DIY Concrete Tea Light Candle Holder

In this Instructable I’ll show you how I built a concrete tea light candle holder step by step. At first sight it may seem complex, but actually it is pretty easy to build.

I found a simple method for casting concrete which works great. To make such shape you only need a thick Styrofoam board and a utility knife.

Watching the video will significantly simplify the process, and I hope it will inspire you to use your creativity and make something wonderful.

Dimensions:

• Concrete form: 28 x 13 x 5 cm
• Wooden base: 36 x 14 x 2 cm

Materials:

• Styrofoam board http://amzn.to/2GhQbbH
• Aluminum pipe http://amzn.to/2p4aMId
• Quikrete http://amzn.to/2GdUYLb
• Spray paint http://amzn.to/2FxjkOy
• Shellac http://amzn.to/2tBbzps
• Protective gloves http://amzn.to/2oVZx5l
• Cabinet bumpers http://amzn.to/2FvB7WA
• Tea lights http://amzn.to/2FsXorZ

Tools:

• Router http://amzn.to/2Furwz7
• Circular saw http://amzn.to/2FxnLsX
• Cordless drill http://amzn.to/2FqVw3b
• Forstner drill bit http://amzn.to/2FpNZl0
• Utility knife http://amzn.to/2GfjM5a
• Chisel http://amzn.to/2GcW6yw
• Hacksaw http://amzn.to/2tyMjjz
• Sanding block http://amzn.to/2FtUvaw
• Glue gun http://amzn.to/2Gf9thu

The mold is made out of 5 cm thick Styrofoam board.

First, I drew the shape on a piece of paper, and to be able to follow the drawing, I stuck it onto the Styrofoam with a duct tape. Then, I made all the cuts, making sure to keep the knife straight and close to the line.

Once finished cutting I removed the cut-outs, and got a rectangle with a wavy form in the middle which separates the rectangle into two parts.

In the middle I wanted to insert aluminum pipes, so to be able to do that I cut the wavy form as well.

With the middle removed from the board I could make three holes with the help of the aluminum pipe. I just rotated the pipe into the foam carefully, until came out from the other side.

I cut the aluminum pipe into three short pieces, and inserted them into the holes.

To make space for the tea light candles I cut three circles out of 1 cm thick Styrofoam and hot glued them in the predetermined places. Inserting toothpicks into each circle is a great way to reinforce the joints.

For the bottom of the mold I used a piece of fiberboard, which I cut with a handsaw.

Now all the parts are ready to be joined together.

I hot glued the wavy form along with the pipes in place. Here I also used toothpicks as dowels to keep it in place.

Also, I applied hot glue onto the Styrofoam board and stuck it onto the fiberboard bottom. Additionally, I applied a large amount of hot glue from the outside to avoid water leaking.

When gluing Styrofoam, make sure to use a low-temperature hot glue gun to prevent the foam from melting and burning, which happened to me.

Finally, I spread cooking oil over the entire surface with a brush. This will help me remove the mold very easy once the concrete has cured.

Now I can mix up some concrete. I’m mixing one part cement with one part sand and adding water until I get a nice consistency which is not too thick and not too watery.

So, I can fill the mold with concrete. I’m using my fingers to fill up the pipes, as they need to make a strong connection between the two concrete parts.

Then, I’m releasing the air pockets by vibrating the mold. This means that I’m done with the concrete, so I can leave it to cure for 2 days.

Once the concrete has cured, I can remove the mold. The cooking oil made removing the foam extremely easy.

I took a 220 grit sandpaper and sanded down the surface in order to get rid of the dust, and to make it nice and smooth. Lastly, I wiped the dust off of the surface with a wet rag.

The wooden base is made out of beech wood. First, I marked all the dimensions.

I’ll place the concrete form in the middle of the base, and for that purpose I need to remove 1 cm of the thickness of the wood.

The easiest way to do that is to use a router. But, the problem here is that I don’t have a plunge router base. So, here’s how I did it:

I clamped some scrap pieces of wood onto the board, which will serve as guides. Then, in the center I drilled 10 mm deep hole using a 15 mm Forstner bit. This way I created a starting point for the router.

After that, it was very easy to work with the router. I routed the section out, and after that I chiseled out the corners in order to make right angles.

Now, I can finally cut the base to size. To make the cuts I used the table saw and the crosscut sled. There are so many other ways of making a base, depending on the tools you have.

To sand the surface, I started with 120 grit sandpaper, and moved on to 220 grit until I got smooth finish.

To protect and seal the concrete I applied one coat transparent spray paint with satin finish.

Onto the base I applied one coat of transparent finish, which will protect the wood, and will emphasize its natural beauty.

The last thing I need to do is to attach self-adhesive silicone pads on the bottom of the base.

I can finally place the candle holder in the middle of the base, and add the tea light candles into the holes.

This candle holder came out pretty cool. I really enjoyed the process of creating it.

Tell me what you think about this project in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to watch the video for more details.

If you like this project please subscribe to my channel and follow me on social media.

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Thanks, Marija