how to make a driftwood candleholder Archives

Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

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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.

Creating Expandable Driftwood Candleholders and Plant Holders

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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.

Using Driftwood in a Wedding or Party Theme

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Using Driftwood in a Wedding or Party Theme

By Kim Foster

Whether you’re planning a romantic barefoot wedding at the beach or you’ve simply chosen a nautical theme party, using driftwood in a wedding or for your party is one of the most dramatic elements available for your party décor.

Not only is driftwood naturally-occurring and often obtainable for free, but it also adds a perfectly casual yet classy touch to your special occasion. Plus, as an added bonus, driftwood stands up to wind and weather, unlike expensive fresh flowers that will wilt in the heat. Check out these clever ideas for using beautiful, eco-friendly driftwood for your wedding or party. If you don’t have driftwood available to you locally, check out this tutorial on how to make your own driftwood, or these online sources for obtaining some good driftwood pieces online to get your projects started. Recommended from Amazon for creating Driftwood Furniture including driftwood arches – great for a wedding. Driftwood Furniture: Practical Projects for Your Home and Garden

• Driftwood Menus

Adding driftwood to your special event menu is a lovely way to add the driftwood theme to your tablescape. Buy inexpensive frames that have a back stand, make copies of your menu and insert into the frames, then attach driftwood pieces using a hot glue gun and your done. When the party is over, remove the menus and add your favorite photos from your special event.

• Driftwood Sailboats

Use simple Driftwood Sailboats as table décor. Follow these simple instructions for making these easy driftwood sailboats which look amazing when added to any beach themed wedding or party décor and are super easy to make. Surround your sailboats with other driftwood pieces, shells, candles, sand flowers and you have your simple yet elegant and inexpensive table decorations.

• Driftwood Arch

To begin with the most obvious and yet one of the most striking uses of driftwood, consider exchanging vows with your beloved under a driftwood arch. Driftwood arches range from stark and simple to breathtakingly intricate, and are easy to enhance in many ways, should you choose. You can cover the entire piece with greenery, or add fabric or ribbons to flutter in the ocean breezes. LED lights wound around the arch look lovely for a nighttime wedding, bringing that radiant glow to your face and that of your intended.

• Driftwood Vases

You can just easily make a driftwood vase for holding flowers as you can a driftwood candleholder – the same technique is used. Find a large cylinder glass vase – clear or even a pretty seaglass color that will show through will work just fine and attach it all the way around using a hot glue gun then just add your choice of flowers.

• Driftwood Signs

Signs are often used to point the way to the ceremony or reception, to urge guests to “Choose a seat, not a side,” or simply to display the names of the bride and groom with a loving message or a romantic quotation underneath. Driftwood signs look right at home in any natural or “shabby chic” venue, and are easy to personalize by painting freehand or using stencils. Driftwood can also be used to frame chalkboards, and messages in chalk can of course be erased after the big day, so you can continue to use the signs in the future.

• Place cards

Search online for “driftwood place cards” and you’ll find so many artful ideas you won’t know which to pick. For starters, you could decide to paint or carve each guest’s name directly onto a small piece of driftwood, creating for each person a unique wedding favor as well as a placeholder. If painting or carving seems too labor-intensive, you can cut small slits into pieces of driftwood to hold handwritten name cards, or drill tiny holes into any small, irregular pieces of wood and insert wire card holders. This idea from June Bug Weddings. Photo by Harrison Studio

• Driftwood Candleholders

If you’d like to add a cozy ambiance to your tables, driftwood can be used to make candle holders in countless imaginative styles. If you have a long driftwood log at your disposal, small divots can be cut into it to hold tiny tea lights. You might also arrange sticks of driftwood vertically around a glass candle holder, or directly around a wide candle itself. They can be decorated with ribbon, though twine or thin rope would also be in keeping with a nautical or beachy feel. For a tutorial on how to make driftwood candleholders click here.

• Driftwood Garland

When frilly bows and ribbons just won’t fit in with your theme, you can add a truly unique finishing touch to your wedding décor by creating driftwood garlands. Whether natural colored or whitewashed, a collection of driftwood twigs can be strung together and draped from furniture, laid casually on a tabletop, or used as a tie-back for fabric. Add a few sand dollars, shells, or starfish to turn it into an idyllic seaside accent.

• Driftwood Chandelier

For the more ambitious decorator, nothing says “drama” like a handmade driftwood chandelier. The idea is more do-able than you think, and like so many driftwood items, you’ll find that chandeliers can range from intricately entangled sculptures, wired for electricity, to plain driftwood sticks used to suspend candles in beautiful holders. Metal candle holders are often used and mason jars are popular, too, but any colored glass container can add interest to the piece and tie in with your wedding motif as well.

• Driftwood Cake Display

If you can find the right piece of driftwood, it can be a clever display to highlight a beautiful wedding cake, champagne fountain or food tray. Make sure your unique piece is capable of holding the weight of whatever you want it to hold and then properly balance and support it for a spectacular driftwood display your guests will be talking about for years.

• Driftwood, River Rocks and Flowers

There’s something simple yet serenely beautiful about smooth stacked river rocks and purposefully placed flowers against a backdrop of driftwood that will set the tone for a beach themed wedding. Hot glue them together so they stay attached then artfully place them on your guest tables or scatter them about your reception area to set a sea inspired zen like ambiance complete with driftwood, flowers and river rocks.

• Driftwood Centerpiece

Use driftwood as your centerpiece. Driftwood is naturally beautiful and can easily stand alone as a piece of sculpture or use it as an integral part and incorporate it along with other natural elements. Include flowers, stones, shells, intertwined or sculptural driftwood and candles. Simplicity is key. It doesn’t need to be elaborate to be beautiful. And don’t forget to add a hint of your colors for your special day, event or the season your celebrating.

The allure of driftwood lies in the history each fragment holds. Once young and green, every piece has traveled far and changed much from its original form. Tossed by the waves for many years, it has finally landed on the sunny shore—time-worn, but still strong and beautiful. There is no better symbol for an enduring marriage than driftwood!