Tuesday, August 31, 2010

"BOO" Candle Holders

What can you do with a 4x4 and a few empty tuna cans?

Make candle holders, of course!



(Lets imagine all 3 have candles in them, ok?)

Is it too early to be decorating for fall? Oh well if it is!
This was a such a fun and easy project...and almost free!

Want to make your own?

Let's get started!

You need:

Wood 4x4
3 empty tuna cans
Nails
Spray Paint
Scrapbook Paper
Glue Gun or Adhesive
Saw
Hammer
Carpet nails (optional)

I didn't measure before cutting the wood, but if you like the proportion of these, the biggest one is about 8.5" and the little ones are 6.5".

The wood I used was already weathered, but I wanted them to have a little more texture, so before cutting, I took screw (a nail would do too) and firmly ran it along the grain of the wood. You'll be surprised how well it will follow the grain of the wood once you get started.


I didn't take any pictures of this next part, but after cutting them, I nailed a tuna can on top of each piece of wood, again this was very easy. The nail should go through the can smoothly.

Then I didn't do any priming, just gave them a coat of black gloss spray paint, which to my luck made the cans glossy but the wood didn't come out too glossy, probably helped that I didn't prime.

Then it was decorating time!

Unfortunately, I no longer have my cricut and I wanted this project as cheap as possible since I'll only have it out seasonally, so I didn't want to buy vinyl or die cut letters... so I cut my own.

I printed off letters from word.
Font for the B is "Tw Cen MT Condensed" Size 500
The Os are "Tw Cen MT Condensed" in bold Size 350

Now I realize since the letters are black, I could have printed them on white card stock and cut them out, but our ink is a little low so it wasn't as dark as I wanted, so I printed them on regular paper, then I rubbed chalk on the back of the printer paper behind the letters, place the paper chalk side down on top of my black card stock and traced the letters with a colored pencil. Worked like a charm.

After cutting them out, I took an eraser to them and lightly erased any remaining chalk.


The edges weren't as smooth as I wanted after cutting, so I took a small nail file that I keep with my scrapbook stuff (easier to handle than a tiny piece of sand paper) and lightly sanded the edges.

Next came the hot gluing (glueing?) the paper on, mod podge would work as well.

I nailed carpet nails on for extra embellishment...I did the "o"s first and then thought I might like it better nailed on the green center paper instead of the orange...so they are different, but I don't mind.

A close up...
 

Total damage this project cost me:

$1.38 for spray paint!

Not much damage at all and I still have a ton of paint left in the can for future projects.

If you don't have any scrap wood, check the scrap section at your local Home Depot or Lowe's
They usually have scrap pieces of wood at a discounted price.

One more looky...
L-O-V-E!

This project can be changed up for any season or decor!

How cute would these be in red with white or pink candles for Valentine's Day?
How about white with red or green candles and "JOY" on them for Christmas?

Really the possibilities are endless!

If you like the little pumpkins on the shelf, take a peek HERE on the deets for those.

This week I'm linking up to...

 


Happy Crafting!

18 People Had to Say...:

Unknown said...

Its adorable!!!

Unknown said...

VERY ADORABLE. lOVE THEM. WELL DONE. jen

Ready Set Create said...

I'm SO adding these to my To Do list! What a great idea! I love projects that can be changed to fit the different seasons! Thanks for the super idea!
♥ Aleesha

Terrell said...

These are just waaaay super cute! I am happy to be your newest follower of your adorable blog! I'd love to have you as a friend at Frou Frou Decor! I would also like to invite you to link up at my weekly Fabulous Finds party..every Friday - Sunday! Hope to see you there!
Hugs,
~Terrell @ Frou Frou Decor~

nest of posies said...

wow. these are great~

love the BOO word. so festive. the white pumpkins on each side look great as well.

thanks for linking this with the FALL FESTIVAL!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!
kellie

Mad in Crafts said...

Cute! Thanks for linking up to the Mad Skills party!

Unknown said...

These are so cute! I love the font you used. The carpet nails add just enough.
I am hosting a link party on my blog this weekend about words/quotes (The Weekend Word Search). Please consider stopping by! Your project would be a great addition.

Kelley said...

Very cute! Its been so hot here, I just cant get in the "fall" mood yet. But with some many cute things being made, its getting me more in the feeling of fall.

have a great weekend!

Unknown said...

Cute and inexpensive idea! Love the creativity!

I'd love for you to link up to Scraptastic Saturday! (If you want of course)

Hannah @ http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/2010/09/scraptastic-saturday-and-new-winner.html

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for linking up!! I can't wait to make a few Halloween crafts!

Hannah @ http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/

Lorie said...

THat is clever! I love it! Thanks for linking up to Show and Tell Saturday!

Megan Gunyan said...

Cute, cute, cute! I'm so trying this! What a fun project. Thanks for linking up to my Friday link party! See you next week!

Twigs and Twirls said...

I love this idea !!!! It is something I definately need to try.

Jen @ EmbellishingLifeEveryday said...

Very clever! I love it.

Megan Gunyan said...

This was so cute, I had to feature it! Come by and grab a button! alittleknickknack.blogspot.com

Crafty Mommy Diva said...

Clever way to use tuna cans! What a great idea for Halloween decor. So cute! I'd love if you linked this to my Scrappy Saturdays! http://www.scrappy-gifts.com/2010/09/27th-scrappy-saturdays.html

Kimberlee, The Spunky Diva said...

What a great idea for reusing tuna cans! Visiting from Scraptastic Saturday.
~Kimberlee
www.TheSpunkyDiva.blogspot.com

Marissa said...

Wow! So clever! I should have known as soon as I saw the thumbnail on iheartnaptime that this was from your blog! I loved the bloom bottles too! Thanks for the great ideas!

www.threadedtogether.com

Related Posts with Thumbnails