Make a Pretty Twig Tealight Candle Holder

Fun and inexpensive to make this pretty candle holder makes a great gift for all sorts of occasions! Download the symbolised instructions below.

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My students love a twig project. The saws and glue guns are fun to use (with appropriate levels of supervision and support) and the completed projects always look so good. With twisty, knobbly sticks you don’t have to be too precise with cutting – unevenness is part of the rustic charm!

The first part of the fun is collecting the twigs – a great reason to spend some time outside or a nice focus if you’re out for a walk. The twigs need to be nice and dry for the cutting and the gluing so you might want to collect them a few days in advance. Collect lots – we will be posting other twig projects in the next few weeks!

Measuring the twigs ready to cut is easy. You don’t even need to use a ruler, you can just go by eye. Once you have one twig cut you can use that as the guide to cut all the others the same size. My students like to use a small saw but you could also use secateurs, or break the twigs. Breaking them can leave the ends a bit sharp. If so, a rub with sandpaper will be helpful.

The project below uses tea light candles in shallow glass dishes (from treat desserts!) so I cut the sticks 2cm higher than the dish. If you are using jam jars with larger candles in then cut the sticks the same height as the jar so the sticks don’t get too hot.

The next fun part is using the hot melt glue gun to stick the twigs around the glass dish. I always get the student to put the glue on the dish rather then the twig as this way they are less likely to get it on their fingers. Put a strip of glue on the dish and hold the twig onto it for a moment until it holds. Make sure that one end of the twig is level with the bottom of the dish. Continue all the way round. I use a cheap mini hot melt glue gun with my students that came from The Range.

Once the twigs are stuck all the way round decorate with ribbon. The candle holder would make a great house-warming gift tied with a ribbon to match a new room. Or a table centre for Christmas with a festive ribbon. Or a seasonal gift for a carer. There’s lots of possibilities! Remember to advise the recipient to stand the candle holder on a heat-proof surface when burning it. Have fun making! 😀