driftwood candleholder Archives

Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

Posted on May 16, 2019July 21, 2022 by K P

Creating a Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

An easy way to make a driftwood pendant light shade that will stretch to go over a glass shade of various sizes. The secret is simply using “stretch” bead and jewelry cord purchased from Michaels or from Amazon BEADNOVA 1mm Clear Elastic Stretch Jewelry Roll.

If the top of the glass shade is narrower than the bottom – you can tighten the driftwood row at the top and leave the bottom looser. However, you don’t want to use a shade with more than a 2-3 inch circumference difference between the top and the bottom. Having said that, a creative mind could easily create two separate rings of driftwood one to fit around the top and the other to fit the bottom.

Materials You Will Need:

1mm Clear Stretch Beading or Jewelry Cording
Drill
1/8″ drill bit
Pendant Light Shade to be covered
Driftwood Pieces preferably 1/2″ or more round, and straight
Pencil to mark drill holes
Ruler to measure and mark for drill holes

Marking and Drilling your Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

Place a driftwood piece against your glass shade, figure and mark 2″ from the bottom of your driftwood piece. Then measure another 2-3″ from the first mark and make a 2nd drill mark. You want the holes to line up as much as possible on each piece of driftwood. Drill at hole at each mark.

Once your pieces are all drilled, start threading the stretch cord through the holes. Tie knots about every 4th piece to keep spacing a little more equal when the shade expands. Pull the stretch cord to tighten the rows.

Make Your Circle

Occasionally place the driftwood row around the circumference of the glass shade to check the fit. When you have the row the length you want – tie a final knot or two. DO NOT CUT THE CORD. Form a circle with the driftwood row and continue threading the cord through 3 or 4 driftwood pieces from the other end. Knot the ends. You can add a little bit of hot glue to the end knots or lightly melt the stretch thread with a match.

Finally, slide the driftwood over the top of your glass shade and attach the assembly to the hanging rod.

You need not be confined to just using the driftwood on pendant shades – try using the same technique to go over an existing table or reading lampshade.

And don’t forget this stretchy driftwood surround makes a great candleholder or planter. Use them for special events, weddings or just liven up the garden.

If you want to make your own driftwood for this project, check out our tutorial on How to Create your Own Driftwood – it really works.

If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.

5 Easy Creative Driftwood Projects that you Can Do At Home

Posted on September 16, 2018June 2, 2020 by K P

5 Easy Creative Driftwood Projects that you Can Do At Home

Driftwood seems to be all the rage right now – it’s everywhere. Driftwood finished furniture is in all the high end stores along with great driftwood accessories. Everytime I turn around, some very creative person has come up with yet another great idea using driftwood. And, although driftwood by itself can be a beautiful accessory, it’s not that difficult to create everyday objects using driftwood. Here are just a few simple driftwood projects to get you started.

Driftwood Projects #1 – Driftwood Wall Garden

By attaching picture hanging wire around a favorite piece of driftwood and creating a loop on the back you can create a beautiful and unique driftwood planter that you can hang indoors or out. Once you have your wire attached, creatively adhere one or more airplants or bromeliads to the driftwood using a multi-purpose epoxy (it won’t hurt the plant) then suspend it from a nail wherever you want a delightful reminder of the great outdoors. You have now created a natural piece of living art. Remember to water the plants with a mister regularly so as to foster their growth. Hang one or get creative and hang many.

Driftwood Projects #2 – Driftwood Lamps

To do this correctly one has to have creativity skills and patience so as to come up with a perfect design that will not only compliment but blend with other interior home decorations. In this project, all you have to do is fix the driftwood pieces on the lamp base then use electrical connecting wires to connect the lamp to the main electricity power socket. In case you intend to make a permanent lamp, a quality adhesive will help keep all the wood pieces intact for longer. For directions on how to make three different lamps, including a floor lamp, see How to Create a Driftwood Lamp; for step by step directions with corresponding pictures, view Step by Step Directions for Making a Driftwood Lamp

Driftwood Projects #3 – Driftwood Candle Holder

Candle holders are compatible with virtually all home interior decor designs. Like driftwood lamps, there are many creative ways to make unique driftwood candle holders using very large pieces or even very small pieces, but they are all easy to do. Fill your candle holders with special candles scented with coconut or seabreezes to add that spa-like atmosphere. Driftwood candle holders make wonderful gifts and can be very inexpensive to make. For three different style driftwood candle holders can be found here.

