Gifts Galore

We didn't want to spoil the fun for our family that didn't get our handmade Christmas gifts yet, but this might be too good to wait for.

Early in 2009 we were in Sonoma for the beautiful wedding of Sean and Hollis and saw really cool candle holders made from the sections of wine barrels. So a few months ago hubby bought two wine barrels from the Carlton Winemakers Studio in Oregon (thanks to Tom and France!)and he set out to making his own. Taking apart the barrels was tougher than expected. The rings are all that hold the staves together, but they are held into place by pretty tough tacks. Once he pulled the tacks and tapped all the rings off, the barrel just fell into pieces. It was pretty cool.

He bought a 2-inch drill bit and drilled a place holder for each of the candle holders. Then sanded and stained the top of the wood to make it shiny. The bottom is a beautiful red wine stain, all natural, of course!

We thought they were so cool that we've decided to try our hand at etsy. Take a look at the shop and tell us what you think. If you like, post a comment here.