Maple Leaf Taper Candle Holders

I'm back with another DIY recycle using soda cans! It's a bit different from the crafts I've made before. This time, I'm punching out maple leaves using a leaf punch instead of hand cutting the designs out from the soda can metal.  Then using the maple leaf punch-outs to enhance taper candle holders I got free from my neighbor. She was moving to Texas in a U-Haul so she had a "take what you want" (free) giveaway since she had limited space to transport her things. And among some of the items I got were several taper candleholders. You can read about what I first made with some of the candleholders here.

For this project, imagine a fancy design of maple oak leaves, crafted from soda cans and wire branches intertwining along the metal taper candleholders for an inviting serene look. These unique pieces blend found items (taper candle holders) and reused/recycle materials (soda can metal). Making them a conversation starter, promoting sustainability while adding a unique, warm and welcoming look to my home. And when the flameless battery operated tapered candles are lit, they give off an inviting serene and tranquil feel. Pretty neat, huh? And doesn't that sound amazing, too?

But before I get started with the "How To," today I am taking part in the "Do It Over Designers" project! In case you didn't know, the Do It Over Designers is a group of talented bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY, hosted by Anne @The Apple Street Cottage. It happens the 4th Saturday of every other month and it's all about taking something old and/or unused and 'doing it over' into something new. Sometimes Ann has a theme for the Blog Hop and for September, Ann decided on the theme, "Free to 5" - where we take something we've thrifted/yard-sales/found on the curb for $5 or less and transform it!

I hope you'll visit all the super creative bloggers to see their amazing "do over" projects listed at the end of this post.      

So lets' get started with how I made my "free" Maple Leaf Taper Candle Holders! 

Luckily, I had everything on hand to make these lovely, budget friendly dramatic fall designs!

Materials Used:

• Soda Can Metal
• Maple Leaf Punch
• Utility/X-acto knife
• Scissors
• Parchment paper
• Iron
• Soft layers of styrofoam packing 
• Embossing tool
• Brushed Metal Gold metallic acrylic paint/paint brush
• 10 gauge gold wire
• Wire cutters
• Loctite Super Glue Ultra Gel
• Flameless Battery Operated Taper Candles

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! Plus Google Adsense provides a platform for me to monetize my content by hosting ads from Google's network of advertisers. The money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

How To:

In case you don't remember what the taper candleholders I got from my neighbor looks like, here is a pic of the ones I'll be using for this craft:

These candleholders certainly lets me unleash my creativity while crafting unique pieces that add a warm and inviting feel to any area of my home for Fall!

And I'm so glad that I was able to use some of the leftover soda can metal from the previous project I made of oak leaves as seen here.

Plus, using some of the left over cut-out leaf pieces to punch out the maple

leaves.

And I had a few solid flat pieces of soda can metal that I cut out previously to punch out the maple leaves, too.

In all, I had fifteen maple leaves punched out for this project.

To help make the leaves lay flat, I heated up an iron to the maximum "linen" heat. Then, placing parchment paper over the leaves and letting the hot iron sit on top until it automatically turned off. Once the iron had completely cooled off, I removed it and the parchment paper to see the flatten leaves.

Then, using a thin, soft sheet of styrofoam packing, for each punched out leaf, I laid the leaf on top and using an embossing tool to apply a firm, steady pressure to go over the center spine and side veins directly into the metal. 

Once the leaf lines were applied, it was time to paint the front and back . . .

of the leaves using Brushed Metal Gold Metallic paint.

While the leaves were drying, I was laying out the design of one branch using 10 gauge wire.

                                                

Once satisfied with the branch design and a little bit of tweaking, it was time to glue the off shoot branches to the main branch or stem using Loctite Professional Super Glue Gel. And it didn't take long for the glue to seal the off shoot branches.

Next, it was time to glue on the maple leaves.

One leaf at a time.

I'm really loving how this leaf design looks! Once dry, it's time to glue it to the tallest taper candle holder.

Since the area of the leaf stems against the wire branch was so narrow, I used what I could find to hold them in place until the glue dried. Taping with masking tape just didn't work.

 This group is for the second tallest candle holder. Once all the leaves are dry and secured to the branch, it will be glued to the candle holder. 

And after adding glue to the shortest candle holder, I used a clothespin to hold the leaf and branch on until the glue dried.

After letting all the glued on leaves dry overnight, here they are all put together!

Celebrating the Beauty of the Fall Season!

During the day and .  .  .

at night!

Before you go, don't forget this is a blog hop and all of the designers have some amazing and very innovative projects to share with you.

Be sure to visit all of this month's "Free to Five" creative projects by the 

 "Do It Over Designers"  listed below:

Patti -  Pandora’s Box

Gail - Purple Hues & Me

Julie - Sum of Their Stories

Cara - Vintage Style Gal

Ann  - The Apple Street Cottage

 Sara - Birdz of a Feather

Kim - Exquisitely Unremarkable

Tania - Little Vintage Cottage

 Donna - Modern on Monticello