DIY Clay Snake Candle Holder West Elm Dupe
Who loves spooky halloween table decor?! When I saw this gorgeous metal West Elm snake candle holder I knew I had to make a version for cheaper! I love everything about this candle holder, from the colour to the way the snake is wrapped so cleverly and realistically around the votive it encircles. I also love that even after Halloween, this snake could sit in my apothecary cabinet and look right at home in any season! At a price tag of $99 USD ($149 CDN), I decided I could definitely try my hand at a really fun craft and see if I could spend less at the same time.
Tools and Materials List
Large cylinder candle holder (secondhand if you can!)
Tin foil
18-gauge wire
Popsicle sticks
Clay tools
Craft paint brush
Pillar candle
Getting started
I started this project with a large cylinder candle holder that I thrifted for $4.49. Thrifting is essential if you want to keep costs as low as possible, and thrift stores are FULL of old vases and candle holders that are perfect for DIYs like this one.
I DID splurge a little bit on the next part of the project. I bought Apoxie Sculpt instead of an average clay for creating my snake. Clay would have been cheaper and would have worked well enough, but I just find Apoxie Sculpt is easier to work with and less temperamental while it dries. I mixed my Part A and Part B and set it aside.
Forming the snake
Once I had the Apoxie Sculpt mixed and ready to go, I mapped out the shape and size of my snake by making a model out of tin foil. I wrapped the model around the glass cylinder where I wanted it to go and shaped the head and tail with my hands.
Shaping the head as if it was turning and looking back at someone was a little bit challenging. I knew I needed more structure than the tin foil was giving me. So, I got a piece of 18-gauge wire to add strength to the model. I molded the wire into the shape I wanted my snake’s head to have and then added the foil around it.
Once I was happy with the shape of my snake, I had to figure out how to get it to stay in the exact right spot once it was covered in Apoxie Sculpt. I created some rigging out of popsicle sticks and my super glue and accelerator kit to hold the tin foil in place while I covered it.
Time to sculpt
Once I had the tin foil snake all rigged out with popsicle sticks, I removed the glass cylinder and got to work with my Apoxie Sculpt. I used small pieces and covered the tin foil bit by bit, using a little water at the connection points to make it smooth.
I knew the extra weight of the sculpting material might make the head sag, so I added an extra piece of popsicle stick rigging underneath it to hold it up while it dried.
Once the snake was completely covered in Apoxie Sculpt, I used my clay tools to form the features of the head and give the body some snake-y texture.
Watch all my Halloween dupes here!
Finishing Touches
After 24 hours, the snake was dry and ready for the finishing spooky touches!
I used a medium-sized craft paint brush to apply a brushed metal gold paint to the entire body.
To bring out the details in the snake and give it a more realistic metal look, I added a few drops of Liquitex Acrylic Ink in carbon black.
I wiped the ink into all the little crevasses of the snake’s skin to bring out all the features perfectly.
I used a fan brush and the same gold paint I used for the base layer and did a dry brush of the entire thing.
Once the paint was dry, I took off all my rigging and added a clear coat spray in a satin finish to protect the paint from getting marked or scratched. The satin finish also gave my snake a metal-like sheen that was the perfect way to finish up.
Then, I put the cylinder back in the middle of my snake and super glued the body to it at the points where the snake and the glass connected. I added a pillar candle to the cylinder, and voila! My snake candle holder was finished.
I think my DIY snake really captured the essence of the original and I’m so happy with how my dupe turned out!
Was it cheaper?
I spent a total of $117 on materials, which means I saved about $31 by making it myself. This is not a dramatic savings, but I’m ok with it for two reasons.
If I had used regular clay the savings would have been much greater, around $70.
I LOVE creating and I am always looking for an excuse to make something with my hands. So, even though I didn’t save a TONNE of money, I gave myself a great crafting experience and that was worth it for me.
I consider this one a serious DIY win! I made it for (a little bit) cheaper, I had fun, and the end result is beautiful.
What do you think, friends? Would saving $31 be enough to attempt this yourself?
