A few weeks ago I filmed a segment on The Chew where I did all kinds of adventurous things. One of those was turning a shed antler that I’d found in the woods into a candleholder!
When I posted it to my Facebook page a lot of you inquired how on earth one could make that sort of thing, so I’m here to show you how.
You’ll need a few things to get it done:
1. A shed antler (duh). But if you want to be fancy, you could paint your antler with a series of stripes using whatever paint you have on hand. Seeing as I still had gold paint left over from my stair stenciling extravaganza, I thought I’d put it to good use.
2. Copper caps (available at hardware stores in plumbing).
3. Screw driver
4. A drill with a bit (Tip: you’ll want to start with a smaller bit and then repeat the hole with a larger bit. This will make it easier to pierce the copper cap initially).
5. Screws (1 per candle holder)
6. Pencil
7. Candle (Tip: bring your copper caps with you and try different candles out to make sure they are thick enough at the base. If it is slightly loose that’s okay, simply light a match and burn some wax from the bottom of the candle to help it stick securely to the base of the copper cap).
8. A work glove (the copper gets HOT as you drill into it, and you’ll need to hold it).
You start by drilling a hole into the copper cap with the smaller drill bit.
Next, set the copper cap over the spot on the antler that you’d like your candle to rest and use your pencil to mark the spot.
Use your small drill bit to make a hole long enough for the screw to enter.
Then switch to the larger drill bit and drill into the copper cap again. This will make enough room for the screw to fit into the cap. You’ll leave the hole in the antler as is, so that the screw fits snugly.
Use your screw driver to turn the screw into the copper cap and the antler so that it is all secure. Use a lighter to drip wax from the base of the candle into the cap and set the candle in.
Set it on your table and light it up. It’s perfect for an outdoorsy summer dinner party!
I tried it on natural colored antlers and ones that I’d painted and both were fun, though the natural ones are more versatile.
Give this a try! You’ll love it and everyone will think you’re a modern pioneering genius.
