Crafting a Candle Snuffer From Heavy Wire: A Step-by-Step Guide

Blowing out scented candles often leaves behind wax splatter and a lingering smoky odor. You can avoid these issues by constructing a wire candle snuffer at home using affordable materials and basic tools, a project suitable for both adults and supervised older children.

Candle Snuffer

You can make a wire candle snuffer.

Scented candles enhance a home's atmosphere, but extinguishing them by blowing can produce wax spatter and a smoky smell that hangs in the air. Building your own candle snuffer from heavy wire—copper or stainless steel, for instance—offers a way to sidestep those problems. The project calls for just a handful of inexpensive materials and common craft tools. Because it is relatively simple and low-cost, it can be undertaken by adults as well as older children and young people, yielding a functional and attractive result.

Step 1: Measure and Cut the Wire

Begin by putting on safety glasses. Using wire cutters, cut a segment of wire about 18 inches long. With pliers, form a loop by bending 1 inch at one end of the wire.

Step 2: Create the Coil

Using a coil template, wind the wire into a tight coil, keeping the loop positioned at the coil's center. If you do not have a coil template, the outside of a small metal funnel can serve the same purpose.

Step 3: Form the Bell

Take the coil off the template. With one hand, grasp the looped end at the center of the coil, and with the other hand, gently pull the outer edge downward so the coil takes on a bell shape.

Step 4: Smooth the Wire End

Use sandpaper or a fine file to round and smooth the outer end of the wire.

Step 5: Prepare the Handle

From the leftover wire, cut a piece approximately 2 feet long. Bend it at the midpoint and bring the two ends together, creating the handle for the candle snuffer.

Step 6: Assemble the Snuffer

Pass the handle's ends through the loop at the top of the bell. Using pliers, bend those ends into a loop to fasten the bell securely to the handle. The homemade wire candle snuffer is now ready for use.

Tips

A wire candle snuffer draws heat away from the wick, bringing the temperature down below the point at which the wick ignites. Small gaps in the coiled bell do not reduce the snuffer's effectiveness; instead, they can make its appearance more interesting.

For a simple wooden handle, a dowel works well. Attach a screw eye to one end and hook the loop at the top of the bell through it.

If you prefer, you can fashion more decorative handles using loops or filigrees. Using more than two lengths of wire for the handle can add strength or allow for more elaborate designs.

The basic design leaves room for variation and artistic touches. Try different types of wire in various combinations, or twist the bell's wire into a more ornamental pattern.

Adding metal beads to the ends gives the piece a more decorative, finished appearance.

You can make your own coil template from a 1-foot square of heavy plywood and nails. Drive the nails into the plywood in a tight spiral arrangement.