I’m going to tell you a little story about how Rescued Holiday Candoliers Get a Fun Makeover!
I usually buy these vintage plastic candolier sets when I go to yard or estate sales.
Believe it or not, they sell! In fact, a couple of years ago, I sold one of these bigger 8-candle sets to a person in Paris, France. The shipping alone was over $70 (!) because such a long candle set has to have a big box, putting it in the more expensive Priority Mail International category.
***Before you read any further, I wanted to mention this post is a part of the monthly Thrift Store Challenge.
The Rules:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There’s no monthly theme.
- There’s no budget to stick to.
Meet the Hosts
Amanda | Domestically Creative – Pili | My Sweet Things
Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela – Jeanie | Create and Babble
Molly | Just a Little Creativity
Marie | The Inspiration Vault – Michelle | Michelle James Designs
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications – Dru | Polka Dot Poplars
Pam | P.S. I Love You Crafts – Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Jennifer | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Toni | Small Home Soul
Sue | A Purdy Little House – Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled – Marie | DIY Adulation Michelle | Our Crafty Mom – Debra | Shoppe No. 5
Denise | My Thrifty House
Florence | Vintage Southern Picks – Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Yamilette | The Latina Next Door – Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
Before blogging, I sold through a booth getting lots of inspiration for projects from a blogger I loved. This candle project was inspired by Carol from ThePolkaDotCloset.com.
Back then I devoured everything Carol said, even though she warned that “what sold for her may not sell for you”. Sure enough, I was terribly disappointed my “Blinged Up Vintage Candoliers” didn’t sell. The now “duds” came home, were tossed in a box where they sat forgotten for 4 years.
During my latest post-Christmas purge, I found them again and plopped them quickly into the donation pile. But as I recalled all the labor I went through for these masterpieces, I had second thoughts. I decided they might not be so “dud-ish” after all.
Maybe…just maybe I could rescue and use them!! That’s quite a revelation, you see, because I rarely keep anything I’ve bought for resale, even if I want it.
These Rescued Holiday Candolier Makeovers happened a few years ago before blogging, but I thought I would share with you how I revived them.
Basic Improvements for Vintage Holiday Candoliers
When I say “improvements,” if you’ve ever seen or handled these candolier sets, you know they’re flimsy and top heavy. They fall over constantly because they’re made of lightweight plastic with narrow bases. Some of the modern sets even come with suction cups so you can stick them to windows.
The Improvements:
- I made up a solution of wet grout, adding it to the inside of the base. Believe me, it works wonders for these sets!
- Allow to dry.
- Then I covered the base with thin cardboard and felt to finish it.
- Spray paint with color of your choice.
Decorate Candoliers with Bling!
This is the fun part, and the sky’s the limit! I have a big stash of everything, but my problem is, I have a hard time thinking up clever ways to repurpose things. Is anybody else in this boat??? I have old jewelry bits and bobs, LOTS of doilies, buttons, ribbon…you name it. And of course, I can’t bear to throw any of it away because Murphy’s Law says, “as soon as you do, you’ll need it.”
Before Carol, I promise I didn’t know how to do anything. Growing up, we never did crafts at our house.
From Carol, I learned how to make fabric flowers.
From Carol I learned how to decorate things with old buttons and jewelry
From Carol I learned how to make use of broken pieces of china
From Carol I learned how you could even use stained doilies in projects (GASP!)
In fact, I’m certain Carol and my Mama were related because neither one threw anything away!
So I blinged up these candoliers with my homemade DIY flowers, stashes of stained doilies, broken jewelry, strips of bridal bling, old broken hair barrettes, bits of ribbon and buttons, bits of bead trim, a velvet rose from a box of candy, and a few stick-on rhinestones and faux pearls I bought.
And the more I looked at my blinged up vintage holiday candoliers, the better I liked them! I was especially drawn to the ones I painted white. I decided to display them in front of an old oak piece we found last year at a yard sale for $20.
They looked good! Both hubby and I liked them, but something was missing.
Ah, the bulbs! Such masterpieces somehow deserved better than those old blah, boring nightlight bulbs. A search on Amazon and we found flickering candlelight bulbs. (Affiliate link below). We couldn’t wait for them to arrive and weren’t disappointed!
These vintage candolier sets look amazing on the mantle now, so good that I even splurged on a faux magnolia leaf garland to cover up the electrical cords. I can’t tell you how pleased we are with the whole set-up.
In fact, almost everything on this mantle is a thrift store, yard or estate sale find. From the beautiful carved oak mantle piece ($20), to the candolier set ($2), to the lead crystal angel, right ($2.50), to the white bottle on the left…liquor bottle I painted white ($1). I’m so lovin’ it! And the faux magnolia garland in the background, I adore because it’s so real-looking. ($30 something-affiliate link below).
So go find you some of these vintage candolier sets and bling it up girls!
I’ve included suggested supplies below for your crafting convenience! If you purchase, I do earn a small commission to help support this blog, but you won’t owe a penny more! Go here for my full disclosure policy.
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And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!
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Florence
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Very fun and shabby chic! Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
YES! The very look I was going for! I am more of a shabby chic girl than a farmhouse girl. Thanks for dropping in Victoria!
Oh my goodness Florence, what a difference! And I love the bulbs you found. I bet they look just like a flickering flame when the lights are dim. So much prettier thanks to your upcycle skills!
