SAve, BEautify and Love Your Trees: Tree CAre Tips

When your tree service company carries out their annual lopping work on the trees on your land, you may be left with a number of small offcuts to dispose of.  Rather than throwing the leftovers away, why not upcycle some of the pieces into attractive rustic tealight holders to decorate your patio on summer evenings?  Here's how to do it. 

What you'll need

• tree branch offcuts
• damp cloth
• handsaw
• drill with wood drill bit
• tealights
• glass tealight holders
• evergreen foliage

The size of the offcuts you use is a matter of personal preference.  You could either choose several small pieces of wood of just a few centimetres in diameter, or go for a larger slice that will hold an arrangement of several tealights.  Alternatively, use several offcuts of different lengths to give a tiered effect.

Although you can just use the tealights on their own, it's a better idea to put them inside plain glass holders, so that the flame is contained inside the glass and not near the wood.

It's not recommended that you use varnish or sealant of any kind on your offcuts.  Many of these products are flammable and could present a fire hazard.

How to do it

1. Begin by choosing a few suitable pieces of lopping offcuts.  Avoid using those that show signs of rot or disease; look for wood that is still green.  
2. Use a damp cloth to wipe away any surface dust and dirt from each offcut.  
3. Next, use your handsaw to remove any protruding branches or twigs from each offcut.  
4. Now slice off each end of the offcuts using the handsaw.  Try to keep the ends perpendicular to the offcut's length, so that it will stand upright without leaning to one side.  This process is easier if you have a vice in which to place the offcut as you're cutting it.  
5. Next, you need to make a hole in the end of each offcut to hold the tealight and its glass holder.  Drill the hole to a depth of about two centimetres, so that the top of the tealight holder is flush with the wood.  
6. Finally, arrange your new rustic tealight holders on your decking or patio.  A nice finishing touch is to use some evergreen tree trimmings arranged in between and around the holders. 

In conclusion

Instead of throwing away all the debris left over from your annual tree service firm's visit, you can easily turn the offcuts into attractive, rustic tealight holders by following the guidelines given above.