Decorative and beautiful, rustic wood candle holders are easy to make and are perfect for fall, Christmas and weddings or special events.

log candle holders with red tea light candles

These simple rustic wood candle holders exemplify beauty in décor with just a few natural elements.

I love that nature provides some of the best free home decor ever! WIth a simple painted tray and sprigs of evergreen and berries, these rustic candle holders provide the perfect blend of rustic and sophisticated.

This arrangement is perfect in a living room or den (or on a rustic window table) or on your kitchen or dining table as the base for a beautiful centerpiece. Use the candle holders singly and add them to a mantel with pillar candles surrounding them.

Log candle holders with red tea lights and greenery on wooden table

The rustic design is perfect for giving warmth to a wedding, anniversary or special party for family or friends. Also, the availability isn’t a problem because you can make them ahead of time!

Are wooden candle holders safe?

I’m a wee bit freaked out by flames so if you’re like me, just use these for decoration since the tea light is so close to the wood.

(A reader also pointed out one option for these rustic wood candle holders is to use battery operated LED tea light candles. Great idea!)

Wooden candle holders on a white tray with greenery and red berries

Materials:

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Home Defense Spray
Corded VSR Hammer Drill
1-3/8″ hole drill bit
Tea light candles
Battery powered LED tea light candles
White serving tray (or unfinished wood tray)

Step 1. Select wood.

Perhaps the most difficult part of this very simple project is selecting and locating the preferred wood to be used.

A heavier-barked wood like walnut creates a more dramatic effect. It provides a well-developed ring around each piece and gives good definition. To contrast, pine has a very thin bark, so the edge is less defined. Walnut was used for this project.

Log candle holders with red tea lights and greenery with red berries

Step 2. Determine length and number of pieces to be made.

This is totally random and determined only by your preferences; some will like multiple pieces of similar height while others may prefer to stagger each piece for a single clustered arrangement. Four different lengths were chosen for this grouping.

Log candle holders gathered on white tray for Christmas

Step 3. If necessary, treat wood for bugs!

This next step may be crucial, so give it attention. If necessary treat your lumber for bugs BEFORE you bring it inside!

Sound like a word of advice from experience? Indeed, it is! The lumber came from a wood pile and exploded with ants once cutting began.

Tip: Be aware!

It is important to use a water-based product since there is potential for open flame near this product (if you choose to light the candles). Home Defense all-in-one product is a good choice so saturate each piece, letting them dry overnight outside.

Step 4. Drill hole in center of wood.

The last step is to use a 1-3/8″ hole drill bit to remove enough wood at the center of each piece for the candle. This size bit is exactly the right size for a tealight candle.

Just approximate center and drill out enough wood to match the depth of the candles you use. Ideally, you want the top of the candle right at or slightly above the level of the wood.

Log candle holders with red tea lights gathered with greenery and red berries

That’s it! No need to seal or weatherproof.

You definitely want to choose your wood carefully, especially if you intend to actually use the candles.

Step 5. Decorate with wood candle holders.

I corralled the candle holders with a white wooden tray (you could use this one or paint a less expensive one like this one), added some evergreen from our Christmas tree and red berries from a bush and I was done! The textures and layers are the perfect seasonal accent.

Wood candle holders with red tea lights and holiday greenery

I also added a strand of battery operated lights for the inside of the table that makes it even more festive at night.

White tray with rustic wood candle holders and greenery placed on window table

You could also use these log candle holders as a centerpiece with a lantern or pillar candle added. Another idea is to change up the colors of the candles.

My philosophy is to always gather items on a tray with varying heights and these natural candle holders make such a nice addition to holiday tray or vignette.