Repurposed Furniture Leg Candlesticks With Sheet Metal Shades DIY
Old table and chair legs can easily be turned into beautiful, fun candlesticks with a little DIY. For even more beauty, you can make your own sheet metal shades to add sparkle and drama. Here's the easy how-to.
(you can see I needed to come up with a repurposing idea, so these didn't end up in the firepit;)
First, cut your legs and spindles to the height you would want your candlesticks to be. Mine varied from 6-18". It's more interesting if the legs are turned the opposite way than they would have been on the piece of furniture.
If your candlesticks seem like they will be tippy, add a chunky base to them to stabilize. We used a simple piece of rough cedar leftover from a fence post.
Drill holes for your candles in the top ends of your furniture legs. You can vary the sizes to hold votive cups, pillars and tapers. I just grabbed a variety at the store.
Now to make the sheet metal shades! Sheets of decorative stamped sheet metal come in a variety of designs. I had leftover scraps from placing it in old frames. (you can see more ways to repurpose old frames HERE)
Cut the sheet metal with tinsnips so it is about an inch above the height of your candle. Bend the metal around a spray paint can. When you get your desired diameter to go around candle, use vise grip pliers to hold in place.
Drill holes and use a pop rivet gun to fasten closed. Pop rivets are fun! You may want to find more projects to use with this tool!
Finish your repurposed candlesticks with paint or poly. Some of my furniture legs already had great character and chippy paint, so I brushed on a coat of poly to seal. For others, I gave them a couple coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint and added handpainted details. I was going for a vintage Shiny Brite ornaments look. I lightly distressed and sealed with hemp oil.
Ready for the big reveal? What a fun repurposed makeover! Just in time for the Christmas mantel!
For more vintage-inspired Christmas projects and decor, see HERE.
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OMGOSH!!! I love when people make candlesticks out of old furniture legs, spindles, etc.! I'm oh so completely jealous of your stockpile!! I have been wanting to make my own, but can't afford to buy new and never find them old or used. You are so very lucky!! I love how you made them to resemble shiny brites and that you made so many!!
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Glad you enjoyed them! Yes, I pick them up whenever I find them, and have been for years!
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Very nice. Love the addition of the sheet metal. Great idea.
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