How to Make Spindle Candlesticks from an Old Chair

Today I'm sharing how I turned spindles from an old chair into farmhouse chippy candlesticks! This is an easy project even for power tool newbies!

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Hello there friends! Are you ready for a fun tutorial? Oh good, because I can't wait to share how easy it is to turn an old, beat up chair into a set of chippy spindle candlesticks!!

Today I'm teaming up with the girls from the At Home DIY challenge group and our project theme is 2 HOUR DIY PROJECTS. Now, full disclosure, lots of the participants are amazing builders, and they work with power tools on a daily basis. This project would probably take them about 30 minutes to complete 😄

However, for the power tool newbie (that's me ✋✋...and it may be you too), this is about a 2 hour project from start to finish.

Mr DIY is power tool savvy and he usually handles any cutting and drilling, etc that I need done. However, as he was out of town while I was working on these DIY candlesticks, I was on my own. Thankfully he was only a phone call away, as I did need some help!

RECYCLE AN OLD CHAIR

Let's talk candlesticks for just a sec. We all have them, and they usually cost a pretty penny!! Not these adorable farmhouse chippy ones I made! These ones were super duper cheap! I used the spindles from a discarded chair that had a busted seat. The Dremel Saw Max pictured below made it easy to completely dismantle the chair in just a few minutes! It was like cutting through butter! Look at all those beautiful spindles!

I see chairs like this at the curb all the time! Look for ones with turned legs or a little bit of curve as they make the most pleasing candlesticks.

I gave these spindles a chippy paint finish (find that tutorial HERE) and decided to turn the larger ones (chair legs) into candlesticks.

Supplies

you'll need 3 chair or porch spindles
small 4" square and circle plaques, 3 of each (I found these at Hobby Lobby)
white chalk paint
stain (I used this exact one)
paint brush (this one is my all time fave!)
sandpaper (some of the plaques needed a little sanding to smooth the edges)
screws

Tools Needed

chop saw (optional)
drill
small drill bit (one of the smallest in a set)
countersink drill bit

How to Turn Chair Spindles into Candlesticks

Step One - Cut Spindles to Size

Whether you follow my tutorial above to chippy your spindles before creating the candlesticks or not, it doesn't really matter. Mine were already chippified 😁 here. I found that a couple of my spindles were too tall, so I needed to chop them down. Enter the scary chop saw. I'm kidding, I love this tool! Seriously, if I can do this YOU CAN TOO! Hold it steady, and please use protective eyewear anytime you work with power tools of any kind!!

Step Two

Mark center of each wood square and round and drill a hole using the countersink bit. This bit creates a larger hole so the screw can sit inside the hole...otherwise, it would make the candlesticks rather wobbly! Do this with all 3 tops and bases.

Step Three

Mark the center and pre-drill a small hole (smaller than your screw) into the spindle ends, top and bottom.

Step Four

Screw the bases and tops into the pre-drilled holes.

I put the tops on upside down, so the beveled edges were on the bottom. I think it looks better this way!

Step Five

Stain edges of unfinished wood tops and bases. We need to try to match the bottoms and tops with the spindles, so choose a stain that closely resembles your chair.

Step Six

Once the stain has fully dried, apply wax to edges and paint bases and tops with white chalk paint. The wax is necessary for achieving a chippy finish (refer to THIS TUTORIAL for complete instructions).

Step Seven

Scrape off some of the paint to reveal the dark stain underneath.

That's it! Display your spindle candlesticks wherever you choose!

I know some of you will be keeping your eyes peeled for curbside chairs now! Three gorgeous candlesticks for well under $10?! YES PLEASE!

I definitely plan to make more of these beauties!

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To see all the other At Home DIY 2-Hour Projects from my challenge buddies, please CLICK BELOW.

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This blog's content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to recreate any content shared on it, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.