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To further illustrate my love for all things Pinterest, I talked my hubby into making me a branch candle centerpiece much like this one.
From my hubby:
Not really a lot of rocket science involved here, once the proper branch is selected. Don’t be afraid to prune in order to get the right balance on the table – and leave some branch stubs for character! As for spacing the tea candles, I established center and then spaced evenly to the ends. BTW, lots of shavings generated, so do this outdoors.
I had a problem in that none of my hole bits were large enough. If you have a standard set, you will likely find that the largest is 1″ – not big enough for a tea candle. So, rather than make a hardware store run (where they know me by name now) I started each spot with a bit from a hole saw set, the kind that you use to cut out holes for door handles. It has a standard drill bit in the center – see the center hole? – and then a circular ring of teeth that cuts the circumference. I don’t remember the size, but it’s larger than 1″ and matched the tea candle perfectly. Lucky me!
The next step is a switch to the 1″ hole bit. This is placed in the same center hole you just made, but it cuts an entire 1″ hole as deep as you want to go. BUT BE CAREFUL! If you go too deep, you’ll either bury the candle or, worse, go all the way through to the other side. See next pic for a closer look.
Notice here that you end up with a 1″ hole and then a small ring of wood before you get all the way to the outer circumference.
Almost there, but the next step is critical to completion…
A necessary switch to a wood chisel now, because we need to remove that last little ring of wood. Set the chisel in the bottom of each hole and tap with a hammer, going all the way around. Clean the bottom of the hole and drop a tea candle in to check the depth. You may find that you need to go deeper, which means doing each step again in very small increments. The top of the candle should be flush with the wood. Taller is fine, if you prefer, but I would not go deep and create a fire hazard. No need to seal or polyurethane – again, we are dealing with flames! Oh, and the branch I used here was from a huge holly tree. Just happened to have pruned it when my bride presented me with the idea!
Marty here:
Yes, my husband can make things, write about them, play the guitar and sing, take care of the kids and even make chocolate chip peanut butter pancakes. Yes, he’s amazing, and he’s mine. For 25 years now.
The table runner is actually a tablecloth folded over that I’ve had for years. I like glitter and glam so I love the sparkly threads.
I spent all of about $4 on the three pumpkins (Michael’s at 50% off, with 15% more with my teacher’s discount).
Pinecones=free, from God’s great beauty outdoors. The rest of the foliage was some I’ve had or purchased after the season at 80% off.
My most favorite part? These homemade scarecrows made by my oldest daughter (now 23) in our first year of homeschooling in 1997. Okay, I made most of it because she was, after all, only five. But it’s the thought that counts! They have been a part of our fall decorations for 15 years and are still cute today!
If you want to see more of my fall decor check out my thrifty fall decorations and my pinecone door arrangement.
To see more of my husband’s projects go view the window table, table made of fence posts, pallet shelves and my scrapbook room.
Linking with The Style Sisters, Between Naps on the Porch, Funky Junk Intereriors, The Tablescaper, Sew Can Do, Home Stories A to Z, The Thrifty Home, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chic, Just a Little Creativity
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Welcome! What started out as a little family journal in 2008 has turned into a passion for sharing my life, faith, adventures and dreams as a DIY, crafty, bargain hunting, homeschooling, memory keeping mom of both biological and adopted children. Make yourself at home! 
What a precious husband you have! I love how this turned out! It looks so good and I love the little scarecrow
Thanks for linking up and sharing this idea with us!
Karin
Thank you for the kind comments and for stopping by!
Now how cool is that!! You definitely have a keeper of a hubby.
Yes, I think I’ll keep him (especially if he keeps building things for me!) Thanks for stopping by!
You lucky girl! What a beautiful centerpiece he created! I also love to decorate with the crafts my kids made when they were little, I never get tired of them!
I am indeed lucky! Thanks for visiting my blog.
I love your festive table . The log candle holder is wonderful and gives such a warm, cozy feeling.
~Diane
Thank you so much. I’ve enjoyed looking at it a lot! (Though the tub of fall decorations is still out and the rest of my decor isn’t done. Yeah for one completed project!)
Awesome job! That’s harder than you make it sound though…. I know I’d ruin it somehow! Hubby did a great job and you’ll enjoy this for a long time!
My hubby takes care of the building and I do the decorating. Great match!
Great Idea and your Husband gave directions and very helpful and detailed! The trick is to find a straight branch like the one in your photo. Very pretty fall arrangement!
Thanks
My husband is great at explaining things so I’m glad he helped!
