diy: metallic patterned candleholders made from supermarket candles

e’d been eyeing designer candles in patterned metallics all year when we realized we could create our own for a lot less. Simple white pillar candles in glass jars from the grocery store and leftover pieces of Christmas tree trunk are ideal candidates for a holiday overhaul. For some added color in your display, treat inexpensive glass ball ornaments to a glossy metallic two-tone finish. These three fun and easy DIY projects can add a festive accent to a mantel or table.

A found branch with hand-painted tree trunk ornaments and two-tone glass ornaments crowns this holiday display.

To create all the decorations seen here, you will need:

• White glass-encased supermarket candles
• Tree trunk sections (we got ours from the tree lot)
• Solid color glass ball ornaments
• Small paintbrushes
• Craft paint in white, metallic silver and metallic gold
• Masking tape in various widths

Tree Trunk Ornaments

1. Drill a small hole at the top of each section of wood.

2. Draw a design freehand with different-colored craft paints. We chose a retro design in white and gold to match our kitschy display.

3. Pull twine through the hole and tie it off at the top.

Candles

1. Tape off the glass candles in different patterns. We chose plaid, chevron, horizontal stripes, triangles and a faux bois.

2. Apply a layer of white craft paint as primer over the entire surface of the candleholder. Allow the paint to dry completely, according to the instructions on the paint bottle.

3. Apply a layer of metallic gold or silver paint over the primer. Allow it to dry overnight.

4. Carefully remove the tape from the glass.

Glass Ornaments

1. Tape off the ornaments in different patterns. We chose chevron, triangles, stripes and halved.

2. Apply a layer of white craft paint as primer over the taped-off portions of the ornaments. Allow it to dry thoroughly, according to the instructions on the paint bottle.

3. Apply a layer of metallic gold or silver paint over the primer. Allow it to dry overnight.

4. Carefully remove the tape from the ornaments to reveal the two-tone finish.

Here is the end result. For a mantel display, casually arrange evergreen boughs on top of your mantel. Stagger the heights of the candles around the boughs by propping some up with extra trunk sections. Nestle painted ornaments and wood sections between the candles. Tuck a large found branch into a vessel and hang your finished glass and wood ornaments on it.

To round out our display, we piled some firewood and leftover boughs into a patterned basket and taped the other glass ornaments at varied heights under the mantel.