DIY Coastal Candlesticks

I have a set of chunky candlesticks that I have had a long time. They were once a set of three, but one broke years ago and I have kept the other two because I love the shape of them. I didn’t know where I could put them anymore because they were really dated looking. I wish I had an original picture of them but alas I don’t.

A year or so ago I painted them with white chalk paint. Guess what… it was a bad move on my part! The polyurethane or whatever sealer that had been on them turned the paint yellow and green in some spots. I probably should have sanded them first, but it was my first time using chalk paint and I was impatient.

Anyway, they looked really gross like battery acid had corroded them where the design is at the bottom. I wasn’t sure what to do with them and I was mad that I even touched them. It took me awhile but I finally came up with a solution. It wasn’t much of a solution though. I decided to use a darker color of chalk paint and see if it would cover it all up.

It was much better after one coat but I wanted to make sure it was going to stay covered so I did a second coat of paint.

I distressed them with sandpaper and then sealed them with clear wax. I am wondering now if I had put a third coat of the white chalk paint on them if it would have covered. It doesn’t matter though because I am in love with the blue.

I wrapped jute cord around the bottom of both candlesticks. The smaller of the two also got some wrapped around the top with a crown pendant to hang off of it. I left my options open by not gluing the cording. I can easily take it off if I get tired of it.

Have you done any updating only to have it fail and then try to rescue it? Thankfully, I was able to rescue these with little effort.

 

 

I am linking to these parties.