What a great hubby! Love your new centerpiece…..all the more special.
This is a great project. I love when we can take inspiration from others and come up with something like it too! You did a wonderful job with your candle log and the tutorial! Thanks… and thanks for sharing it with TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS!
WOW!! Your hubby did a great job! Love the centerpiece! It is so rustic yet pretty. Thanks for sharing. Blessings My Friend,
What an awesome idea!! I love it and am so proud to share it with our blog and email readers!!!
Thank you! Share and pin away!
Beautiful! and a great Tutorial!
Thanks! I love my husband’s handiwork!
Love this! Maybe I could get my nephew to make me one. Wonderful to have you at Seasonal Sundays.
- The Tablescaper
PS When you have a chance, please add a link to Seasonal Sundays
I added the link. Thanks for stopping by!
woww!! awesome craftiness!! thanks for this wonderful decor idea!! perfect for this season!
Thanks, Maria Ana! I am enjoying the beginning of fall weather and cooler temps! Hope you are, too. Thanks for stopping by!
SO cool! I love this idea! I am sure I can find a birch branch down in our woods. Today’s the perfect day to go out there and hunt for it. Can’t wait to make this. It looks lovely with all the other orange and browns and yellows surrounding it. Thanks for posting it! I’m following via GFC. Hope you can visit and follow back?
Hmmm. Guess I can’t follow via GFC. But I did pin this. Love it!♥
Thanks for the love on my centerpiece. Google Friend Connect is no longer but if you click on the RSS feed on my blog (the one to the right of the red p) it will give you options for adding my blog to a reader. Google+ is now what most people use. I’m working on learning how to do an email subscription, too. One step at a time! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Wow…this is so gorgeous! What a classy and elegant table
Love it! What a cool project. I’d like to invite you to share it at my party, Twirl & Take a Bow at http://www.houseontheway.com. It’s every Tuesday. Hope to see you there!
Leslie
This is just beautiful! Pinning now!
Thank you so much, Trish!
Cute Mary! Found this at A to Z Stories!
Thank you for stopping by my blog!
That candle holder is wonderful!!! Lucky you to have such a talented husband! Thanks so much for sharing your talents at the Tuesday To Do Party!
Smiles!
Jami
http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com
Cool! Love autumn colours and this centrepiece looks fab.
Thanks, Wendy! Hope it’s getting cooler where you are. I love fall!
Beautiful branch candle centerpiece, Marty–so pretty paired with your fall tablecloth and pumpkins. And that hubby is a keeper–nice of him to put this project together!
Your hubby did a great job on the candleholder, and it looks wonderful with all your fall goodies around it.
I love natural elements from the yard and woods too, screams fall to me! Happy Fall to you!
Blessings, Nellie
Thank you so much, Nellie. I’m blessed with a husband who’s handy because I am NOT! I’m lovin’ fall!
I love seeing people that actually make stuff they find on pinerest, it gives me hope that I’ll get to it one day
This is one of my favorite fall pins, it’s so simple (decorative-wise) but beautiful.
Yes, we have actually made a few pins (recipes, DIY, home decor). I am a Pinterest addict and love the creative ideas I found there. Thanks for stopping by!
I love, love, love this. Breaches are so much fun for the fall or winter seasons. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
What a beautiful fall centerpiece!!! I love fall decor! Its got to do with all the beautiful rich browns and oranges!
Kudos to your husband as well
I am hosting my very first “Inspiration Wednesday Link Party” and would love if you shared your tutorial with my readers! I hope to see you there,
Kristina
http://madaboutorganizing.blogspot.ca/2012/09/Inspiration-Wednesday-Link-Party.html
Thank you for the compliment. Yes, my husband did good!
Absolutely Gorgeous! Fall is my favorite season, and I love all warm and cozy decorating ideas out there. You did a great job with this festive centerpiece — it turned out so pretty!
Thank you so much. I adore fall as well, my very favorite season.
This is just so pretty. I just love autumn decorating, and this is a great idea! Thanks for the post and great pics! Lovely!
Thank YOU for stopping by!
Hi Marty,
Gorgeous birch candle centerpiece! Your hubby sounds like a darling for all he does. I’m visiting today from Time Travel Thursday. I welcome you to stop and visit me.
I have visited your blog and appreciate your leaving a sweet comment for me!
I just love it!
Thank you, Alana!
Such a beautiful project!
Thanks so much!
I’m visiting from the party of Seven-Alive. This is such a good idea and tutorial. Beautiful. I would like to feature this in November.