Driftwood Projects #4 – Driftwood Mirror

If you have access to many small similarly sized pieces of driftwood, you can create a simple but stunning beachy mirror. This one is for a circular mirror. A nice size is about a 12″ diameter mirror. Try a craft store for an unframed circular mirror. Trace your circle onto a piece of paper. Now place your driftwood pieces around the circle with one end an inch into the circle and the other pointing out. Lay out your pieces until you have the design you want then begin gluing the pieces together using a multi-purpose epoxy or gorilla glue. When you have glued all the driftwood pieces together around the circle – you can center the mirror and attach it with glue to either the back or the front of the driftwood circle – whichever you prefer. Attach a small screw to the wood, wrap wire around the screw and create a loop to hang to use for hanging.

Driftwood Projects #5 – Driftwood Jewellery Display

This is mostly suitable for businesses that sell various jeweleries. It will help create an attractive business environment that will lure customers due to the fact that the contrast between the jewellery and the wood is quite conspicuous and attractive. Simply place the driftwood in your display case as a creatively place your jewellery around the driftwood. Add some seashells and sand and you have a unique and beautiful display to help sell your items. Don’t limit yourself to just jewelry – many items will look good displayed against a backdrop of a beautiful piece of driftwood. And don’t just limit yourself to display cases – this is a great way to display beach inspired dishes inside a china cabinet.

There’s no limit to the creative uses for driftwood and it certainly does not appear that the current craze for driftwood inspired furniture and accessories is going to be ending anytime soon so get out your tools, find a great piece of driftwood and let your imagination take hold.

If you want to make your own driftwood for this project, check out our tutorial on How to Create your Own Driftwood – it really works.

If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.

Creating Expandable Driftwood Candleholders and Plant Holders

Posted on May 26, 2018July 21, 2022 by K P

Creating Expandable Driftwood Candleholders and Plant Holders

This is an easy way to make driftwood candleholders and plant holders that will stretch to accommodate different size jars. Those pretty glass candle jars that you normally throw out after the candle burns down can now become a very pretty driftwood plant holder. The secret is simply using “stretch” bead and jewelry cord purchased from Michaels or from Amazon BEADNOVA 1mm Clear Elastic Stretch Jewelry Roll.

Materials You Will Need:

1mm Clear Stretch Beading or Jewelry Cording
Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
Drill
1/8″ drill bit
Glass container
Driftwood Pieces preferably 1/2″ or more round, and straight. If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.
Pencil to mark drill holes
Ruler to measure and mark for drill holes

Place a driftwood piece against your glass container. Measure 2″ up from the bottom and mark a hole for drilling. Then measure up another 2-3″ from the first mark and drill a second hole. You want the holes to line up as much as possible on each piece of driftwood.

Once your pieces are all drilled, just start threading the stretch cord through the holes. I tied knots about every 4th piece to keep spacing a little more equal when the candleholder expanded but it’s not really necessary. Pull and tighten the driftwood row.

Make Your Circle

If you want to make your own driftwood for this project, check out our tutorial on How to Create your Own Driftwood – it really works.

The simple holders are also great for Using driftwood in a Party or Wedding Theme.

We actually used this same technique to create pendant light shades and they look awesome! Making driftwood pendant light shades.

Beach Style Decorating Ideas

Posted on February 19, 2018April 27, 2019 by K P

Beach style decorating isn’t just for coastal beach houses and cottages by the seashore. It can be incorporated absolutely anywhere to soothe the nerves, provide positive energy and lighten the mood. Some simple beach style decorating tips can bring the therapeutic benefits of a vacation at the beach right into your home.

Start by installing an interior louvre door and painting it a vibrant Caribbean blue or a deep aquamarine. Louvered doors automatically stir thoughts of old casual beach cottages. Next, install some horizontal planking across one wall of the living room or a whole ceiling and whitewash it for an overall beach house ambiance. Continue the aqua colors in accent pillows, comfy throws and an area rug. Toss in the bright orange of a warm beach sunset.

Go boldly into beach style decorating with unusual and unexpected color in the kitchen. Paint the kitchen island an eye-catching sea green and repeat the color in the window treatments. White or shell cabinets and a sea glass backsplash provide just the right amount of contrast while giving you that sand swept beachy feel.

If you’re not that daring, go to the opposite end of the spectrum and make nearly everything stark white. Then paint the wooden floor and the

cabinet doors a subtle sandy color. Easily add some sophistication with the texture of stainless steel appliances and accents. Purchase or create your own accessories with a nautical or coastal theme with using driftwood, shells and sea glass to create the feeling of being near the sea. Hang some artwork depicting the seaside and fill some shelves with picture frames and treasure boxes bordered in delicate shells. Translucent blue glass accents bring the sea inside.

