Making a DIY Christmas Table Centrepiece
Make this candy cane inspired centrepiece for your Christmas tablescape
With Christmas around the corner, I’ve been thinking about how I’ll style our table and of course the centrepiece. When I found a long piece of timber in my studio, I knew a statement candle holder would be perfect. I wanted it to be bold and colourful and I had a few colour combinations in mind, so I went to Bunnings to pick up some British Paints sample pots. They’re such an affordable way to try new colours and experiment with different colour palettes without committing to a whole tin. After trialling a few colour combinations, I chose Indian Red and Rose Candle and got straight to work. Total project cost? Under $25 and I’m obsessed!
And to see how this came together, take a look at this video!
DIY Striped Candle Holder
Project Details
♻️ Making: DIY Striped Candlestick Holder
🕒 Project Time Estimate: 2 hours
💰 Materials Cost: Under $25
👷♀️ Safety Equipment: Mask, ear and eye protection
Materials
1 x 1200mm pine timber
2 x British Paints 250ml Sample Pots “Indian Red” and “Rose Candle”
For styling:
8 x tapered candles
4m Ribbon
Tools
Measuring tape
Pencil
Clamps
Drill
18mm Flat spade bit
Paint tray
Paint roller
Painters tape
Scissors
Creating Paint Swatches
Whenever I embark on a paint project, I love to test them first to see what they look like when they’re dry. It’s one thing choosing a bunch of paint cards at Bunnings and getting the paint mixed up, but it’s another thing seeing what paint looks like when it’s dry - in many cases it can look completely diffferent.
For this project I wanted to test 5 colours to see how they would pair together in various combinations. The easiest way to do this was to create paint swatches onto A4 sheets of paper. I wanted the swatches to be different than the usually rectangular shape I’ve painted in the past, so I decided to paint arches - and the look beautiful! The colours I chose to test for this project were Indian Red, Rose Candle, Daintree Beauty, Retro Peach and Perfect Coastline. As you can see the colours compliment each other beautifully in an array of combinations. But as I was inspired by the festive candy cane, I decided to use Indian Red and Rose Candle.
How To
Step 1: Using a measuring tape and a pencil, mark 135mm intervals onto the timber. This is where the 8 candles will sit into the centrepiece.
Step 2: Secure the timber to a workbench with the clamps. Use the drill with the flat spade bit to drill 8 holes into the timber where you’ve made the markings. Brish away any sawdust.
Step 3: British Paints Indian Red is the base colour, so apply two coats to the top and sides of the timber using the paint roller allowing for the each coat to dry before applying the next.
Step 4: When the paint is completely dry, apply painters tape to the timber in a striped pattern. Use another piece of painters tape to ensure the painters tape is applied at equal intervals.
Step 5: Apply one coat of British Paints Indian Red over the sides and top again, set aside to dry. When dry apply two to three coats of British Paints Rose Candle over the sides and top.
Step 6: When the paint is still wet carefully peel the painters tape off the timber to reveal a beautiful striped pattern. Set aside to dry.
Step 7: While the paint is drying, tie bows around the candles using ribbon.
Step 8: When the paint has dried, carefully twist the base of the candles into the drilled holes.
The Reveal
I love how simple yet festive and stunning this project looks! And I am so excited to light the candles on Christmas Day. I love that it’s a big statement without taking up a lot of space on the table too. Best of all? You can easily recreate this DIY project by choosing a bunch of British Paints 250ml sample pots from the paint section at Bunnings. All you need to do is select your favourite paint sample cards and ask the Bunnings team to mix up the sample pots for you. Happy Christmas!
This project is in partnership with British Paints.
