Acer Natural Edge Tea Light

This piece came from a couple of branches preserved from a much-loved acer tree that came down around a decade ago in my friend Jim’s garden — the same Jim who helped me build my workshop.

I turned this one at right angles to the grain, which gives that swooping, asymmetric rim where the bark inclusion creates a natural edge. The result is a form that feels organic and sculptural rather than purely functional.

The cross-grain orientation also means the growth rings wrap around the outside of the piece, creating flowing curves in the surface pattern that shift as you move around it.

Finished with microcrystalline wax for a soft, natural feel that lets the wood breathe.