Excalibur Candle Holder Process

How can I make long candles look more fun in a living space?

Long taper candles aren’t usually thought of in a fun context, so I wanted to find a way to change that for an audience like me: young adults who still enjoy the playful things in life.

Originally, I wanted to create a more elegant piece for a romantic setting. As one can tell- that didn’t work out. I had the world's hardest time sketching out ideas for an elegant candle holder that hadn’t been done before, and I realized after a few hours that I wasn’t passionate about that theme because I don’t even like romantic elegant designs. So I decided to go with something I felt more passionate about: fun design. Thus, the candle holder ideas began to roll.

Key Design Implications

Taper candle holders must support the length of the candle
Taper candle holders should flow with the length of the candle
Taper candles express prominence in a room
Taper candle holders should be easy to clean

Finding a design that works with the height of the candle

I asked my peers to choose which designs they liked best out of the 40, and there were 3 that got a lot of interest:

Prototyping

To further narrow down my ideas, I created models made of cardboard and paper for each design.

I found that the carousel design wouldn’t work in 3D because the candle was too long for the base and horse, making it look too disproportional.

In order to make it more proportional, I would have to most likely make the pole connecting the horse to the base longer, which would result in the carousel horse being too long and thus harder to support.

So then I was stuck between the cupcake and the sword. The sword got more compliments, and I felt that the sword would be more of a challenge to make. Thus, I went with the sword design.

A candle holder where the candle makes up the blade of a sword

My final concept was a blade of light- or rather, a sword candle holder that would create a fun atmosphere wherever it would be placed.

This candle holder would prove that long tapered candles don’t have to just be associated with seriousness and elegance. Having a sword candle holder would surely be a conversation piece and would light up any space with a playful atmosphere.

I based my holder’s proportions on the improved cardboard model I created for it, drafted my idea, then created the design out of wood.

I started the building process by improving the design of my sword’s cardboard model in order to make it more proportional.

I drafted out my design with all the right measurements and started building in the wood shop.

I first used the lathe to create the grip and pommel of the sword.

I then used purple insulation foam to carve the guard of the sword. I got feedback telling me the design would look more cohesive if the sword was made of mostly just one material rather than many different materials. So I went to the woodshop and worked on creating the guard out of wood. Luckily, I had found a piece of white PVC pipe that could work for the actual candle holder aspect of the candle holder.

I painted the hilt and wrapped the grip in ribbon and thread and voila! the candle holder was done!

I painted the hilt and wrapped the grip in ribbon and thread and voila! the candle holder was done!

Testing & Feedback

When showing off my design to my peers and friends, the first thing they said was, “That’s so cool!” They also always ask to hold it.

The candle holder was a success! My design engaged everyone who came across it, and always got them to get up close and personal with it. My design sparked interest and playfulness in the young adults around me- which was everything I had hoped for with my design.

I still get compliments from my friends anytime they come into my apartment- so it does what it was meant to do: Lighten up the room and stand as a fun conversation piece.

lessons and Opportunities

Making this candle holder helped me appreciate the work and process that goes into 3D design more; the whole process made me remember why I’m here studying design: to show that creativity and imagination are so important to making anything that exists in the world.

I made this a while back ago, and I'd love to further develop the idea and 3D print a better prototype in the future.

ELIZABETH BANDA