DIY Wine Bottle Holders

Last Christmas my wife and I took the Handmade Pledge and were largely successful. She made ornaments, stuffed animals, and tote bags to give away, and we tried to buy handmade products whenever possible. I made seven of these wine bottle holders for Christmas gifts:

They seem to defy gravity.

I got this branding iron from the aptly named Custom Branding Irons:

Here are the wine holders, cut out and branded with my new woodworking logo. I have a propane torch to get it searing hot, but the lazy side of me decided it was easier to just heat it up on the stove and press it into the wood on the kitchen floor. With more practice, I think I'll be able to get an even sear:

They're all made of oak, but we went with mahogany and cherry finishes. Here's the finished product:

Everyone got one of these wine holders and a bottle of the Biltmore vineyard's Christmas Wine.

If you’d like to make your own, I used standard 1″ x 4″ oak cut to about 15″ in length. The 1 1/2″ hole is cut about 3″ from the top, and the angle on the bottom is 22.5°. If you’re going to take the time to make one, you might as well make several. You’ll probably have to adjust the angle slightly according to the length and weight of the wood, so have a bottle handy and test your first one before making the rest.

Maybe I’ll try this design next time.