Easiest-Ever Vase and Candle Holder Makeovers

You can paint and re-purpose just about anything to give it new life and a fresh purpose, even if that purpose is just being pretty.

That’s the story of these little candle holders and vase. They’ve been around our house for ages and it was time for a quick and easy refresh to bring them back to life. These are simple makeovers that don’t require much time or money. You get the look of new without going out to buy it.

The candle holders were originally a matte black color. They were hiding out in the back of the upstairs bookcase and the sad glass vase was just sitting in a closet.

But not anymore. Enter white chalk paint in RUST-OLEUM’s Linen White color, which I had leftover from the hutch project.

What do you think? I love how they came out even though they’re not perfectly painted. Look closely and you’ll see I missed some spots. But hey, done is better than perfect and I’m happy with the results.

The glass mosaic vase was brown and it also had a run-in with the chalk paint.

I generally like mosaic glass work and ordinarily wouldn’t touch it. I have another mosaic glass vase in a beautiful blue that I would not paint, but the dark brown just didn’t “spark joy,” to channel de-clutter maven Marie Kondo.

Now, there’s a whole lot of joy getting sparked around here!

Making Old Look New

The candle holders now sit on the hall table, while the vase travels to wherever she’s needed, depending on the season.

Here’s what I did:

• I cleaned the vase and candle holders with lightly soapy water and rinsed them off.
• I applied two coats of the chalked ultra matte paint and touched up where necessary. It only took about an hour for each coat to dry.
• They looked so lovely I didn’t want to distress them. I also didn’t put sealer on them and they’re holding up great.

I cut some stalks from an Areca palm and Bougainvillea outside and popped them inside the “new” vase. I put a smaller container of water inside the vase and added a spoon of sugar to help them stay fresh longer.

The best thing is these projects are quick and easy. I had them painted within an hour and I feel as if I’ve gone shopping for something new. And I have … just around the house.

It also helps me feel thankful for what I already have and that a new twist on something old saves money and dresses up our home.

Sometimes it pays to have a little look around the house to see what can come to life again.

Is there anything you’re on the verge of saying bye to? Why not give it another look to see if it can be reborn in another color?

And sometimes we just have to get rid of things we’re no longer using and know we won’t use any more. That’s OK too.

But before you de-clutter, why not take a second look before deciding it’s neither use nor ornament.

And around this house, it’s a case of furniture and tchotckes beware! You might get painted while you’re not looking!