Here is a project that most anyone can make and it isn’t expensive to do. Your child can make adorable, custom crafts that will make cute accents for your home or great gifts for grandparents, friends, or Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts for Mom or Dad.
Using a simple spindle from a banister or table leg (which you can find at a salvage center, thrift store, or antique shop), or pieces of 2″ x 2″ posts, 4″ x 4″ posts, or round wood posts, you and your children can make great candleholders. They can be very sleek or distressed and rustic depending on the style of the home or space in which they will be featured.
You should have no trouble getting pieces of scrap wood from a lumber yard or home improvement center, or getting service personnel from these places to cut wood down for you. They might charge a few extra cents if you need several pieces cut, but it won’t cost much.
Your child can make an entire set of candleholders using different thicknesses and lengths of wood. The wood can be sanded completely smooth, wiped (to remove sanding residue), and stained or painted to a smooth, glossy finish. You can also use metallic paints and glitter for added interest.
On the other hand, your child may like the distressed look. Only minimal sanding is then required, just enough to avoid splinters, and the piece can be given a paint wash instead of solid color. Use water based paint and thin the paint by mixing two parts paint and one part water. Rubbing the paint on with a rag, or using a brush and allowing some brush marks to show will add to the distressed feel.
Of course, your child may have his or her own ideas as well, such as stars, stripes, or polka dots. The possibilities are endless, so get creative and have fun with it.
*Consider applying a clear protective coat to protect the finish. Clear spray paint works great.