Night light

Mark Rayner shows how easy it is to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder.

You will need: A drill with a 10mm drill bit, square terracotta pot saucer, square glass vase, glass pebbles and a paintbrush. Materials for this project were purchased from Mitre 10 Mega. You could also make a round candle holder using a round pot saucer and round glass container, or use aquarium gravel or shells instead of glass pebbles. All paint products came from a Resene ColorShop. Resene Art Action Gold Effects, Resene Terracotta Sealer, Resene Testpot of Resene Lemoncello and Resene Concrete Clear.

Note: So the flame doesn’t blow out, position the candle holder with the open side away from prevailing breezes, or on a table against a wall, as shown.

Step 1 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 1
Drill a 10mm drainage hole in the middle of the terracotta saucer (this step isn’t necessary if your candle holder won’t be outside in wet weather).

Step 2 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 2
Thoroughly wash the pot saucer in warm soapy water and allow it to dry.

Step 3 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 3
Apply one coat of Resene Terracotta Sealer to all sides of the pot saucer and allow it to dry.

Step 4 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 4
Apply two coats of Resene Lemoncello to the pot saucer, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 5 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 5
Using a dry brush, apply one light coat of Resene Art Action Gold Effect to the pot saucer, dabbing and brushing the paint on thinly so the base colour shows through.

Step 6 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 6
When the gold effect paint is dry, apply two coats of Resene Concrete Clear to the pot saucer, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 7 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 7
Place one layer of glass pebbles in the pot saucer, as shown. Ensure the pebbles are flat side down and that you keep the drainage hole clear.

Step 8 how to make a draughtproof outdoor candle holder

Step 8
Sit the glass vase on its side. Place the candle in the centre and glass pebbles around its base. Stand the vase on the saucer and place a few glass pebbles around it.

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