Wall decor made of woven sea grass and random room accents made of wicker strengthen the aura of a retreat by the beach. Driftwood, when adapted as a home decorating accessory, is extremely versatile and lends itself to endless creative ideas. Weathered driftwood can be hung on a wall as is or insert a simple airplant and use as a planter. Equip it with some small hooks and dangle some souvenirs from the beach. Pick up an inexpensive wood-framed mirror and attach small pieces of driftwood around the border.

Gathering several pieces of driftwood that are all near the same length, tie them together with sea grass or nautical rope and stand them on their ends. Use this as the base for holding dried wild flowers. If you have a large section of driftwood, secure it to a wall, attach some hooks and use it as an unusual hat rack. Try making one of our suggested driftwood candleholders or driftwood lamps. Refinish a great flea market find with a driftwood finish by using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish or one of our alternative homemade techniques.

If you have a pool, construct a backyard open-air cabana. Basically, this consists of nothing but a simplistic frame and a roof-like covering. Add floor to ceiling canvas curtains tied back to each post and create a look that’s as soft as a sea breeze. Add some more lush plants. Fill it with accent pieces that have seaside motifs like palm fronds, shells or marine life.

Outdoors, landscape with solar lighting as a reminder of the sun’s subtle energy. Indoors, adorn a few side tables with a grouping of sand candles.

Lighten up your mood and your atmosphere with beach style decorating. It’s the next best thing to being there.

How to Create a Driftwood Candleholder

Posted on February 16, 2018December 23, 2018 by K P

Three Simple Driftwood Candleholders You Can Make Yourself

Driftwood Candleholder Style #1

You will need:

enough cleaned driftwood pieces to fit around your glass candle container
multi-purpose epoxy glue
glass contained candle
raffia or twine (optional)

Directions:

For this style driftwood candleholder, you will want to have enough clean driftwood pieces to go around your glass container candle – 10-20 pieces to chose from depending on the size of your glass container . It’s best to use 1″ thick linear pieces rather than awkward shaped driftwood pieces.

Determine how tall you want the height to be. Some prefer the height to be just to the top of the glass while I’ve seen others extend it 2-3

inches taller than your glass container. Either way looks great.

Saw off the ends of each piece so they will line up evenly at the bottom around the your glass container while still giving you the height you want.
Now one by one, line up a piece with the bottom of the glass container and begin gluing. Continue until you have completed the circumference.

Wait until the glue dries according to the package before using.

You may wish to dress up your container with raffia or twine.

A great decorating tip is to create three of these candleholders of various heights for use in displaying.

Driftwood Candleholder Style #2

You will need:

Driftwood
candles in glass votive holders or tea lights in tin holders
drill
1 3/4″ (44 mm) hole saw – which is a type of bit that will fit on a drill and create the holes (available at Lowe’s and Home Depot)

Directions:

Suppose you have a wonderfully unique piece that is too big to use for the first style candle holder but you really want a driftwood candleholder. If you have a piece that will sit solidly on a flat surface without being “tippy”, then this is a good option for making your unique driftwood candle holder.

Lay your driftwood piece on a flat surface and determine where you might want to put one or more candles. Space them out so they won’t cause a fire hazard when lit.
Once you have identified where you want the candles, mark the center.
Now secure your driftwood and drill your holes using the hole saw drill bit to match the size of your votive or tin candle holders. Drill no more than 1/2″ for tin tea lights. You can drill deeper for votive holders. You want to make sure that the hole is not so deep that a lit candle will catch the surrounding edges of the driftwood on fire.

I’ve seen this style used with elaborate pieces and many candles, as well as with one hole and one simple candle – and they are all beautiful.

Driftwood Candleholder Style #3

You will need:

thick cut of driftwood (4″ or more circumference)
drill
1 3/4″ (44 mm) hole saw – which is a type of bit that will fit on a drill and create the holes (available at Lowe’s and Home Depot)
glass votive holder or tea light tins

Directions:

Cut both ends of your driftwood so both the top and bottom are flat.
Using the hole saw drill bit, drill a hole in the center of the top deep enough to fit your tin or votive holder.
Insert your votive or tin.

This style looks best when the votive or tin sits almost level with the driftwood surface.

A great tip is to make three of this style in various heights for a great display.

There you have it – a driftwood candle holder style for everyone!

Other projects to try: Driftwood Lamp; Driftwood Sailboat; Driftwood Christmas Tree, Driftwood Windchime, Driftwood Clock