It’s a new year and what better way to kick it off than a Goth it Yourself Trash to Treasure project! You know how much I love trash to treasures!! I’m pulling out some old techniques to revamp a candle holder and create a Gothic Cherub Cake Stand. You guessed it…. just in time for Valentine’s Day! Before you roll your eyes… hear me out!
A few days ago I walked into a store and saw the shelves already stocked with pink & red hearts, boxes of chocolates, and teddy bears with love notes. I know, I know… gag!! I hate that side of Valentine’s Day! But here’s the thing…. there is a dark, glamorous and moody side to this holiday. The pinks can be dark red, the candles can be black, and the cherubs can be less fat baby, and more withered gravestone. That side I adore. A dark, rich, Victorian Gothic aesthetic… you know that’s my favorite.
So, I am a HUGE fan of cherubs. I cannot get enough of them. As long as they are not too juvenile, if I see one, I’m probably going home with it. Lucky for me, I come across a lot of them while out thrifting and antiquing. I am also lucky that two major holidays like to throw cherubs in your face… both Christmas and Valentine’s Day. I take full advantage.
I happened to find this cherub candle holder at a thrift store for $2! I know… how do I get so lucky! All I can say is keep your eyes peeled all year long. You never know what will pop up! But here’s the good news… this tutorial happens to come just in time to take advantage of both the Christmas clearance sales, and the new Valentine Decor hitting the shelves. You are sure to find a cherub base that will work! I really liked this one because of the wide top. It’s very sturdy for a stand that will display food. Make sure that any base you choose, especially if it’s a candle holder, is sturdy enough to handle the weight on top of it without toppling over.
For the top of the stand, you can use any round dish, platter, or board. I’ve made a few food stands using a Round Wooden Plaque
In the case of this particular candle holder, I actually really liked the gold finish as is. I considered creating a matching gold top, and allowing the piece to be Antique Glam. I love gold entertaining pieces, so I think that still would have looked good. But then I remembered the Cherub Napkin Rings I made last year. They too started out gold, and after some painting and distressing, they turned out AMAZING! Seriously… see for yourself.. here’s a shot of the final piece. You’d have to read the tutorial to see where these started, but this was one of my favorite trash to treasures! I decided I would use the exact same techniques on this candle holder.
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To recreate this cake stand, you will need:
- Cherub Candle Holder
- Round Dish or Board
- Black Paint
- Red Acrylic Paint
- Paint Brushes
- Antique Gold Rub ‘n Buff Metallic Wax
- E6000
- Spar Urethane Spray
I used a matte black spray paint, to paint the candle holder and dish
Once dry, using a small paintbrush, I painted the cherubs red (body, face, and hair). The color I used was True Red. It looks awful at first, but I promise it gets worse before it gets better! As you can see, you don’t have to be too precise with this step.
While the red paint was still wet, I used a cloth to wipe the red off. This left a nice distressed red tint. I intentionally rubbed it off more in some places. Some of the wet paint will get caught in the small creases. Use a small dry paintbrush to dab that up. I then used that brush to add a bit more red to places where I may have wiped off too much. There’s no exact science.
Once dry, the final step in the distressing process is the metallic wax. I used the Antique Gold
Using E6000 glue, attach the candlestick to the center underside of the top. Allow to dry overnight.
Spray entire stand with a coat or two of the Spar Urethane Spray. This will seal the paint finish.
Now you’re ready to serve up something delectable!
Enjoy!
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