DIY Charred Wood Candle Holders

2 Materials
$20
30 Minutes
Easy
These charred wood candle holders are incredibly easy to make, but they make a big statement in your fall decor! They're the perfect touch for Halloween that can also carry your decor through the rest of fall - and this simple little trick can be applied to just about any wood decor piece, so you can try it on all sorts of things around the house! If you like this project, check out the rest of my easy & affordable DIY ideas on my blog, Love & Renovations.
I started with some simple wood candle holders from the craft store. They were raw wood and meant to be used as a project - this won't work if you buy anything that is sealed or painted! You need to stick to raw wood products - generally, most craft stores have an aisle dedicated to this type of thing, and anything from there should work fine.
The only tool you'll need for this is a heat gun. You'll want one that has a high heat setting (I cranked mine all the way up to 1200-degrees Fahrenheit).
All you have to do is turn the heat gun up, hold it no more than a couple of inches away from your wood, and wait for the charring magic to happen! You can see in the image above how nicely the wood chars. If you have your heat gun up to the highest setting, it works pretty quickly. Simple move it around the piece until you achieve the color you're looking for!
I burned all three wooden candle holders and placed them together for a nice, moody fall vignette. You could also use the heat gun to melt a red crayon over a white candle for a creepy effect - perfect for Halloween! See the full details on this project right here.
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Love & Renovations
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Bobbie GA Bobbie GA on Oct 19, 2018

    What did you do to keep the char from coming off when touched?

    Nice easy project. Love this!

  • Nikki Nikki on Oct 19, 2018

    Hello - so sorry 2 bother but happily stumbled across U n luv ur cool idea n technique. I’m in middle of move n hav a wooden backyard bench that I’ve had 4 over 25 years (made by Amish of course!) n its still sound n sturdy but does hav white paint. Do u think I can do ur beautiful burn method since it’s not like new fresh paint? What actually is the reason u write no paint? I’m so sorry if these sound like stupid questions I’ve never been talented craft wise n then 2 add I hav a closed head injury that interferes some times problem solving. Plez no ur time n info is greatly appreciated. Thanx Nikki

  • Linda Walsh Linda Walsh on Nov 15, 2018

    I want to know what the 2 ingredients are to get carpet stains out

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  • 34354174 34354174 on Oct 20, 2019

    The Japanese method is called shou sugi ban. It will actually blacken the wood. It seals it and will last forever.

  • Karen Karen on Aug 09, 2020

    I was just going to share that 18th century Japanese cedar wood sealing method known as "shou sugi ban". It seals cedarwood to weatherproof! Has been made popular by Joanna and Chip Gaines on several of their older shows.

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