Introduction: Applewood Candle Holder Centrepiece

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About: Hey, I'm Adam. A web developer by day, I make things out of salvaged wood, steel, and other goodness whenever I can!

I made a candle holder centerpiece out of an applewood log, I thought it would be a fun project for American Thanksgiving.

While I know that we all want to spend this time with family and others who we maybe haven’t seen as much as we would like this summer, please be safe!

Supplies

  • Tealights
  • Log
  • Drill press or hand drill
  • Forstner Bit 1 9/16th or 40mm
  • Hand saw or mitre saw
  • A bandsaw ( optional )
  • Handplane

Step 1: Sizing and Dimensionsing

I first started off selecting an Applewood branch that I had pruned a few years ago, the bark had been removed over time so the wood was left aged and a bit cracked. Perfect for a centerpiece.

After roughly cutting the log to size I used a 1 2 3 block to mark the bottom after determining what I wanted to be the top.

I did this to both ends of the log, I then used a string connecting both lines to make sure that the bottom would look nice.

In order for me to cut the bottom off of the log, I needed to build a quick jig which served to safely hold the log still while passing it through the band saw.

Step 2: Flattening the Bottom

The next step was to clean up and flatten the bottom, this was done with a hand plane but would easily be done carefully using a jointer.

Once the log sat good and flat I trimmed the ends of the log making sure to remove any of the screw holes used to hold the log in the jig.

Step 3: Dividing the Log

I measured the total length of the log and needing 6 candles divided by 7.

A trick here if you want to divide something by a specific number of holes drilled is to add one extra.

Needing 6 I divided by 7.

Step 4: Drilling Holes and Making Mistakes

Using a Forstner bit 1 9/16ths or 40mm I drilled my holes approximately 5/8ths or 15mm deep.

Pro Tip, Do not try to redrill a hole while the drill is running! I ended up catching an edge and munching the side.

Now that I have converted my 6 candle holder into a 5 candle holder, we are done!

Step 5: Done!

I choose not to do any sanding because my cross-cut blade leaves a very nice finish and I didn’t want to alter the natural wood but you could always apply a natural finish if you think it might enhance the look.

Step 6: Whats Next?

Thanks for watching! And remember have a safe Thanksgiving and Holiday season!

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