Jamie told me that I needed some height on my mantel. I was thinking candlesticks. I looked at the store (Meijer) and I saw that they are VERY expensive. I braved the cold in the garage and rummaged around to see what I could find.
This is a bedpost from a full sized bed that Cathy and I found on the curb. It wasn’t really bench worthy, so I parted it out. I cut off the posts and legs, and threw the headboard away.
This is another bed post, not sure where the rest of this bed ended up. 🙂
While in the garage, I also cut some 1x’s and some 4×4’s into squares for bases.
Then I sort of just started playing around with the configurations. A lot like I do when I make totems.
This is a 1×5, and part of a bed post/leg.
Here I added the top of another bed post.
I sanded the rough edges, and cleaned up all the saw dust.
This is the bottom part of the bed post pictured above.
This is a 1×5, and a 1×4, a part of a staircase spindle, and the top (finial) of an old chair.
This little cutie is a 1×5, 4×4 and a chair leg!
This is the other part of the stair case spindle, with another chair finial on top.
I used gorilla glue to hold all the pieces together. I could not decide what color I wanted, so I chose 3 different colors.
Here I have one of those cute little glass ashtray pieces I picked up at the peddler’s mall.
This is the same turquoise I used on my last window cabinet I made. I watered it down so it was more like a glaze. I used Kilz on all of these before I painted their new colors on them.
This white one is the free Glidden “Crisp Linen” with a wash/glaze of raw umber over it. The browns are a glaze of raw umber. The candle I got on clearance this week at Walmart for .25 cents.
I put them in my gynormous firebox and lit the candles.
I am not sure what configuration I will use. I don’t know whether I will keep them in the firebox, put them on the mantel, or on the hearth. I may change up the colors. I tend to change my mind a lot. Ideas? Suggestions? I’m sure you true junkers have lots of items in your stash that you can make these from. They sort of remind me of chess pieces.
I am still enjoying my fireplace and can hardly believe I actually made it!
gail
see more bits and pieces projects here:
emilyadamc says
April 19, 2011 at 3:32 amLove it!
Two Dollars says
February 14, 2011 at 4:20 pmI like them in the firebox if you don’t use it. I would put more in (maybe double) and I would do mostly brown 🙂
Cool stuff
-Stefanie
2ndChanceCreations.etsy.com
Dani says
September 7, 2010 at 4:12 amLove these! Very cute!
LisasCreativeHome says
July 24, 2010 at 4:38 pmReally cute ideas. I am filing this under my mental “To DO” list. I have a bunch of old spindles and table legs in the garage!
Faith, Trust, and a Little Pixie Dust says
June 25, 2010 at 9:41 pmWow! I’m impressed by this creative idea. Great job!
Warmly, Michelle
sharry says
March 30, 2010 at 1:51 pmThank you for sharing!!!!!!! Can’t believe it can be done in that way.
Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures says
March 24, 2010 at 9:28 pmI love the colors. Looks great.
Kristi says
March 24, 2010 at 8:38 pmWhat a great project. I am thinking that I may have to steal your idea for a space that I need to add some height to in our house. (Now I just need your magical garage to find the parts!)
Jessi says
March 24, 2010 at 8:00 pmWow! Very nice. And I love all those colors together.
care-in says
March 24, 2010 at 6:52 pmThis is awesome! I will never look at headboards the same again!
Anna Sophia says
March 24, 2010 at 1:00 pmI love the color!!! Great job! 🙂
Carmen says
March 24, 2010 at 3:09 amI love this! I have been collecting candlesticks for months now to achieve a similar look. I’m planning to use white and an aqua color (and maybe brown) to paint them. Now I know that the vision in my head will work since I’ve seen your idea. 🙂
Laura Lynn says
March 24, 2010 at 2:45 amSaw you at the JAG party and love these! Great job!
Laura
Amber says
March 24, 2010 at 2:05 amThat is so creative to cut bedposts! Love it!
Amber
Katie says
March 24, 2010 at 1:54 amOH my goodness. I have been looking for a cheap way to get tall candle sticks. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this idea!
