These DIY spindle candle holders are the perfect project for an old broken spindle! These come together quickly and easily with the help of some pre-cut wood pieces from the craft store!
Tall pillar candle holders are a great home decorating basic that everyone should own. They easily add interest to just about any empty spot in your home and they just seem to look “right” almost anywhere. They’ve been so popular lately and I’ve been seeing a lot of really nice, affordable options in stores. I’d been on the lookout for the perfect set of candle holders recently when I decided to challenge myself a little instead and see if I could make my own instead, just for fun. I’ve actually had a big pile of old spindles just sitting in my basement waiting for inspiration to strike for about three years now so that’s how these DIY spindle candle holders were born!
How to Make Spindle Candle Holders
The process for making these was so easy that I can’t believe it took me three years to think of this project. I used one spindle to make my two candle holders, along with two pre-cut wood pieces from Michaels for each.
First, I cut the spindle to create two candle holders of different heights. I didn’t want too much of the straight “base” part on each candle holder because I thought that might make the proportions look “off”, so I cut a bit of that off of each side of the spindle as well.
I really didn’t measure anything, just kind of a guesstimated where each cut should be, and it worked! 🙂
For the bases of the candle holders and the tops, I went to the pre-cut wood section of Michaels and found two square pieces of wood about three inches in diameter, as well as two round pieces of wood about four inches in diameter.
These pieces needed a bit of sanding as they were pretty roughly-cut, and as you can see there are some wonky spots, but I was going for a rustic look so I decided it didn’t really matter.
These were the last two round pieces available in my store, but if your store has more, dig through a little bit to find the best pieces.
The wood pieces were about $1.50 each so you get what you pay for! 🙂
Assembling the Spindle Candle Holders
The easiest way to attach the top and the base to your candle holder is with a bit of a wood glue and a finishing nail, but you could use a stronger epoxy type of glue as well if you have that on hand. I wanted to stay away from using screws because I didn’t want to risk splitting anything for this project.
The final step is of course to paint your candle holders! I was actually still a little skeptical about whether or not I like these until I got them painted, so if you’re thinking yours look a little weird, definitely follow through to the end and get them fully painted before you make any rash decisions. 🙂
Finishing up the Spindle Candle Holders
I painted these candle holders with a super light grey, then I mixed up kind of a washed out bluey green color and just dry-brushed that over top to give them a summery sea-glass kind of a color overall.
I did a bit of very light distressing here and there to bring out the detail, and then I was done!
I love how these turned out and I hate to say it, but they really are prettier in real life. It’s so hard to capture that delicate color on camera!
I’ve definitely been bitten by the spindle project bug now, so be on the lookout for more ideas using my pile of old spindles coming up soon!
Have you ever tried to make spindle candle holders? How did they turn out?
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.