4x4 Wooden Candle Holders

I still had some 4x4 posts left over after making the wooden snowmen, so I kept on going. You can never have too many candles, am I right? These wooden candle holders let you switch out between tea lights and LED flameless lights any time you want.

Start with pieces of 4x4 post - any length you like. You can go small, medium, and large, or all the same height - the sky's the limit. I just eyeballed the post and cut it into three approximately equal lengths. One piece is slightly longer than the other two, which I think looks better than all exactly the same.

I stained all four sides and the top of each with Minwax stain in Jacobean, and then wiped flat white paint right over the stain using a clean cloth. The paint was applied unevenly - intentionally - so that it looks aged and a bit like old barn wood. In some places the stain even shows through.

To drill the insert for the light, I had Tom use his hole saw set. The hole saw only cuts around the outside of the circle, so this method involves using a series of progressively smaller hole saw bits and then finishing with a spade bit. The other option is using a Forstner bit, which I don’t have (but I’d like to!) This bit has several angled blades and drills out the entire hole at once. The hole saw is slower, but it is easier to control.

Once the hole was drilled, I rubbed the interior with stain and paint like the sides. I then wrapped jute twine around the candle holder three times and tied it in a bow. Over the bow I glued a slice of tree branch and a bit of potpourri.

Pretty little things, aren’t they?