Making garden candle holders

I  found these plastic planters at my local tip. Normally I would avoid plastic pots as they always seem to discolour quickly and don’t go with all the wood in my garden, but on this occasion I had an idea – Candleholders. I have been looking for ages for a pair of large candleholders to use in my garden, but could never find them at a price I could afford. What better opportunity than to do a spot of upcycling.

I started with the usual wash down with warm soapy water (the pots, not me!) and let them dry. The pots came up a rather flat and boring green, so rather than repaint them completely I decided to use the green as a base and give them a Verdi gris effect by applying some gilding wax.

Gilding wax is a compound of very fine metal particles, coated with a binder of wax and acrylic resin. Which can be rubbed onto all types of surfaces, wood, plaster, cardboard, glass, metal etc.  Gilding wax can be used to enhance any detail or mouldings.  (see below for how to apply)

The gilding wax gave a lovely finish to the pots, but still left them looking a little flat, so I used the old model making technique of dry brushing to give them a lift and a little more definition.   This simply means that I used a very dry brush to pick up some acrylic paint (in this case I used a mixture of black and brown) and then wiped most of the paint off with a dry cloth so the brush seems almost empty of paint.  I then brushed it lightly across the pot to highlight the detail and give a slightly more aged look.

Once the painting was finished I filled the pots with earth and planted some plants around the outside.  Those of you with eagle eyes will notice that I used not only Ivy, but strawberries as well.

What could be nicer on a summer’s evening than to sit in the candlelight picking your own strawberries?

Top Tip

* Candles this size can look fantastic, but can be ridiculously expensive.  So if you are worried about cost pre-burn the candle to a desired shape (preferable with a well inside) and then use tea lights placed inside the well to preserve the life of the candle.

* To create a lovely gothic dripping candle effect simply use a cheap candle of the same colour and drip the wax around the edge of the candle.  This is a very slow process, as you need to slowly build up the layers of drips.  Allowing each layer of wax to set before applying another layer.  Patience has to be the key word here, but it is well worth spending the time to create an impressive effect.  Just one word of warning here…..keep the finished candles away from your guests as I  always find that people have an irresistible urge to fiddle with the candle and pick the wax off, which can be extremely frustrating when you have spent time getting them just right!

How To Use Gilding Wax:

You will need

• Tub of Gilding Wax
• Soft paint brush
• Lint free cloth

Application:

1. Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free from any previous finishes.
2. Using a paint brush – work a small amount into mouldings, or where required
3. Wax gilt is thick so apply it sparingly, smoothing it as you go to bring out the sheen.
4. If using directly onto a coloured finish on bare wood, work a thin coat into the wood with Ultra Fine Steel Wool.  The wax may be thinned with a small amount of white spirit to make application on bare timber easier.
5. Allow to dry for 2-3 minutes before removing as much or as little of the excess as you wish with a clean lint-free cloth.
6. Finally leave to set for about 1 hour and then buff up with a clean soft cloth.

Get started

>>Gedeo Gilding Wax Antiq 30ml

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