A Recycled Can Craft: Hammered Candle Holders

With the change of the clocks and some dark November skies, we have been using candlelight even more in our home. I find that when it is dark and cold the light of a candle brings a sense of peace and warmth; a reason to appreciate darkness. These recycled can candle holders we made glow wonderfully in a dark room and they are fun and so easy to make.


The candle holders project a beautiful flickering light onto the wall behind them.




To make the candle holder you will need a small hammer, a nail (the larger the head on the nail the easier for the child), gloves and eye wear for safety purposes, a towel, and a marker. A few days in advance fill the can (about 3/4 full) with water and place in the freezer. The ice will prevent the can from denting during hammering.



If you plan on making a shape or design, use a marker on the can to plot your design.




Use the hammer and nail to make holes in the can. We began by working together to make the heart- I held the nail in place and my daughter hammered. Later, she made holes independently over the entire can.




That is my hand holding the nail for my youngest daughter while she used the hammer. After she became familiar with the process she could work independently, and made them randomly all over. She enjoyed going back and "making the holes larger" by hammering them more. They really loved this project especially the use of the hammer. I enjoyed watching the concentration and persistence of their work.




If you do this project with your child, be aware that once finished, the inside of the can will have sharp points (because of the holes) so don't allow a child to reach inside and using a long match (or a piece of uncooked spaghetti) to light the candle works best. Also, the can radiates heat so be sure to place it on a heat resistant surface. We used small tea light candles in the bottoms and later moved one to my daughters' bedroom with a battery operated tea light (used for jack o lanterns) to serve as a night light.