Upcycled Dreamy Wine Glass Stem Candle Holder

Why is it that whenever we have a dinner party, somebody drops a wine glass? Most of the time, the bowl portion shatters, leaving a perfectly good stem behind. And, since I hate throwing things out, I’ll always save the broken pieces and turn them into coconut planters or glamorous ceramic cup planters. I decided to do something different this time and make a dreamy wine glass stem candle holder. 

And I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. Those broken, upside-down stems are just the right size for a pillar candle.

I added moss and bark chips around the bottom of the stems to give it that dreamy, otherworldly feel.

It reminds me of a magical forest where fairies would come to play.

It’s a great gift for those who love entertaining, and Mother’s Day is around the corner…….… Just saying 😉

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to turn broken bits into a dreamy wine glass stem candle holder. Towards the end of the post, I’ll share a few more creative upcycling ideas from my friends at the International Bloggers Club (IBC). But before we get there, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

• Wine glass stems
• Moss and bark
• Pillar candles
• Hole saw and drill
• Worn piece of wood. Create your own using this jagged edge tutorial.

How to make a broken wine glass stem candle holder

Prepping and distressing the wooden base

This is a really quick and easy upcycle. Grab those wine stems and use them as a guide to figure out how big your piece of wood should be. Trim the wood down to size.

The scrap piece of wood I used looked way too pristine and unweathered (is that even a word?) for my liking. Dreamy means rustic and worn, like my down-to-earth hubby, whose whole face crinkles up with joy when he smiles. Easy enough to solve. Use a jigsaw or scroll saw to cut curves along the longest edge.

For the best results, the cuts need to be random.

Just a heads up. Wear a mask when cutting. That sawdust goes everywhere 😀

Those are my knees, BTW. The rest of my anatomy lost the war against gravity long ago. Anyhoos, you should end up with something like this.

Use an angle grinder and a 60-grit flap wheel to distress the top and bottom of the piece of wood.

If flapping and grinding things scare you, you can also distress the wood using this yakisugi wood-burning technique. Either way, both techniques will create a beautifully distressed piece of wood that can be used to create a base for the wine glass stem pillar candle holder. 

Paint or stain the wooden base, ensuring the stain or paint gets into all the grooves.

I used some of our homemade rusty nail muti to stain this piece. Don’t you love those colors? So different from what we started with.

Upcycling the wine glass stem to make a candle holder

Make a mark where you’d like to position the wine glass stems. Drill a hole using either a hole saw or a step drill bit. I used a step drill bit since my hole saws were too big.

Drill a hole on the marks.

The hole should be just big enough to fit the wine glass stem.

Flip the piece of wood over and tape up the hole before adding glue.

Add the wine glass stems and level the bottoms out. Leave the glue to set overnight.

Once the glue cures, the wine glass stem candle holder is ready to use.

So easy, right? Pop some candles on top, and you’re good to go.

Decorate the base of the candle holder with whatever you like. I used moss, tendrils, and pieces of bark to create that dreamy, foresty feel.

The moss disguises the bit where the stem goes into the wood and softens the jagged edges beautifully.

Curly-topped clay mushrooms would look amazing too.

And if candles aren’t your thing, you can place small potted succulents on the upside-down stems. Giant concrete Easter eggs would look lovely too.

The possibilities are endless. Have you repurposed any broken wine glasses lately? How did you use them?

If you like the idea of upcycling broken wine glass stems into a dreamy candle holder, don’t forget to pin it for later.

Sharing is caring 😉

More dreamy upcycling ideas

In my experience, one of the best ways to get those creative juices flowing is to find new uses for old, broken stuff. Upcycling fosters self-sufficiency and resourcefulness, and you’ll always end up with something unique and interesting new. Here are a few examples from my friends at the IBC.

1. Sara from Birdz of a Feather reimagined a broken ornament into a quirky air-plant holder.
2. Unique Creation by Anita took a chair on its last legs and turned it into a sign for their spa. I’m guessing there’ll be a few more wine glasses to repurpose soon 😉
3. Kristen from 5th Sparrow No More made a unique border using chipped and broken plates.

BTW, if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, these beauties may appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.