Here she is...
Thanks Maggie, for letting me come visit you over here at Midwestern {Sewing} Girl. I'm excited to share my latest project with you!
With the fall coming up I wanted something new for my mantle. My method of decorating is to find something cheap (or free!) and see what I can make with it. The challenge is making it not LOOK cheap, right?
I decided to make some fall candleholders using porch spindles. I found these spindles at Home Depot and made four candleholders out of each spindle.
Let's get started! Cut a 1x3 board into squares (which end up measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"). Cut the spindle into four pieces. Here's my fancy diagram:
Really impressive, right? I am starting to see why I don't write many tutorials. Maybe I should just show you a picture of the cut pieces.
Pre-drill center holes in both ends of the cut spindles and through the 1x3 squares. In order to get it right in the middle, I tapped a little starter hole with a screw. A nail would have been better, but I am too lazy to stop and go get anything once I have gotten started.
Using your drill, screw the 1x3 squares to the bottom of each spindle, you will need a helper for this part (unless you have an extreme workshop equipped with vises in which case you are probably thinking this is the dumbest thing you have ever read). Be sure the screw is sunk slightly into the bottom or the candleholder will rock back and forth.
Since 2 of the spindle sections are straight, I rounded the corners with my orbital sander and curved the tops just a bit. The look is completely worth it even though my arm continued to shake for 45 minutes after I was finished.
The candle cups come 6 to a pkg from Hobby Lobby and with a 50% off coupon they don't add much to the cost. I had the wooden beads left from another project, but any large wooden bead would do.
Screw the cups directly to the top of the notch/bulb sections and add the wooden bead between the cup and the straight spindles.
Now we're getting somewhere.
Looking at that picture proves I have made something very simple seem entirely too complicated. It really is easy, I promise!
I sanded them a bit to smooth the rough edges, caulked and painted (then sanded the corners after painting) and we're ready for fall!
Isn't it pretty?
The whole project took about an hour (not counting breaks for my nap and answering children's questions).
I love the way they look and will definitely be making lots more. Wouldn't they be great for Christmas?
Maggie, thank you so much for having me here!
Well, thank you for being here, sweet darlin'! I'm definitely going to making some of these...please make sure to stop by Lisa's blog, The Pennington Point, and have a look around - it will be time well-spent...
Aaaand, one last thing...if you love these candle holders, but just don't have the time/inclination to make them, Lisa is selling them in her etsy shop, Shop24! Yay! Get them here...
These are the materials you'll need to make 4 candle holders: 1 spindle, 1x3 board at least 12" long, candle cups (Hobby Lobby), wooden beads, 8 wood screws 2 1/2" long, sandpaper, caulk & paint
Tools I used: Miter saw, drill, orbital sander, paint brush and an extra set of hands for about 5 minutes of the project
