each stick is really up to you; in my experience a greater variety in thickness adds to the rustic feel. Conversely, the more uniformity in thickness, the sleeker your candleholders will be.
Plug in your glue gun, loaded with a glue stick. While the gun is heating up, start breaking (or cutting) the twigs anywhere between 2 to 3 ½ inches. I prefer a very handmade look, therefore I varied the lengths— I didn’t have any sticks that easily cooperated at one specific length, either. I found that I needed between 20-30 sticks to cover the full circumference of each votive holder.
Another idea is to play with the design of your sticks—maybe purposely have gaps, maybe have all of the sticks at an angle, etc. Experiment if you like, with cutting the ends with a saw, for a straighter edge! I appreciated using the fluted votive holders because I could completely change the form by placing my twigs both above and below the edges of the original shape.
The application is pretty simple. Begin with a line of hot glue, and press the stick straight on. Because we are working with nature, some sticks are curvy and kinky; simply correct as you go, teeny-tiny gaps are barely perceptible. Pause when you have space for 2-3 final twigs, and at this point choose specific sizes and lengths to complete the round, and leave as few gaps as possible.
Allow the candleholders to dry for at least an hour before affixing your personalized tags and/or labels for gifts.
The fluted candleholders allowed for a beautiful hang tag with a heartfelt message. I also wrapped each candleholder with a textured ribbon and closed it with a label in the style of Sugar Pine.
Used In This Project:
- Address Labels • I chose the “Sugar Pine” style in Smoke.
- Scallop Tags • I chose the “Sugar Pine” style in Smoke.
More homemade gift ideas from Zoe:
Scarecrow Cupcakes Coffee Kitchen Soap DIY Tin Ornaments Homemade Rock Candy
Shop Our Food/Craft Collection:
Zoe is born and bred in Portland, Oregon and recently moved to Orlando, Florida. She studied sociology and philosophy at University of Oregon, and is currently employed at a law firm. Presently, she devotes her time to being lost in the tropical vegetation of her backyard, sun-scorched bike rides, repurposing everything she can think of, quirky cooking, and promoting the creative lifestyle that she loves.
These are super cute!
Thanks! 🙂