This past Spring, I kept waiting for my birch tree to bud, but it didn’t make it through the winter. I have always loved it’s silvery white bark – it reminds me of the logs my Grandma Bruck had next to her fireplace growing up. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to add a little birch into our home decor for winter. I started with a simple birch vase.
Wouldn’t this be a beautiful gift? Especially if it the wood came from somewhere significant.
To create one of your own, you’ll need:
log
saw
sand paper
- Saw a piece of branch down to the height we wanted.
- Using the drill bit, drill a wide hole to my desired depth, mine was about 2″ from the base of the branch.
- Sand the top to give it a smooth, beautiful finish.
- Optional: You can insert a glass vase or waterproof the interior if you plan to add fresh flowers.
While I’m sad to see it go, I’m looking forward to creating more decor from it. I’m honored to be a part of Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators and Influencers Network and have been compensated for my work. All ideas, opinions and designs are my own. You can find more inspiration at the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Blog and by signing up for a complimentary Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine or downloading the app!
Julie
This is beautiful! I’ve always loved birch trees and this seems like the perfect DIY to bring them into the home. Love the way you decorated as well 🙂
Thank you Rachel! I’m ready to make some candleholders for the holidays as well.
Hi there, I am attempting to make these vases for my July wedding, but we can’t quite get the hole to be as large as yours appears to be. How did you do this with the tri-flute drill bit? Ours only has about a 1 1/2″ diameter opening, which doesn’t seem to be large enough for wedding flowers. Any advice?
Congratulations on your engagement, Kristi! That’s how large our opening is as well…experienced florists can fan out flowers with a small opening, but you can certainly use a larger bit {like one for creating door knobs} to make a larger opening. I hope that helps! I’d love to see them when they’re done!
Now I am off to find a birch tree. Beautiful.
Thanks, Janet! Post on Facebook or Craigslist! Last year I had more than enough to share!
These are so beautiful! I’m doing this with aspen logs that were cut down on my parent’s property. What do you recommend for waterproofing the inside?
That will be beautiful! There’s no perfect way, but you can drill the hole wide enough to insert a slim vase or use a sealer, like tung oil.
I love this! I also want to make these for centerpieces for my September wedding this year! However, someone told me that white birch will dry out and that I shouldn’t cut it down until a couple months before the wedding. Has your vase held up? Do you think I should wait to cut down the birch? Or do you think the vases will hold up for 6 months + until September if we start making them now? Thank you in advance! I’d love to hear your opinion!
I’ve had them for 2 years and while they’ve slightly changed, they work just perfect!
Hi Julie,
What branches did you use in this vase?Real or not? I LOVE the look and am trying to find something similar. I already have the white birch but was wondering what height you cut it down to?
They’re some type of berry that Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have Year after year. I’m sorry, I don’t know the name.
What was the diameter of the log you used?
4’ish inches, but you can use any diameter
Hi Julie, beautiful project!!!
Question for you: My tree will be cut down in a few weeks – How long do I have to wait for the Birch wood to dry to start cutting it to make creative projects?
Thanks for your help!
I’m not sure to be honest, I know it takes a year to really dry wood, but we didn’t wait long at all, maybe a matter of a couple weeks. Enjoy!
Thanks for getting back to me.
Noat sure I will have the patience to wait that long!!!
Then go for it now! Enjoy!
So pretty! Just wondering how large the drill bit is? It looks like a pretty large hole.
I can’t recall, but it is! I took my vase to Lowe’s to find a good fit. Enjoy!
I have some birch log pieces and was wanting to make candle holders, but am having trouble keeping the log still while drilling the hole without damaging the fragile paper bark. Any suggestions?
I am trying to make these but the drill bit in my drill press just stalls when it touches the wood. What speed did you use?