DIY Candle Holders

How to Craft a DIY Candle Holder

If you’re looking for your next project, candle lanterns are fun and easy to make yourself. They make beautiful decorations for your home or unique, hand-crafted gifts for a special occasion.

Before you start shopping, consider what size candles you want to hold. Measure your candle and be sure to include a little extra space between the candle and lantern.

Gather Your Materials
Depending on how you want your candle holder to look, you can use any pliable metal that catches your eye. Spend as little or as much as you want on the project. Wash out an old tin can, find some scrap pieces from another project, or splurge on an intricately designed piece of sheet metal. In addition to hobby materials designed for projects like this, you can grab woven wire or wire mesh, perforated sheets, or anything else that catches your eye.

If you're using metal that you need to cut, tin snips are a must. Use wire to help tie pieces together if you’re creating a lantern out of a flat piece of metal. For solid pieces of metal or cans, use either a drill or a hammer and nails to punch decorative holes.

Create Your Lantern

To make your lantern from a patterned flat sheet, it's easiest if you wrap the metal around something cylindrical. The cylinder will provide an evenly rounded shape as a template. Once you’ve shaped the metal to your desired form, thread wire through the openings in the decorative pattern and tie the metal ends together. Cut off any excess wire for a clean finish.

If your sheet metal doesn’t have a pattern, it’s easier to add one before molding it into a cylinder. Use a piece of paper to draw a template or print a design you find online. Make sure you tape the design to the metal so it doesn't move while you work. With a hammer and nails or a drill, punch the template holes through the metal until you're happy with your design. Don't forget to add holes to the sides so you can tie both ends together, then follow the same steps from above.

Adding a design to an old can involves the same process, but you’ll need to be careful not to distort the shape. Hitting too hard with a hammer or pushing down with a drill can warp the shape of the metal. If that happens, do your best to mold it back.
 

Finishing Touches

Once you’ve created your candle lantern, leave it unpainted for a rustic feel, or paint it to match your décor. You can also add gems, stones, or tiles for extra flair. Make sure the glue and the materials are all heat-safe, so they don't melt once you light a candle.

Now that you know how to create beautiful decorative candle holders, get started with everything you need from Industrial Metal Supply.