This thrift store collection of 7 wood bowls was just 50 cents each. They were a little scruffy, but perfect for a DIY Wooden Candle Holder.
Although I think any time is candle time, the later mornings and earlier evenings of fall are my favorite time of year to enjoy them.
We’re still basking in summer temperatures here, but there’s no denying that the days are definitely shorter. So, I’m pretending – again – that it’s really fall and going with all of the fun things of the season anyway.
Thrift Store Treasures
Last week I took the opportunity to step away for a couple of hours and went straight to one of my favorite thrift stores.
Sometimes I leave empty-handed, but it certainly wasn’t one of those days. Before I found my way to the check-out, I was barely holding on to all of the treasure I had found.
This collection of 7 wood bowls was my favorite that day, and I snagged them for just 50 cents each!
They were a little scruffy, but it didn’t matter at all because I knew right away what I’d do with them: make a DIY Wooden Candle Holder.
And paint would handle the scratches as well as dress up the look.
Gone are their salad-holding days and rather than nesting in a cabinet, they’re now stacked tall.
How to Make a DIY Wooden Candle Holder
I started by giving the tops and bottoms a light sanding and adding wood glue between each layer.
The glue enjoyed a day and a half to set. Not really because it took that long, but because it just took me a little while to find another pocket of time to get to it.
What is it?
In the meantime, one of my youngest boys asked if it was a bedpost! ๐
I have to admit that it does look a little like the posts on our bed, so his observation wasn’t that unusual. I had fun keeping my little secret for a day or two.
The fact that I was making a wooden candle holder wasn’t so obvious, I guess.
Next, I gave them a good roughing up with sandpaper. There were some areas that still had a good covering of varnish, so they needed a little prep work before painting.
Finally it was time to get painting. I love a good crackle project and wanted to make this another one.
I always like to use a neutral or white base coat for crackle jobs. Since I had a sample container of a light beige Glidden paint left over from another project, that worked well. It ended up taking three coats to get good coverage.
Once the last coat was dry, I gave it a generous wash of crackle medium. You may be able see it in the photo above – kind of running down the sides…
For the most dramatic effect, you really want a good layer of medium. Don’t skimp here! It will take a little longer to dry, but you’ll be glad you didn’t go easy when you see the results.
Finishing Up
For the final coat of paint, I wanted something a little unique. Instead of a single color, I wanted a combination of a few different colors. I used gray, white, brown, and gold acrylic craft paints and squirted them in puddles on a paper plate.
I know it looks like there’s a whole lot of gray. That’s because there is. It took a few tries to find the right technique, and in the process I ended up with a few puddles of grayness.
So here’s what worked – and worked well:
The Simple Process that Looks Complicated
First, I totally love a sponge brush for this. It blends smoothly and leaves no brush marks. It’s also super easy to pick up a bit of each color.
With the puddles of paint on a plate, simply dab the brush into each one, rotating it slightly between colors, and start painting. As you paint, they’ll bend together. This only takes a light touch. If you blend too much, you’ll end up with just a bunch of grayness. Trust me.
On the other hand, if you have a color really glaring at you, it’s easy to give it a a few gentle strokes with the brush and it blends in without totally disappearing. The result is a mottled appearance that only took one coat to achieve.
I still do a lot of my painting outside and it was really warm the day I painted the holder. You can see how the crackling effect starts even before it’s completely dry.
I love it!
For the top I used this pewter plate I also found at the thrift store.
It’s nice and heavy, and I’d normally have a hard time painting something like this. It had some discolorations though, which made it easy to paint after all.
I gave the plate the same treatment, then glued it to the top of the bowls and let it all dry for a day.
Finally…it was time to put it in place! I added some pillar candles and a short ivy garland I had in my stash and …Yay – it’s ready to enjoy!
Don’t you just love the gentle glow of candlelight?
Now those old bowls have a new purpose as a wooden candle holder, and I think they’ll be enjoyed for a very long time.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Crackle Medium vs. White Glue: Which is Best?
Live Creatively,
Karen,
Beautiful job on the pillar candlestick made from bowls!!! It looks fabulous.
gail
Thank you, Gail! It was a favorite project and a real “marker” for me in terms of what I’m doing.
Thanks for coming by. ๐
Really GREAT idea! Will be watching for bowls to do this with. Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea.
Thank you, Linda. Those bowls are fairly easy to come across at thrift store. You should have no trouble finding a few!
loved your op shop find and finished product, very inspiring. Guess what I will be looking for now at junk stores. keep up the good work. cheers A C
Thank you, Anneette. It was a really fun project and those wooden bowls are pretty easy to find, and inexpensive.
Wow, it looks like a real wood candlestick!! Love it, it is my feature at this week’s party!
Enjoy the weekend!
Thank you so much for the feature! I enjoy visiting your party and seeing such creative posts – so inspiring.
Have a fantastic weekend too!
This is my favourite transformation I have seen in months – truly brilliant!
Thank you, Sarah! I had so much fun with this one. ๐
Karen, these repurposed bowls into a candle holder is awesome!! How creative of you to think of this!
Thank you, Keri. This is one of my very favorite projects – I’ve wanted a unique candle stand for a while.
Thanks for coming by.
Karen I love your thinking here. Taking some ordinary bowls and making them into this unique pillar stand . Very pretty indeed and such a statement piece.
Thank you, Mary. This was a really fun project, and thrifting is my favorite way to design something new.
Wishing you a lovely weekend! ๐
Looking forward to looking at all your ideas.
Thanks, AnneMarie. I’m glad to have you here with us.
This turned out beautifully! It looks extremely high end and pricey! I LOVE love love thrift store treasures!!
Well we know the truth, right? This cost less than $7 – I already had the paint, crackle medium, and glue.
I agree – can’t beat a great thrift store haul!
What a clever idea. I had noticed your sneak peek on FB and wondered what you were going to do with those bowls. Very pretty and nice an narrow so you could use it in a variety of places.
I had so much fun with this! I couldn’t resist dropping a few hints. ๐ Yes, I’m not sure it’s in its final location – lots of options.
Thanks for coming by, Patti.
That is such a great use of those bowls. I sure wish I had that thrift store in
Phoenix. Really pretty. I love getting your clever uses for thrift store finds.
Hi Cherie,
One of the best things about thrift stores is that you never know what you’ll find, and each one is unique. So while you may not be able to find the exact same bowls I found, you might find some that are even better – or something you could use that you like better. It’s always an adventure! ๐