Happy fall! Were currently making our choice from California to Ohio, and driving in fallish weather so this post couldnt come at a better time! Im SO excited to be participating in Lindsay - The White Buffalo Styling Co. and Kristens - KFD Designs fall home tour! LOVE both of their homes and blogs - thanks so much for having me!! Did you see Kristens pipe/wood bookshelf!? Can you believe that she and her Dad made these? Its SO good!! and Lindsays outdoor dining table!! LOVE the mix of chairs with the natural wood table and buffalo check runner. When I think about fall, I instantly think about cozying up with blanket and a good book by a fireplace or candlelight. So I decided to make a few candlesticks! One of my first design jobs was interning at an interior design firm for model homes. I loved install day because we got to pick accessories and style the home - one of my favorite choices to style a coffee table was to add three candlesticks at varying heights. Its one of the easiest, foolproof choices to style a table because you have a grouping of three (odd numbers are good), variety of height (creates interest by keeping your eye moving) and typically a variety in shapes since they are all a little different. It works well alone, or throw in a tray and a stack of books and your good to go! Ive had a few packs of wood shims laying around in our garage for a few months, and decided that making candlesticks out of them would be perfect! Before I get any further, I should say that you never want to burn an open flame near any flammable surface, so these would work for electronic candles. k :) Supplies: 1/2 sheet 1/4" MDF 1 pack of long wood shims Wood glue Wood filler Primer + Gold spray paint Tools: Table saw Chop saw Electronic sander Heres how we did it! David ripped a 1/4" sheet of MDF down to 4" strips with the table saw (we used less than 1/2" a sheet for all three). Then with the chop saw, I cut the overall heights to 12", 8", and 4" (4 pieces for each side). Finally a 3 3/4" square for the candle to sit on.
I overlapped the panels so that the overall width was 4 1/4"
Next, I started gluing the box together. (the MDF came from an unfinished project, so that explains the green color :) Using wood glue, I placed one side and held until the glue set. I didnt have any clamps that would work, so I then used a little tape to help hold it in place. I continued until I glued the third side, then I measured down 2" (measure and make two marks so it is level) for my center plate. My candle was 3" so, I wanted it to stick out 1". Put a bead of glue on all sides of the square, line up with the dots and hold it in place. Apply the 4th side, make sure that everything is in place and let it dry completely.
Next, start attaching your wood shims. Place the shim on the candlestick and mark the underside with a pencil. Cut with a chop saw (alchoices cut on the outside of your mark so it isnt short)
and glue in place.
Use different parts of the wood shim so that the heights vary. I worked on two sides at once and lined up the corners so that they were flush. Marking the underside with a pencil is SO much faster than measuring every time! Tape or clamp any wood shims that pull achoice when drying (the thin ones tend to do that) After it has dried completely, fill any cracks or imperfections with wood filler. Let it dry, then sand with a fine grit sandpaper. I finished mine with primer and gold spray paint, Krylon 18 karat Gold. When sanding, I left a lot of the wood grain, the metallic spray paint helps to bring out the variances. I also added an abstract black and white tree pillow (Marimekko, from Crate and Barrel outlet a few years ago) Thanks so much to Kristen and Lindsay for having me! Make sure to continue the home tour tomorrow with Gabbi from Retro Ranch Reno and follow along for the rest of the month!! 1 Kristen and Lindsay 2 Sarah from Sarah M. Dorsey Designs 3 Gabbi from Retro Ranch Reno 4 Brittany from Brittany Makes 5 Jesse from Scout & Nimble 6 Julia from Cuckoo 4 Design 7 Carolyn from Sweet Chaos Home 8 Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home 9 Bethany from Dwellings by Devore 10 Carmel from Our Fifth House 11 Kristin from The Hunted Interior 12 Anneke from This That & Life 13 Michelle from Décor and the Dog 14 Cassie from Primitive & Proper 15 Ally from From the Right Bank 16 Shannon from Shannon Berrey Designs 17 Danika from Gorgeous Shiny Things 18 Kristin from Bliss at Home 19 Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof 20 Jessica from Dear Emmeline 21 Kelly from View Along the Way 22 Sarah from Lacquer and Linen 23 Eileen from A Creative Day Blog 24 Sarah from Royal Marigold 25 Lori from Lori May Interiors 26 Jennifer from Dimples and Tangles 27 Caitlin from Desert Domicile 28 Sherry from Design Indulgence 29 Lakeitha from Lakeitha Duncan Lifestyle Blog 30 Shavonda from A Home Full of Color and Whitney from The Curtis Casa. 31 Angela from Number Fifty-three and Jennifer from Brave New Home.