Christmas Gilded Candle Holders

These candle holders are the perfect finishing touch to your Christmas dinner table settings. Reusing and recycling old glass bottles into stunning tableware is also a fun Christmas activity in itself! The colours can be changed to match your scheme too. Here I've used a warm palette, but you could use blues and silvers for a cooler theme, or pinks and coppers for a less traditional take on Christmas.

You will need:

• Glass Bottle 
• Chalk Paint® in Burgundy - 120ml tin
• Bright Gold Annie Sloan Gilding Wax
• Warm Gold Annie Sloan Gilding Wax
• Clear Chalk Paint® Wax - 120ml tin
• Small Flat Brush
• Stencil Brush
• Lint-free cloth
• Masking tape
• Taper candle

1. To ensure crisp lines and to avoid smudging Chalk Paint® where you don’t want it, place a band of masking tape around the top of the bottle where the neck meets the body. 

2. Paint the whole bottom half of the bottle in your colour of choice; here I've used Burgundy, a rich deep warm red in the Chalk Paint® palette. Don't be too precious with the application, the more texture here the better. 

3. Once dry, apply Clear Chalk Paint® Wax with a Wax Brush, or just lint-free cloth. Remove any excess with a lint-free cloth. 

4. Take a Stencil Brush and using a stippling motion apply Gilding Wax in a mix of Bright and Warm gold from the point where the masking tape meets the Chalk Paint® and down. Pack your brush with Gilding Wax when closest to the top then clean the brush off to apply further down for an ombre effect. The stencil brush will give extra texture. Use a lint-free cloth to blend the Wax out and if you’ve been too heavy handed with your gilding Wax you can use Clear Chalk Paint® Wax to remove some.

5. Finally, remove the masking tape and allow the waxes to touch-dry before use. Add a candle and let it burn for a little to achieve the dripped wax-effect. 

And that's it! A simple, effective way to dress your table for Christmas. Be sure to tag me on social media if you give this step-by-step a go. I love to see what you all get up to. @AnnieSloanHome on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Yours,

Annie.