Old World to Time Worn Candlestick Makeover

by Barb Orthmann

2 Materials

3 Hours

Easy

These candlesticks have been in my closet for probably 15 years. They are a little heavy and garish looking for my liking, but a good size. I figured I’d do something with them eventually. My daughter in law had a need for some decorative items to fill an empty space, so, it was time to break them out of the closet and give them a new lease on life. I had everything on hand so the total cost of this little makeover was 0!

old world to time worn candlestick makeover

There are three, but again, I had started painting one of them when I remembered to take a before picture.

There are many layers to this technique that started with a base layer of chalk paint. We live near the coast and her home is a gentle blend of rustic coastal, if there is such a thing. Most of their home is done in dark browns and lighter blues.

Next was a layer of white. All the layers applied after the first coat of blue were dabbed, dry brushed and wiped. How heavy or dark or layered you want the look is up to you so just keep dabbing, dry brushing and wiping on/off until you are happy with the look.

Dry brushed on some turquois- a little went a long way here.

Wiped on and off some white wax first. The layer of white wax made the dark wax a little less adherent and easier to wipe off- but it still ended up darker than I wanted.

So I dry brushed and dabbed over with some more white paint. That’s the beauty of paint- you can paint over it! I then took a fine sand paper and gently sanded down spots to reveal the colors underneath and add some age. The last thing I did was add a coat of matte polycrylic. This step wasn’t really necessary and can be omitted.

And done!

Lighter and brighter than the original look, but still look aged and worn. This technique can be easily done by anyone using any color combination that suits your taste. If you dont like the way something looks it’s easy enough to just keep painting until it’s just right for you!