How to Make these Beachy Candle Holders

July is iconic summer weather here in Massachusetts. It’s usually pretty warm (except for that one time a few years ago we actually had a cold snap and I wore a sweater), and there are lots of fun things to do. For the summer I wanted to create something really fun that would be a way I could preserve my memories of nice beaches, as well as functional. I loved the color (and the taste) of this wine which I got at Trader Joes, and I decided to give it a fun summertime decoration and I LOVED how it turned out. So, of course, I had to share it with you!

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I don’t really like Kitsch art. If you need an example thing paintings of Elvis on black velvet, or Dogs Playing Poker as examples. When it comes to decor it can even extend to things The black and white cat clock or the dashboard hula girl. I even have a little item considered Kitsch in my office which is my Money Cat (which my real cats frequently pick fights with). I’m not sure if these summer bottle candle holders fall into that category, but I think they’re pretty fun to make and I like bringing them out when Amin and I eat dinner on our little deck outside. I also like it much better to display sand that I brought back from Australia (Coogee and Bondi Beach) and remember the fun I had there.

Putting it together was fairly simple too. Amin and I love this wine that we get every summer at Trader Joes. Not only does it taste really well, but it’s got this beautiful blue tint to the bottle, though any bottle you have should work just fine. After finishing off the bottle just soak it in some warm soapy water and the label should come right off. Gathering what you want to put on your bottles is all up to you. This is all about self-expression, so while I am going to show you examples of what I did, I highly suggest that you go and let your intuition guide you.

How to Make These Beachy Candle Holders by autumnbecomes.me

2 empty, washed and cleaned wine bottles

1 bottle of round sea glass pebbles

Shells either found or bought at your local craft store.

Decorative Fishing Net

A Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Sand you would like to display

Table candles

Kitchen knife

How to Make These Beachy Candle Holders by autumnbecomes.me

1.) As I have said above it’s good to wash and dry the wine bottles prior to doing this. Letting them soak in warm soapy water will allow the glue holding the label to soften and it should be easy to remove the label.

2.) Unroll your fishing net and wrap it around the bottle. Cut just enough that it wraps around the bottle without being stretched too much.

3.) Using your Glue Gun adhere the net to the bottle preferably in what you deem to be the “back” of the bottle so no one see’s the seam.

How to Make These Beachy Candle Holders by autumnbecomes.me

4.) After that, just glue the shells where you like. I was able to get a string of them and decided to drape the shells on the bottle over the netting. I also used the sea glass pebbles to not only decorate the top of the bottle and hide the net seam but also add a bit more stability to the bottle itself. I didn’t want this to be too top-heavy that it tipped over with a lit candle.

How to Make These Beachy Candle Holders by autumnbecomes.me

5.) Once everything is dry, I put the sand in each bottle. This not only gave my sand a nicer place than a plastic bottle to be viewed and remembered, but it stabilized the bottles even more.

6.) Take the Kitchen knife and bevel the bottom of the candlestick so that it will fit in the opening of the wine bottles.

7.) Enjoy! Of course, don’t leave anything on fire in a place where you can’t see it. Remove the candle when it starts to get low to the top of the wine glass (you don’t want it falling into your sand if you can help it).

That’s all you have to do. This is probably not a good DIY for kids, but they can help pick out shells if you wanted to include them. I hope you liked this DIY and it gives you a fun way of displaying fun memories from trips you’ve had to the beach. I hope you have a wonderful day and are enjoying a little of this nice weather! -Heather Astaneh

How to Make These Beachy Candle Holders by autumnbecomes.me