Andrea says
March 8, 2010 at 12:12 pmAwesome! I love the idea of using them in the fireplace – gives a nice cozy feeling.
Anonymous says
February 18, 2010 at 9:53 amKeep posting stuff like this i really like it
Blog Buddy says
February 10, 2010 at 7:02 amWhat an awesome post-and I love it so much…that I’m looking for bedposts and spindles tomorrow!!
Six in One Hand says
February 8, 2010 at 4:39 pmWhat amazing candlesticks!!!!!
I love what you did by mixing and matching and I am in L-O-V-E with the turquoise color.
Way to go!!!!
Titti @ Shoestring Pavilion says
February 8, 2010 at 3:21 amThey’re all great but the turquoise ones are gorgeous, absolutely wonderful!
Melissa says
February 8, 2010 at 3:12 amYou are so crafty. These are really original and awesome. I think I need to get my husband’s table saw out!! I especially love the turquoise. They’d go great with my pillows.
Crafty Mama @ Not Too Shabby says
February 8, 2010 at 12:01 amI love them! I have been making some too. I love the colors.
fawnda says
February 7, 2010 at 11:38 pmGreat idea! I love the teal color!
Kim says
February 7, 2010 at 3:16 amIt looks like fun putting all of those “puzzle” pieces together. You really thought outside of the box. 🙂
Nancy says
February 7, 2010 at 1:32 amThose are really cool!
Nancy
Michelle says
February 7, 2010 at 1:16 amthese are absolutely gorgeous! I love them ALL, but especially the turquoise ones. I am featuring this at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com . Grab my “featured” button.
Funky Junk Interiors says
February 6, 2010 at 5:44 pmAwesome idea for candlesticks! Lookit you go with that power tool!!!
Thanks for linking it up to SNS!
FJ Donna
Amanda says
February 6, 2010 at 3:53 pmThanks for this great idea! They look so good!
Dawn says
February 6, 2010 at 1:46 pmFirst let me say what a great job you did on the candlesticks – they are indeed awesome pieces for height, and I love your method of mixing and matching pieces til you got what you liked. When you showed the pic of the three of them in turquoise, my heart went pitter patter -how adorable!
But oddly enough, I don’t like them as much when you put them in the group with the white and brown ones… it makes them look out of place – the others are so classy looking to their whimsical.
Eh, who am I kidding. By the time I finished this comment, going back and forth looking at them, I do like them together… They just don’t have the POW for me that they did alone, with the contrast to that crisp white of the mantle. (So sorry for such a long comment, but I really liked them and wanted to share my crazy thoughts!)
Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking says
February 6, 2010 at 1:45 amOh the possibilities!
Kelly says
February 5, 2010 at 6:32 pmGorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous. I really love the white and brown. How creative to put umber over the white paint. You are really talented.
Andy Porter says
February 5, 2010 at 3:43 pmVery very very CUTE!! I love them!! Great color choices too.
Candace@craftysisters-nc says
February 5, 2010 at 5:02 amGreat idea! I never thought to use bedpost legs to make candlesticks!
I really like the cream ones with the brown glaze.
Good job!
Lissa @ MyThriftyTreasures says
February 5, 2010 at 12:09 amThese are fab! And the turquoise color is sending me over the top, it is great! So cute, way to pull things together.
Marla at Always Nesting says
February 4, 2010 at 1:53 pmLove those “candlesticks.”
Marla at Always Nesting says
February 4, 2010 at 1:53 pmLove those “candlesticks.”
rosemst2t says
February 4, 2010 at 12:52 pmGail, These came out great! Love that they are all so different. I’ve never tried this one, thinking the posts all had to be the same circumference where joined but I see that yours aren’t and they look just wonderful, esp all painted up! Maybe that huge firebox needs just a few more candles to make it really pop when they’re lit? Just a thought…
I’m so going to try making these now!
Rose
Laurie at The Turner Farm says
February 4, 2010 at 12:30 pmOH MY! LOVE these! Great colors.