Alaska for real
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

HOBBIES & CRAFTS: Holdfast Candle

2/12/2017

4 Comments

 
Picture
​ I've made bull kelp candles before, using the hollow bulb to fill with wax and a wick. But this time, as I was walking along the beach and saw some uprooted  bull kelp, I noticed that the kelp still had their holdfasts attached, the part that anchors the kelp to submerged rocks. 

      The Scottish part of our family, on my mom's side, belongs to the MacLeod clan and their motto is: "Hold Fast." This phrase is also found as part of 1 Thessalonians 5:21, a favorite scripture. It always comes to mind when I'm writing letters to people who are going through a hard time.

     I decided that I'd use a bull kelp holdfast to make a candleholder, to make a "Hold Fast Candle."
Picture
 I chose a holdfast that was fairly large because it will shrink as it dries. I also looked for one that had attached itself to a flat rock so that it would provide a stable base. After unraveling the whip part of the kelp, I cut it several feet up, to where it began to thicken. ​
Picture
​Back home I collected candles, super glue, and small, clear cannisters that I could stick the candles in. After glueing the cannister to the top of the holdfast I began winding the whip around it, glueing as I went. Fortunately, the kelp had been lying in the sun for a while so it was partly dried, which meant it was flexible and the glue would stick to it. My cat found this process particularly fascinating and kept slapping the end of the whip as I slowly wound it in place.
Picture
​ I was delighted with how the candleholder experiment turned out and can't wait to share them with family and friends as encouragement for them to "hold fast," no matter how tough things get.
Picture
​For Annie.
4 Comments
Elle
2/12/2017 12:56:27 pm

Beautiful... craft... beautiful symbolism... beautiful friend.

What a wonderful example you are of Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Reply
Tara (ADOW)
2/12/2017 03:24:11 pm

I just came inside from spending all day wood-logging after being up all night in a storm and saw your comment. Thank you so much, Elle, your words were just what I needed.

Reply
Annie
2/12/2017 03:14:37 pm

When I saw the first picture, it looked as if the candle holder was antique iron, with a partially attached chain.

Imagine my surprise and delight to find it is Mother Nature and cleverness to use what is at hand.

You are in all things, a hold(fast). A closely held friend. I am awed by the adversity you overcome each and every day. Blessings.

Reply
Tara (ADOW)
2/12/2017 03:27:21 pm

Thank you, Annie. I love that you saw it that way. I'm wishing I'd thought of doing these back when the storms first uprooted all the kelp. It's all mostly gone now so I'll have to wait until the kelp grows back and then come loose again next fall. I'll be sure to make plenty of candleholders then, there are so many people who could use a holdfast candle.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    Author

    Tara Neilson (ADOW)

    Picture
    Click on the photo to purchase my memoir

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    August 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    Alaska
    Alaskan Movie Review
    Animals
    Art
    Authors
    Birds
    Books
    Building Projects
    Chores
    Communications
    Entertainment
    Family
    Fish
    Foodie
    From The Dairy Crate
    Guest Blogs
    Health
    History
    Hobbies & Crafts
    Interviews
    Jobs
    Legendary Alaskans
    Library
    Logging
    Megans Art
    Monster Busting
    My Book
    My Column
    Myths
    Nostalgia
    Odds N Ends
    Odds-N-Ends
    Phenomena
    Photo Journal
    Raised In Ruins
    Re Purposing
    Re-purposing
    RTV
    Seasons
    Shipwreck Salvage
    Travel
    Videos
    Weather
    White Knuckles
    Wilderness Life Hack
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Tara Neilson©


  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact