How to make a driftwood candle holder

My Proxxon tools have helped me make a very nice, decorative piece. This post has a beachy theme which is very fitting as I am at the Florida Gourd Show helping a friend with her booth. I love the beaches that I've been to in Florida and all the shells that I have collected.

For this project you will need:

Proxxon Band Saw
Proxxon Delta Sander
Small nails
Hammer
Glue
Raffia
Seashells
Brown paint
Sealer
Small pieces of driftwood
Small board to cut base out of

The first thing to do on this project is to draw a circle on the wood and cut it out with the band saw. I checked the bottom piece of wood with the width of the candle that I planned to put in it and drew my line accordingly. 

I next sanded the edge of the round wooden piece smooth. I painted the bottom of the gourd with the brown paint and let it dry.

I cut the pieces of driftwood on one end to make them all level on the bottom of the candle holder. I checked as to how the pieces would sit together around the candle and tried placing several different pieces before I came up with ones that would go around the wood bottom and fit.

Next I nailed the driftwood pieces into the bottom side of the circle that I had cut out of wood.

Once everything was in place I took some raffia and wove it in and out of the driftwood pieces and cinched them together along with a little glue. After tying the raffia into a bow, I glued some seashells to the front and voila' my candle holder was finished! Here's the finished look with the candle in it.