I came across a posting on Pinterest of Antropologie's Trinket & Treasure Candlestick. I fell in love with the concept, but not the price. I decided to create my own candlestick's using the same idea, but with a bunch of random thrift store junk and they turned out X-TRA AWESOME~!
I got lucky when I stopped into our local thrift store and they had a bunch of random candelabra and lamp parts and they all unscrewed and reconnected. I found a metal candlestick for one base and an old lamp I cannibalized for another base. I grabbed a few vases, some glassware, some wooden parts and pieces, some ceramic napkin rings (which I didn't need after all...) And, a little Italian teacup set and an angel with a damaged wing.
I'm not going to lie - it took me 4 hours just to figure out how to make them all fit together. I tried multiple, multiple fittings and finally, after 4 hours, settled on the configurations I liked and glued them all together.
I'm a perfectionist, you see...
Some people might have stopped here, sat back and grinned. I couldn't take all the different colors though - I knew I had to repaint them. With all of the different kinds of materials i.e.; metal, glass, wood, ceramic, plastic, etc. - I figured a good thick coat of Gesso would give me a nice primed surface. I used 'Liquitex' Gesso and painted on a couple coats for good coverage.
I left my teacup set and the broken winged angle un-primed. I decided not to paint them the same colors as the rest. At this stage, they looked like turned wood candlestick holders. I could have slapped on a coat of chalk paint and some antiquing wax and they would have been lovely, for sure.
But, I decided I needed to paint them a copper verdigris and it was a great idea~!
I painted the bases a charcoal color and then sponged on a metallic copper acrylic paint. Then, I just used some acrylic folkart brand paints to add all of the other layered colors. I used a real sea sponge to add the layers of paint.
When I got the base colors the way I wanted them, I dabbed on various colors and then dipped my paint brush in water and dabbed the paint dabs with the watery paint brush to make the colors drip. It was a mess, but fun and what a great effect... When all of the verdigris layers were dry I went back over all of the candlesticks with some antique copper paint and highlighted and shaded. Then, I went over the copper parts with a dry brush of a bright copper paint.
I waited for everything to dry overnight and then I sealed them with clear Fiddes & Sons wax polish. I buffed them gently, as not to remove any paint. I was pleasantly surprised though at how great the gesso primer worked. Nothing rubbed off. Not even off the ceramic, or glass pieces. The clear wax buffed all the colors together softly and really made a great effect on the bright copper.
When all of the candlesticks were finished and waxed, I used a soft cloth dipped in some cornstarch and lightly buffed all of the candlestick pieces, just to give it a real copper verdigris feel.
They turned out FANTASTIC~!
To add to the art appeal, I used some cheap dollar store emergency candles, because they drip like crazy. I love drippy candles, they add a great romantic quality to any candlesticks, or candelabra's...
There was a chip in the teacup, I just painted it also, to look like copper and I done the same on the broken part of the angels wings. They look like they're made out of copper now.
The back of the angel reads:
"May I move through this day with purpose.
May my sun shine on someone and make a difference.
May I share one thing, learn one thing and embrace this gift of another day."
How do you like my Anthropologie inspired 'Trinket & Treasure' Candlestick's?
This was a pretty neat DIY for about $25...
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