Chippy Paint Wood Rosette DIY Candle Holder

Hey there! Scott from Saws on Skates back again to share another easy and unique DIY project with you. This time we’re turning wood rosettes into a DIY candle holder!

DIY Chippy Paint Wood Rosette Candle Holder

What the heck are rosettes? Rosettes are decorative pieces of wood usually found in the corners of doors and windows of antique homes. Big box stores sell reproduction rosettes and that’s what we’re working with today.

A buddy of mine got a handful of rosettes to dress up a builder grade fireplace at his condo. He never ending up using them, so he gave them to me. Well guess what? I’ve had them kicking around my shop for a few years now and I never used them either!

I thought it was finally time to do something with them. But what would I make? I took some inspiration from these candle holders made with scrap moulding and came up with this antique style rosette candle holder!

To get the aged chippy paint look I used some chalk paint and petroleum jelly as a resist. Let’s get going and I’ll show you how I did it!

DIY Chippy Paint Wood Rosette Candle Holder (affiliate links included for your convenience, find more info here)

Supplies

(4) 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ rosettes
1×3 – about 6″
1×5 – about 10″
Cove moulding – about 48″
1-1/4″ wood screws
1″ pin nails or finish nails
1-1/4″ finish nails
Wood glue
Wood filler
Early American wood stain
Petroleum jelly
Chalk paint

Tools
Miter saw
Drill
Hammer or nail gun
Countersink drill bit

Step 1. Cut the Rosette Bases. Cut 2 pieces of 1×3 to 2-1/2″. Locate the center of the base using a straight edge.

Step 2. Cut the Top and Bottom. Cut 2 pieces of 1×5 to 4-1/2″.

Step 3. Attach the Bases to the Top and Bottom. Apply glue to a base, center on the top and drill a countersink hole at the location you marked in Step 1.

Attach using a 1-1/4″ wood screw. Repeat for the bottom.

Step 4. Attach Rosettes to the Bottom. Apply glue to one side of the base.

Attach rosette to the base using 1-1/4″ finish nails.

Repeat for the remaining rosettes.

Step 5. Attach the Top. Apply glue to all 4 edges of the base, insert inside the rosettes and attach using 1-1/4″ finish nails.

Step 6. Attach Cove Moulding to the Rosettes. I used cove moulding to fill the space between the rosettes. Cut 4 pieces of cove moulding to 2-1/2″. First apply glue to the moulding.

Then place the moulding between the rosettes and attach using 1″ pin nails. Repeat for the remaining pieces of moulding.

Step 7. Attach Cove Moulding to Top and Bottom. Place a piece of cove moulding against the top, mark each end and then cut a 45 degree angle on each end. Apply glue to the cove moulding.

Attach the moulding with 1″ pin nails. Repeat for the remaining sides. Need some help with miter cuts? Check out this post. Repeat for the bottom.

Finish

Fill the nail holes with wood filler and sand when dry. Stain the entire piece with Early American stain.

A few of the rosettes I was working with had previously been painted white. I painted the white rosettes with a craft paint close to the stain color because the stain wouldn’t cover the paint.

Here’s a quick look at how I did the chippy paint (full details and chippy paint tips here). First I applied some petroleum jelly where there would typically be wear from age and use. On the corners, edges and any where I wanted the stain to show through.

Then I applied the white chalk paint.

Once the paint was dry I removed the jelly with a rag.

That’s it, your holder is ready for a candle! Thank you for stopping by to check out my chippy paint wood rosette candle holder. I’ll be back with a new project soon! In the meantime, can we stay in touch? Please visit me at Saws on Skates for more easy DIY projects and check me out on Pinterest.