Simple Candelabra

If you’re ever feeling uninspired, take a stroll down the aisles of your local hardware store. Some of the best project ideas come from the bare-bones materials you can find there. Shake off the intimidation that goes hand in hand with expensive or complicated home improvement projects, and seek out simple materials that will inspire your crafting. Let the hardware store be your friend…start with the Copper Candelabra and create beautiful outdoor lighting with copper wire and a few screws.

Copper Candelabra

What you’ll need…
5/8-inch x 10-foot copper coil
10 1/2-inch copper bells
10 1-inch nails
Salt, 2 teaspoons
Vinegar, 1/2 cup
Beeswax candles
Steel wool
Phillips head screwdriver
Spray bottle

Getting Started…
1. Stretch and bend a 10-foot copper coil to about 2 ½ feet tall. Make sure you round the base out widely so your creation is steady.
2. Insert 1-inch nails into the copper bell hangers and affix them tightly to copper coil.
3. Insert taper candles and adjust the coil so that the candles stand upright.
4. Leave candelabra outdoors and watch as the surface changes.
5. Speed up the patina process by pouring a mixture of ½ cup vinegar with 2 teaspoons of salt into a spray bottle. After distressing the surface with steel wool, coat the copper with this mixture, but make sure to move your candelabra away from any live plants when spraying; this mixture will kill the plants.

Have you tackled a project with materials straight from the hardware store? Tell me about it here!