When you move to a new house, often you find that things no longer work. We had replaced a couch already before we moved but decided to decorate the living room to work well with the colors of our couches. In doing so, many of the items that we used before with a bit of old world Victoriana charm just do not fit in now.
In some cases, we sold items on but I cannot part with the brass candlesticks I have as the large one was our unity candle for our wedding ceremony and the others were a wedding gift. I decided it was time to make do with them and give them a makeover. They needed to go from fussy to a touch prim looking. And what does it better than black matt paint?
We I washed them to remove any dust and then we gave them an extra cleaning in ammonia to remove any grease from candle wax. Two thin coats of primer and two coats of black matt paint did the trick.
They now fit in again very well with my living room. I have more of my brass candlestick collection which I will be painting black as well. I love how they have come up and know I will have many more years of pleasure out of them now.
It will be nice to want to have them out once again instead of stuffed into my bookshelves since they did not really go with the living room before. After all, this is my year of use it or loose it. What about you? Do you have things around your home that you can make do with or mend?
In some cases, we sold items on but I cannot part with the brass candlesticks I have as the large one was our unity candle for our wedding ceremony and the others were a wedding gift. I decided it was time to make do with them and give them a makeover. They needed to go from fussy to a touch prim looking. And what does it better than black matt paint? 
We I washed them to remove any dust and then we gave them an extra cleaning in ammonia to remove any grease from candle wax. Two thin coats of primer and two coats of black matt paint did the trick.
They now fit in again very well with my living room. I have more of my brass candlestick collection which I will be painting black as well. I love how they have come up and know I will have many more years of pleasure out of them now. 
It will be nice to want to have them out once again instead of stuffed into my bookshelves since they did not really go with the living room before. After all, this is my year of use it or loose it. What about you? Do you have things around your home that you can make do with or mend?
20 comments:
A clever idea - no more need for polishing either!
x
They look great, Heidi!
I happen to know, that Jos took over this fun project you are now doing. Make over. He loves saving money, so that will help, but now you say he doesn't want them all changed to black from brass, even though he took over this job too. hahaha. He is too funny.
They look super great. I love them.
Love you, Mom
PS: soon you can be looking for the mailman to bring a Christmas in July gift. No, not a makeover
Oh how I wish you had posted this some months ago as I gave away my brass candlesticks because my room is now accesorised with black cast iron!!!!!!! They would have been perfect painted black oh well c'est la vie lol!!!!!
Wow, I wish that I would have thought to paint my brass lamp that I just gave to the Salvation Army! Sigh...love your Make do and mend Mondays, even if I gave away a perfectly good lamp...
I'll have to do the same in a few weeks when all my stuff'll come back ! Your ideas are great, Heidi !
Great idea. I'm not sure I would have had the nerve to do it, but they turned out great.
Nice! they sure look good now in black. Not a brass kind of girl. More silver or white..
Saved my mothers silver candlestick! one that fits 3 candle's. She wanted to through it out, so I saved it. But that's not really a make do, is it.
Now I have more stuff in my home, and she less...
I changed my living room though.
The couch and the TV made a switch.
Heidi wat een leuk idee, enige tijd geleden heb ik oude tafeltjes oa. van mijn moeder (uit een kringloopwinkel)een andere kleur gegeven, erg leuk om te doem!!!
Dikke hugs, Bep.
the "new" candlesticks look so pretty on your doily! I am a fan of spray paint for re-do's
I think make do and mend describes just about everything I do. I altered some shirts for baby E this afternoon.
I LOVE these! I am guilty of painting/spray painting many things. My friends calls me the "Spray Paint Queen"!! LOL! I am linking to you today with cloth napkins that I made:
http://mycottagelife.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-cloth-napkins.html
Susan
He, goed idee! Die maandagen van jou geven goeie resultaten! Hoef je ook geen koper meer te poetsen..
What a great idea! I *really* love the black!
Hi Heidi, they look great ! The black color suits them well ! Greetz Lejo
Het ziet er erg leuk uit in zwart en scheelt ook een boel poetswerk.
Groetjes
Your candlesticks look lovely, Heidi!
Have a nice day & hugs, Carolien
This is a great transformation Heidi.
Marie x
The black candlesticks are striking. Good idea.
What a GREAT idea. I love all your ideas on Make Do and Mend, but this one is a keeper. I am not known to paint over things, I guess I just don't have the nerve, but you have given me a reason to become brave. The candlesticks are wonderful. Hugs from CA.
What a great makeover for your candlesticks! What type of paint did you use?
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