UpCycled Candle: From Basic Brown to Beach

Kim was sick of dusting the same vignette for the umpteenth time. So the candle gets upcycled from brown to beach. We show you how in this post.

Upcycled candle?  How cheap can you get, I asked myself.

But sometimes, there’s no shame.

Kim, oiling the wood railing on the stairs, said, “This shelf decor has to go!  It’s so old it’s embarrassing.”

And then, “It’s almost summer, let’s make it beach-y.”

So, the idea became a swell and then a white-capped wave that hit the shelf before it knew what was coming.

How To Upcycle a Boring Candle Vignette

Supplies for Candle Upcycle

We used supplies we already had, but we’ll include links to get the same style we used in case you need some items.

These are affiliate links. We receive a small commission if you make a purchase, however, your price is not affected.

• 3″x3″ pillar candle, burned to the point a tea light can be inserted. This is for safety, as you will wrap the candle with paper and can’t let it burn to the wrap. We don’t plan to burn our candle, so the paper wrap is not a fire hazard. Another option: flameless candle. No fire worries. Already turquoise!
• Tall candle holder. White Craft Paint for faux finish if candle holder is the wrong color.
• Teal tea light (to color existing candle, or insert into burn hole before wrapping candle for safety.
• Candle wrap download (and other included wraps mentioned below).
• 3 mm Jute twine
• Glue, glue gun, scissors, paint brush

Directions to upcycle a candle from brown to beach:

We dry-brushed the black wire candle holder with white paint, leaving a bit of black rustic goodness showing through.

The candle was dark brown. And never gets lit, because it’s in the stairwell and it doesn’t seem safe to have fire there.

First we made the paper wrap, which was cute, but we could see the brown top of the old candle from upstairs.

I had a pack of teal colored tea-lights, and one of them fit perfectly in the burn hole of the candle. So we melted a second tea-light and slowly poured the wax over the top.

By this time I was like, “This is way too much effort for an old candle.”

But of course that wasn’t the end. I had to wind a few rows of jute twine around the top and bottom. Just to be sure the beach knew it was welcome.

Then the clear square-cornered vase with dried florals, also in the candle vignette, got some pebbles and more dried grasses.

Next week we’ll show you how to make a beachy frame we’ve got planned for the wall behind the candle and vase.

More Beach-y Ideas

Upcycle Books with Matching Beach Wrap: free download

We ended up loving our upcycled candle, so we’ve made book wraps and composition book covers to match. Which you can download with the link for the candle wrap, and then have fun “beaching” up for your summer reading and journaling.

(I’m quite sure beaching can be used as a verb, besides when a whale is beaching. Although, when I do crafts, it sometimes ends up like a beached whale. But it’s still about the beach, right?)

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Just in case you want to “beach-ify” something this summer, share the Upcycled Candle DIY to your favorite social media.