Why I Love Paint: Candle Holder Re-Do

Not long after returning to Tennessee, we got to re-connect with a family we genuinely love.  They seem to embody all the things this Yankee believes the South is about--heritage, warmth, hospitality, kindness and a creative spirit. If I'm not much mistaken, their ancestors helped found the state.

And they are--as L M Montgomery would say--of the tribe of Joseph. We "get" each other. So when "Momma Bebe" started clearing out some unneeded items not long ago, she knew I could figure out some way to make them useful again. She knew, because she is a artist...what I would call a "practical artist." She makes from what she has and she sees new things in cast-off or overlooked objects.

My mother and my older sister are the same way (I actually come from a intensely talented family--musicians, wordsmiths, seamstresses, woodworkers, cooks et al; I am so blessed). And I would dearly love to get my family and Momma Bebe in the same room sometime. I think it would be immensely entertaining.

So, Momma Bebe, here is what I did to the candle holders...I really liked their shape.

First, I re-melted the remaining wax from the previous candle with a match so I could wipe it clean.

Next, I propped them up on some shims and spray-painted them with a high-gloss black that sticks to everything. I used the shims so the holders wouldn't stick to the newspaper below. I flipped them over and gave them a second coat to finish the tops.




I probably could have left them alone at this point. But I fiddle and fuss too much.



If I had been planning ahead, I would probably have tried taping off areas of the holders to form a pattern or add new colors. But I was basically playing around.



Enter the carving tools.



I tested the bottom edge of one first to see what would happen.


Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

The glare in the second picture makes it look all chipped up but it isn't, really. I still need to seal them with some clear coat to protect them from flaking but I will say, the paint was not easy to scrape off so I think this worked pretty well.

Of course, now I wish I had about 5 more sets because I have ALL SORTS of ideas for them.