DIY French candle sconces

After Christmas, I went looking around on ebay for wood and iron candle sconces. 

 

I found a pair of these for less than $20. They are plentiful on ebay in all price ranges. I think they're from the late 1980s, but not sure.

Here is a recent listing from ebay, and this one has the original glass votive holders.

In any case, it needed a makeover.

I had in mind something similar to these French Pinot sconces.

source

I started by spraying them with gray primer. I thought I had a photo of that stage, but I must have deleted it. I then brushed on a lighter gray craft paint, let it dry, then sanded the high spots. I didn't like the color, nor did I enjoy trying to hold the sconce with one hand and brush paint into all the crevices, so I spray painted flat white over the whole thing, then sanded again after it dried. 

I then, rubbed on a coat of dark finishing wax and rubbed it off. I was pretty happy with the finish, then I realized something was missing. 

I have seen French candle sconces with wood beads, so I searched everywhere for long wood beads. I looked online and at Michaels in the jewelry and wood departments, but could not find what I wanted. I finally went to the craft department at Walmart and found a couple of options to choose from. 

I thought these beads might work, but they were not really long enough for the look I wanted.

I then saw these wood caps and thought I might be able to make them work. 

There were four of each size, so I decided to glue them together, since I needed four.

After applying the same paint treatment I did to the sconces, I used an awl to make a hole, then dipped a shortened wire ornament hanger into the glue then inserted it into the hole. 

And...voilà, French candle sconces!

I love how they turned out! I did plan on switching out the candle cups for smaller brass ones, but I thought that would just be overkill and more work than I really wanted to do.

I'm still not sure where I'm going to put them, since I have two, but for now, one is here on the old door in the music "room." 

Not bad for less than $20:-)

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