Christmas presents – Christmas tree tealight candle holders

My siblings and partners decided to do Secret Santa for Christmas last year and I filled a wicker hamper with a selection of gifts for my sister’s boyfriend, including a set of Christmas-themed tealight candle holders.

I made the candle holders out of some scrap wood with interesting grain running up the sides. I cut the pieces to length – one slightly taller than the other – and used a paper template to draw out the shape of the tree on both sides of each piece. I then used my jigsaw and coping saw to remove the wood from the tree, leaving a complete tree outline when the two candle holders are pushed together.

I sanded smooth all the sides of the candles holders and then drilled out the holes in the top for the tealights using a Forstner bit, ensuring I went to the right depth for tealights to sit flush with the top.

I gave the holders another sand and then finished them with some Danish oil to give them some protection. I made sure to let them dry thoroughly before adding them to the hamper of presents!

I was really pleased with how these candle holders turned out and my sister’s boyfriend seemed to like the gifts a lot too! I would love to try making these again at some point, maybe out of a hard wood like walnut or cherry, if I can find a suitable hardwood timber source near my new house. Watch this space! 🔨