The creation of a nature inspired candle centerpiece

This week, I thought I’d share the inside scoop on a project I just completed. The project is called Forest--and I just put the finishing touches on it this morning! It has been a long and arduous road to get to the finish line! There were many roadblocks and logistical problems along the way, but I kept at it and stayed true to my original vision. The inspiration behind this design was to create a unique candleholder that would be a semi-abstract form of a group of forest trees. Images such as those below kept me focused and reminded me of what I was trying to achieve.
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Blue Rocks Family Campground, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2011.

Kentuck Knob, Dunbar, Pennsylvania. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2013.

​My original design concept was a primitive and abstract form with very linear geometric shapes to create the illusion of tree trunks and a canopy set into a bed of stones. The only embellishments were small bushes in the tray bed and the votive candles in the canopy. I used hand renderings and SketchUp models to sharpen my vision and tweak the preliminary design, drew out full-scale schematics for my candleholder, and then took my ideas into AutoCAD to create cleaner scaled schematics from each angle.

It was time to gather all the materials needed to bring this design to fruition. A wooden base and small canopy trays—made from basswood—were cut out and assembled according to my schematics and attached to pillars of varying heights. The trees' pillars were then attached to the base. The whole piece received a round of sanding, followed by three gradients of brown paint to achieve the look of weathered tree bark. 

The only difference between the original design concept and the finished product is the inclusion of tree branches. I purchased juniper sprays, which would add an incredible organic feel to the piece. So, the final design was not as abstract as I had in mind at the start, but I am definitely in love with the results! This decorative candle holder will make a beautiful addition to someone’s table, that’s for sure!

"Forest" Decorative Candleholder by Di's Studio Designs

Shop for handcrafted nature-inspired decorative candleholders by Di's Studio Designs here!


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Finding creative inspiration from nothing
Nature and well-being
Art imitates nature
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