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Cottage candle holder
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Low-tech light casts a warm glow
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By Paul Lewis, photos by Kathryn Holinrake
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This candle sconce looks good indoors or out
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Nothing beats the cozy atmosphere candlelight adds to a room-both indoors and out. And building this wall-mounted candle sconce is almost as easy as lighting a match. You may in fact want to build several to illuminate an entire room or deck.
Maybe Redwood
Build the entire project from a single piece of 3/4" x 4" x 32" lumber. I used clear redwood but feel free to substitute cedar or any other wood of your choice.
Start by cross-cutting the back to 18". Mark the centre point of the top and form the peak by making two 45° cuts. Next, measure up 10" from the bottom of the back and mark the dado that holds the candle shelf. Make a 3/8"-deep x 3/4"-wide dado cut using a tablesaw, or, if you prefer a quieter method, make multiple saw kerfs using a handsaw and then clear out the excess waste with a chisel.
Next comes the candle shelf and hole. Cut the 4" x 4 3/8" shelf and mark the location of the flat hole that will hold the votive candle. Drill a 2"-dia. hole with a Forstner or spade bit. Secure the candle shelf into the dado with polyurethane or Type II PVA adhesive. Then fasten the shelf by adding two screws, driven in from the back.
Shelf Bracket
Trace the profile of the bottom of the shelf bracket onto the 3/4" x 2 3/4" x 8 1/2" blank. Cut out the curved profile with a jigsaw or coping saw and sand smooth. Attach the shelf bracket with more glue and a couple of screws. I used a scrap of 22-gauge copper for the roof. Cut out the 4 3/4" x 7" piece with tin snips and fold at a 90° angle on the centre line. Attach the roof onto the peaked back with four copper nails. Finally, drill a 3/8"-dia. hanging hole in the back piece, just below the roof. Sand the candle sconce with 150-grit paper and remove any sharp edges. Finally, apply a few coats of tung oil to help shed water. Now go out and buy a candle of your choice, sit back and enjoy the soft glow.
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