You may feature it if you’ll just include a link back to my page. Thanks! I’m glad you like it!
Featuring this Friday, Nov. 17.
LOVE this! So cheap and easy! I’ll be making one this weekend!!!! Found you off Momnivore’s dilemma!
Sweet! Were you able to make this? It’s such an easy project but beautiful.
I absolutely LOVE this. It would go perfectly with all our rustic decor.
I am leaning more and more towards rustic decor myself. I’m learning I love all things wood!
WOW how beautiful!!!! I absolutely love this, what a great, natural and rustic looking centerpiece! Just beautiful!
Thank you so much! I am learning to love all things rustic, and my husband does a great job with his projects!
What a great idea! I love the rustic fall look of it.
Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Hi, Marty! Love the centerpiece! And I think I might be able to get the hubbers to do the drilling for me. I know he has just about every drill bit known to man, so one of these should (hopefully) be gracing my Thanksgiving table this year. I love that you still use your daughter’s handmade scarecrow. I’ve kept and still use all of my (now 28 yr old) daughter’s treasures, too. Thanks so much for sharing your great tutorial! ~Mary
Thank you for your sweet comments. My husband is wonderful about helping with my “projects” and I am very blessed. Let me know if you talked your husband into the same!
LOVE it! And the pumpkins are adorable!
Absolutely love this! Looks amazing and I love how simple it is! Definitely going ot be trying this maybe for a winter tablescape! Thanks for the inspiration!!
So LOVELY! Very festive and I love the natural element!
How adorable! You’ll be able to decorate this through to the winter holidays and beyond, I’d imagine! I can even see it in spring with a few little nests and robins’ eggs tucked in around it.
Stopping by from Chic on a Shoestring’s Flaunt-it Frday.
This centerpiece looks very pretty! Visiting from Freedom Fridays Party.
Love the centerpiece!
Hi Marty, what a great hubby you have to make you this wonderful branch candle center piece! I love it!!!
Thank you for sharing it at Project Queen’s Party last week. I will be featuring it tomorrow night (Monday) at the Highlight Party!
Just wanted to let you know this will be part of my link party wrap up and features post tomorrow! It’s so gorgeous.
Wow Marty (and hubs), that’s totally amazing! Your husband did an amazing job routing out those holes for the candles, and it looks fabulous on your table with all those other decorations! Thanks for sharing this at The Fun In Functional!
Thanks, Jessi! It looks like your party is growing each week. Congrats!
It is! We were over 100 links last week, how fun!
Just wanted to let you know that I featured this today on The Fun In Functional! You can check out the feature and grab a button here: http://practicallyfunctional.net/2012/10/the-fun-in-functional-and-a-guest-post-link-party-19/
Hi Marty,
You did such a beautiful job with this centerpiece. It looks so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week. This weeks Link Party is opened at
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/10/jasmine-body-butter-and-wednesdays.html
from Wednesday until Sunday.
Hope to see you there.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Thanks, Debi! Enjoying linking each week. Thanks for hosting!
Love this! Thanks for joining HSH!
Sherry
Wow loving this. it is so lovely, and your pumpkins along the candle center piece looks so cute. It is very beautiful! Thanks for sharing your inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
Thanks, Cathy, for stopping by. Happy fall!
Congratulations! You’ve been featured on Handy Man, Crafty Woman’s Wicked Awesome Wednesday! Please feel free to stop by the website to pick up your button! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for featuring my centerpiece. It’s such a sweet (and easy) little project. Have a great day!
Gave you a featured shout out! Thanks for linking! LOVD tidings, Lilly
Thanks so much for featuring my branch candle centerpiece!
Hi! I’m Bella from ArahBellas. You linked this up on my SPARK party and Loved it so I featured it on my blog. This is truly amazing and beautiful. Thank you so much for linking p, hope to see you soon. Feel free to grab an I’ve been featured button.
-Bella
Thanks for featuring my Branch Candle Centerpiece, Bella! Hope you’ll enjoy my blog and stay a while!
Gosh, that is so pretty!
Oh wow, thanks for putting this on your top ten for 2012! I had seen this last fall but for some reason didn’t pin or post here? But you inspired me and I made some for my Thanksgiving table in October. I couldn’t remember where I had seen it…asked in my post if anyone had. Some mentioned the link that inspired you, but I knew the one I saw had used a chisel! I’m going back to my post to add the credit to this post. I’m so glad I finally found it again!
Debbie