Thanks so much Maureen! Yes those bulbs DO look like a flickering flame…just why we’re enjoying them so much! Thanks for dropping by!
What a great way to make a statement piece that you can leave out all year long! I would have never looked twice at these plastic candles at the thrift store. Thanks for the super smart idea!
Thanks Marie! They do look pretty old and blah on their own, but surprisingly they sell, which is why I usually buy them. Thanks for dropping by.
What a great idea to save a perfectly functioning light and make it into something you love. I never would have thought to put some bling on them but it really elevates them to something more beautiful.
Thanks Toni! I don’t think people think of these that way either, but we’re sure enjoying it! Thanks for dropping by!
Who’d-a-thunk-it?! I was sold with just painting them. I can see brides buying them for the wedding tables. And because I need more projects like a hole in the head, I just might start buying them again. 😀
(For some reason, A La Carte Linda’s info is filled in the comment fields. Not her comment, just her info. I can’t imagine what’s going on there. It’s happened before, but I don’t remember if it was her or someone else.)
You know, I never thought of brides, but that’s a good idea. Glad you liked it Wanda. Where are you seeing that from Linda? I’ll go look to see if I see it.
I’ve got a 3 candle candolier that I was going to revamp for Halloween, paint it black with orange/yellow bulbs. Now, I’m not so sure. Love the rose pink single candles. Your candolier is so perfect reflected in the mantle mirror. You’re so right about the light weight of them. Worked with a guy whose house burned down when the cat probably knocked the candle on the windowsill at Christmas into the curtain! Then the cat woke him up so he escaped! When I used them, I anchored them with the plastic tabs and put a V of wire around the bulb base so curtains couldn’t touch them; I have cats. Mantle is much safer!
I know! I’ve seen these decorated for Halloween & they’re so cute! I’m amazed that these caused the house to burn down, but it makes sense, because those old bulbs probably got pretty hot over hours & then when in contact with cloth…WOW. I never thought of that danger. They do look so pretty in the windows though. Thanks for dropping by to comment Kathy.
I love these. And they don’t have to be for just Christmas. I would leave them out all year round.
Thanks Debra! I’m really loving them right now!
You are so funny! I remember these, we had some growing up. I made sure to place single candles in each window of our first house at Christmas! Love your bling, I’m a bling girl as well. I love Carol, too! We all go way back:) xoKathleen|Our Hopeful Home
You remember Carol too, huh? Yeah she’s great. I still pop over there sometimes, but she’s going in a big new direction. Yes I love bling & Shabby Chic! Can’t get enough of it. I love these candles in the windows at Christmas. They provide that bit of light that’s so welcoming & lights up dark corners. So much trouble to put out though. Me, I get lazy.
What a fun way to make them all year round!
Thanks Kim! I’ll definitely leave these up a while.
That is awesome how you redid them. They look great, very shabby chic.
Thanks Jenny! Appreciate you dropping in.
These definitely remind me of past Christmases where everyone had candoliers in their windows! You’ve taken them to a whole new level by creating this lovely new look! I live in a +55 community and some of my neighbors keep single ones in their windows all year long. I need to show them your post on how to update theirs’.
Thanks Gail! I appreciate your comment!
Very nice! I’ve donated my fair share of these to Goodwill. I never thought about redoing them.
Thanks Pam! I appreciate you dropping by.
They turned out gorgeous! Those candoliers bring back sweet memories for me as we had a few sets which were placed in the windows every Christmas when I was growing up. I would love to find a set to upcycle. Those flickering bulbs really set it off and your mantle vignette is perfect for Valentine’s.
Thanks Shirley! I appreciate the kind and sweet comments!
These are so pretty. I love how they turned out and I can’t believe the difference from how they started. What a great project. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Sue. Appreciate the drop in!
This is so pretty. I love the bling. That really adds to the whole thing. Nice job.
Thanks Michelle! I really appreciate you stopping by.
Good thing you didn’t throw them out Florence. Sometimes we need our craft projects to go into hiding for a bit so we can see them with new eyes. They looks lovely on the mantle and those flickering bulbs are just gorgeous
You’re right Michelle. Thank you for the insight, my friend. I think that’s exactly right for me…seeing them with new eyes.
I love the candoliers, I was looking for something like that for a tablescape, those wold have been perfect.
Maria
Thanks Maria! Now you know what you can do with them!
These are so pretty. I like that you separated them and maybe you’ll get a good price on the individual lights. If you have several it would be a fun “Girls Night” craft to do together.
Yes it would Patti. Good idea, hadn’t thought of that!
Florence I had a set of those that I found in a box full of Christmas stuff. I had no idea what to do with them so back in the box they went. Now I see what you have done and I’m hitting my head against the wall thinking I could have done this… oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait till next Christmas… or maybe not. What do you think, can I use them now?
Hey, you can do anything you want…you know these days, anything goes! If I wanted to, I would, and I am because we have the white ones on the mantel. I really enjoy looking at them. They would be fun at parties or get-togethers, weddings, or anytime.
So beautiful! I love the pink and the added bling really makes them so lovely!
Thanks Michelle! I appreciate your comment & dropping in!
Florence, I love, love the new look you gave the candoliers!! The bling and the white make them look so elegant and the light bulbs are the perfect touch!! Your other thrifted finds are pretty amazing too and they all look wonderful together.
Thanks Keri! I appreciate it! Glad you like them!