How to Make a Pinecone Candleholder

Pinecones are a lasting holiday symbol. Associated with evergreen and Christmas trees, pinecones are often used in holiday decoration. Soft, gentle candlelight is very intimate and inviting, making it an excellent lighting choice for any holiday gathering. Many candles can be found in familiar holiday scents such as spices and peppermint that add a light, fragrant touch to your celebration. Pinecones can be used to make unique and lasting holiday candleholders that can be used year after year.

Things You'll Need

• Glass candle base
• Large pinecone
• Small metal votive
• Candle
• Hot glue gun
• Sharp knife
• Pliers
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Measure the bottom of your pinecone to determine what size candle base you need. The base should be an inch or two larger than your pinecone to catch any dripping or melted wax.

2. Trim the bottom and top of your pinecone. The top and bottom need to be as flat as possible so that it does not tip when you place your candle in it. Use your pliers to pull off sections of your pinecone if necessary.

3. Apply a small circle of glue to the bottom of your pinecone with the hot glue gun and press it firmly onto the candle base. Hold the pinecone down on the base until the hot glue sets.

4. Place your metal votive on top of your pinecone to determine where to place it. You need to center the votive as much as possible to keep your candleholder from being off-center.

5. Glue the votive to the center of the pinecone. Use enough hot glue to keep the votive from coming loose. Hold it firmly until the glue dries.

6. Insert a candle into your votive. Tall candles tend to work best, but you can choose whatever style of candle you like.

7. Light the candle and allow it to burn. This testing phase will make sure that your pinecone base is even and that no wax will drip onto your table. Replace the candle as needed to fully enjoy your new pinecone candleholder.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when using your hot glue gun. The glue gets extremely hot and can cause serious burns if not used properly.

• Do not leave burning candles unattended. Burning candles with no supervision have been known to cause serious damage and injury.