Stacked Floral Candleholder

Perfect beginner project repurposes leftover wood

By Michael E. Riffel

Remember using a compass to draw a circle? Did you ever draw six overlapping arcs along the circle’s perimeter to create a flower with six identical petals? That design inspired this tea light candleholder.

As well as being a perfect project for the beginning scroller, this floral votive holder provides a way to repurpose scraps of 1/4″ (6mm)-thick lumber. My candleholder uses varieties of wood including walnut, pine, cedar, poplar, and redwood. For a different look, choose a light-colored wood you can paint or stain. For future stacked projects, consider making this clamping station project to hold all your pieces together during assembly.

Making the Candleholder

Attach the pattern to the base and drill a 1/8″ (3mm)-deep hole with a 2″ (51mm)-diameter Forstner bit. This creates a solid footing for the glass tea light/votive candleholder. Cut the rest of the base with a scroll saw. Attach the patterns to the other ring blanks. Cut the center holes with a scroll saw or drill them with the 2″ (51mm)-dia. Forstner bit. Then, cut the perimeters. Sand, finish, and simply stack the rings to assemble the candleholder.

About the Author

Ever since taking woodshop in high school, Michael Riffel has enjoyed creating small things from scrap pieces of wood. After retiring from the defense industry in 2007, Michael created a shop in his garage in Norco, Calif., and returned to woodworking. More of his work can be found on his website, riffsart.com, or on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/theriff48/.

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