Thrifted Candle Holder Flip for Valentine’s Day Decor

I’ve got a whimsical and fun DIY project for you this week that I know you’ll enjoy creating! My thrifted candle holder flip for Valentine’s Day decor will give you the inspiration you need to makeover your own candlesticks.

Flipping candle holders is a budget-friendly project idea when you’re using thrift store finds and dollar store embellishments. Thrifting and saving money on handmade decor versus store-bought valentine’s decorations are my favorite ways for crafting and decorating.

You can make the color scheme and design of your thrift makeover to match your own decor style. Pink, red and white would be another fun combination or try a modern farmhouse tan color with a small pop of barn red.

THRIFTED CANDLE HOLDER FLIP FOR VALENTINE’S DAY DECOR

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SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• thrift store candle holders
• chalk paint
• acrylic craft paint
• artist paint brushes
• wood beads
• heart sticks (Walmart)
• red gingham ribbon
• snips cutter
• reindeer moss (Dollar Tree)
• glue gun
• Mod Podge (optional)

SUPPLY OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVE SOURCES:

There are other simple materials you can use if you can’t find heart embellishments like mine from Walmart.

• Paint 2 thin wooden hearts from a Dollar Tree pack and use Gorilla glue to sandwich with a kabob stick in between.
• Cut out 6 felt hearts from a craft felt sheet, use regular craft glue to attach 3 hearts together, and likewise for the other 3, then hot glue a kabob stick in between.

Thrifted items like candle holders, or similar thrifted finds that can also be used for this DIY project, can be searched for at your local thrift store, second-hand shops, Habitat/Restore, yard sales, etc.. Although not as thrifty, you can purchase unfinished wood candlesticks from a craft store.

DECORATING IDEAS USING YOUR THRIFT STORE FINDS

The colors used for these thrifted candle holders allows them to be recycled for other seasonal decorations, like a summertime 4th of July celebration or a red and green Christmas holiday.

Simply make the heart decoration and greenery temporarily stuck inside the candlestick holes so you can reuse them versus hot glueing.

You can decorate just about anywhere with your candle holders. Imagine them as part of a valentine’s mantel or on a dining table with a table runner and other whimsical Valentine’s Day decorations. I’m sure you can think of some more great ideas, too.

Now, let’s get down to business and follow along with my project tutorial!

PLAN THE DESIGN FOR THE CANDLE HOLDERS

The easiest way to plan a painting project that involves multiple colors and sections is to figure out the design colors and placement before doing the actual painting.

Make a quick sketch and then color in the design as seen below. That way you never have to go back and repaint if your painted sections don’t look quite right from what you imagined.

STEP 1 – PAINT A BASE COAT ON THE CANDLE HOLDERS

Apply chalk paint to the thrift store candlesticks. Chalk paint doesn’t require any sanding prior to painting so it saves time and will prevent the dark wood from showing through. A small amount of chalk paint goes a long way for coverage.

I chose to use a grey base coat so the bright red acrylic paint color would be toned down to more of a barn red shade. If you want your main color to be brighter try ivory or light tan.

TIP: Use a hair dryer or a heat gun tool for drying the paint to speed up your crafting time.

STEP 2 – PAINT THE WHITE SECTIONS OF THE CANDLESTICKS

Begin painting the white sections of the candle holders according to your pre-planned design.

At first glance, I thought my ivory paint would work for an alternative to a glaring bright white, but it was too creamy. After using the ivory shade, I then painted one light coat of white on top and achieved the correct shade that I wanted.

The idea behind the specific red and white shades I was shooting for was to match my existing Valentine’s Day decorations.

STEP 3 – BEGIN PAINTING THE RED SECTIONS

I first painted the top and bottom sections with red, used a hair dryer to speed up drying time, and then painted the middle sections of the candle holders. Two coats will be needed.

STEP 4 – SWITCH BACK TO USING GRAY PAINT

Touch up the areas, seen in the photo below, where the white paint went into the intended red section by applying the gray on top of the white paint. Dry and then paint red over the gray touch up paint.

Now, paint a base coat for where the red stripes will be placed. Two coats of red paint will be needed. Dry in between coats.

STEP 5 – ADD DESIGN EMBELLISHMENTS

I used the end of one of my paint brushes to make the white dots. Dip the end into the paint to get a generous amount and tap on the dot. Practice first to make sure the brush end will make the desired sized dot.

Use a paint brush with a straight edge head to evenly paint 4 stripes across from each other and then evenly fill in between those stripes. Paint two coats of red on top of the gray paint. Dry in between coats.

OPTIONAL STEP – Apply Mod Podge for a shiny look and scratch protection.

STEP 6 – PAINT THE WOODEN BEADS

There may be an easier way to paint wood beads, but I used a two-part system for painting them white.

I squirted white paint in a plastic baggy and rolled the beads all around until the paint was gooped up on them. I then used a kabob stick (from Dollar Tree pack) to smooth the paint and to let them dry.

Load the beads onto a kabob stick (from Dollar Tree pack) and then smooth the paint with a brush. Dip your paint brush in white paint before smoothing.

Use two items to prop up the stick so the beads can dry.

STEP 7 – PREPARE THE HEART DECOR STICKS

If you use the Walmart heart sticks like I did, cut off the existing ribbon and paint the stick portion with white acrylic paint.

Decide how tall you want your heart sticks to be when inserted into the candle holders.

Use floral snips to cut off the wood end and then thread the wood beads.

STEP 8 – ADD BOWS AND REINDEER MOSS

Make a simple little bow using the red gingham ribbon. If you need instructions, follow the tutorial from The Ribbon Retreat on YouTube. Hot glue the ribbon under the heart.

I used reindeer moss, from the Dollar Tree, to fill in around the heart stick. I used a pencil tip to compact the moss until the heart would stay straight. Use hot glue if you prefer a permanent solution.

You can also use a small piece of floral foam to push your heart stick into.

Hopefully, I’ve given you lots of inspiration to complete this fun thrifted candle holder flip for Valentine’s Day decor!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO SEE:

14 DIY VALENTINE’S DAY HOME DECOR IDEAS

DIY THRIFT STORE WOODEN HEART MAKEOVER

THRIFT STORE PEDESTAL BOWL MAKEOVER

It’s time for the “Do it Over” Designers group to once again share our newest upcycled, recycled, or DIY projects with our readers. We take something old and/or unused and ‘do it over’ into something new.

Our items can be found in closets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it! Be sure to click 10 more project links below to see what the designers are sharing. Don’t miss out!

SEE 10 MORE “DO IT OVER” DIY PROJECTS!

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Tea and Forget-Me-Nots – Laser Engraving Slate for DIY Valentine’s Day Gift

Pandora’s Box – Scrap Pin

Color Me Thrifty – DIY Wall Art from Thrifted Canvases

The Apple Street Cottage – Repurposing Vintage Swing Photo Frame

Birdz of a Feather – DIY Office Chair Wheel Replacement

Exquisitely Unremarkable – Ceramic Candle Shade and Plate Makeover

Little Vintage Cottage – Altered Valentine’s Day Plate

Modern on Monticello – Easy Makeover for Faux Topiary Trees

Purple Hues & Me – Metal Tub Decoupage Makeover

Southern Sunflowers (that’s me)

Sharing my thrift store flip at these fabulous blogs!