Wooden Cat and Dog Tea Light Candle Holder and Matching Coaster

The project uses one original dog-and-cat design across both finished pieces.

For the coaster, the dog, cat and surrounding leaf shapes are cut completely through the top layer.

For the LED tea light holder, the same artwork is used as an open cutout so light can pass through it.

Before cutting, check that:

• The project is still at its original scale.
• All cut lines are correctly assigned.
• Duplicate vectors have been removed.
• The coaster remains 100 mm in diameter.
• The tea light holder pieces have not been scaled independently from each other.

If you change the scale of tabbed or fitted components, scale the entire assembly together.

I originally planned to use a fresh sheet of basswood, but I realised I had several small offcuts that were large enough for the individual parts.

Instead of wasting new material, I arranged the project across four leftover pieces of 3 mm basswood.

This worked really well because none of the individual components require a large sheet.

Lay your material flat in the machine and make sure it cannot move during cutting.

If your basswood is warped, secure it using your normal safe hold-down method before starting.

Tip

This is a great scrap-material project. Try arranging the pieces manually before reaching for a new sheet.

Because basswood can vary between manufacturers and batches, perform a small test cut before processing the full project.

You want a setting that:

• Cuts cleanly through 3 mm basswood
• Produces minimal scorching
• Leaves the small dog, cat and leaf pieces intact

Use the tested 3 mm basswood settings appropriate for your laser.

My machine

xTool M2

If you are downloading this project for another machine, do not assume these settings will be identical. Run a material test first.

Send the design to the laser and cut each component.

I cut the pieces individually from my basswood offcuts.

The project includes parts for both:

LED Tea Light Holder

• Base
• Decorative pet panel
• Top/supporting component

Coaster

• Bottom layer
• Top decorative/inlay layer
• Dog inlay
• Cat inlay
• Leaf inlays

After cutting, carefully remove the parts from the machine.

Do not throw away the pieces that fall out of the coaster.

They are not waste.

They are the inlay.

The coaster contains several small pieces.

As you remove them, place the dog, cat and individual leaf pieces somewhere safe.

I recommend keeping them:

• In a small container
• On a clean tray
• Or temporarily attached to a piece of low-tack tape

This prevents a tiny leaf from mysteriously disappearing halfway through the project.

Before staining, do a quick dry fit to make sure all of the pieces return cleanly to their original openings.

Do not force them.

If necessary, lightly clean the edges with fine sandpaper.

Lightly sand the visible faces and edges of the main pieces.

Remove all sanding dust before applying stain.

For the coaster, separate the main body pieces from the inlay pieces.

Stain these pieces:

• Main coaster surface
• Main tea light holder components
• Any other exterior pieces you want dark

Leave these pieces natural:

• Dog inlay
• Cat inlay
• Leaf inlays

The contrast between the dark walnut and natural basswood is what creates the finished inlay effect.

Apply walnut stain to the main wooden pieces according to the stain manufacturer's directions.

Wipe away excess stain and allow the pieces to dry completely.

Do not stain the dog, cat or leaf inlays.

Once dry, you should have:

Dark walnut main pieces + pale natural basswood details

This gives the project contrast without needing acrylic, paint or additional material.

Useful lesson

I completely forgot to film this part while making mine!

Fortunately, the process is very simple: stain the main pieces, keep the inserts natural and allow everything to dry before assembly.

Start with the two 100 mm coaster layers.

Apply a thin, even layer of wood glue between them.

Align both circles carefully before pressing them together.

Avoid using excessive glue because squeeze-out can interfere with the inlay openings.

Once the main coaster body is aligned, begin returning the natural basswood pieces to their original positions.

I fitted the pieces in roughly this order:

1. Larger leaf sections
2. Smaller leaves
3. Cat
4. Dog
5. Remaining small details

Apply only a small amount of glue to each piece.

Press each insert until it sits flat with the surrounding surface.

The goal is for the pale basswood design to sit neatly inside the darker walnut coaster.

Wipe away any glue squeeze-out immediately.

Allow the coaster to dry flat.

Once the glue has dried, inspect the surface.

If any insert is sitting slightly proud, lightly sand the entire face using fine sandpaper.

Do not aggressively sand through the stained surface.

Clean away any dust.

The finished result should be a dark walnut coaster with a pale dog, cat and leaf design appearing as a simple wood inlay.

The two 3 mm layers give the coaster a solid finished feel without requiring thick material.

Dry-fit the tea light holder before applying glue.

Check that:

• The decorative panel sits correctly
• The base is aligned
• The upper piece fits correctly
• Your battery LED tea light fits inside the finished holder

Once you are happy with the fit, apply small amounts of wood glue to the mating surfaces.

Assemble the holder carefully and check that everything is square before the glue begins to set.

Remove excess glue with a clean cloth.

Allow it to dry according to the glue manufacturer's instructions.

Once the holder is completely dry, place a battery-operated LED tea light inside.

Turn down the room lights and switch on the LED.

The light should shine through the cut dog, cat and leaf design and create a warm silhouette.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE

Use an LED tea light only.

Do not place a real candle or any other open flame inside this wooden project.

Wood and open flames are not a safe combination.

Place the finished LED tea light holder beside the coaster.

Because both pieces use the same dog, cat and leaf artwork, they work as a matching pet-themed gift set.

Add a mug or cup to the coaster to show its scale and practical use.

The final project is:

• Small
• Practical
• Easy to reproduce
• Made from inexpensive material
• Suitable for basswood offcuts
• Gift-ready
• Easy to personalise or remix

My first entry into the contest was a much more complicated pet memorial shadow box.

I still really like that project, but it required printing, multiple materials, several layers and more finishing work.

For this project I deliberately tried the opposite approach.

I wanted to make something another maker could look at and immediately think:

“I could make that.”

That became the design rule for the entire project:

Simple. Useful. Makeable.

Using the same artwork in two different ways also turned one small design into a complete matching gift set.

The coaster uses the shapes as an inlay.

The LED tea light holder uses the negative space to create light.

And almost the entire project can be made from small pieces of leftover 3 mm basswood.

Optional Personalisation Ideas

The supplied project can also be used as a starting point for your own variation.

You could:

• Add a pet's name
• Replace the dog or cat silhouette with another pet
• Add a small paw print
• Change the leaf design
• Use a different wood stain
• Make a matching set of multiple coasters
• Create dog-only or cat-only versions
• Add a short memorial message
• Create a matching gift for a pet parent

If modifying the inlay design, make sure each inserted piece still has a matching opening in the top coaster layer.