To Be Special A Plaque Helps

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Look around the room you’re in.  Is there something that needs beef up?  A forgotten candle sconce was lost in the powder room.

This is how I fix that problem.

Do you remember when houses were defined as a 4 room house, or 6 room house?

Now when we discuss the size of a house by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.  I wonder if it changed with indoor plumbing?

It’s hard to feel special and stand out with so many rooms.  Especially if you’re a lonely candle sconce.

But add a rustic plaque and anything feels special.

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The lonely candle sconce

Here’s the sad lonely wire candle sconce.  It’s nothing very special.  The “crystals” are in fact glass.  It’s dusty.  It was left hanging in a bathroom.  Forgotten and dusty.

It didn’t even have candles!

Need a tissue yet?  Sniff, sniff.

Making a rustic plaque

To give it life, excitement and something to “hang” with, I made a rustic plank wood plaque.

The steps I used to make the wood plaque

• Cut 1 by 2 boards into 8 pieces about 24 inches long.  Notice about, I wanted a jagged top and bottom.
• Then cut a broken spindle to about 24 inches.
• Next, I cut to pieces of scrap wood to 12 inches.  These will hold the plaque together.
• I laid these pieces down and then line the 24-inch pieces across them.
• Insert the spindle between a couple of boards.
• Glue the boards in place using a quality wood glue.  Clamp in place until dry.
• Add a picture hanger to the back.

This wood glue is enough to hold the plaque together without nails.

I then aged the wood using my favorite technique to age wood.  I added steel wool to a cup of vinegar and let it sit for 24 hours.  Then I made a cup of black tea.  I painted the wood with the tea.  Let dry.  Then painted with the “ironed” vinegar.

You can read more about the aging wood technique here.

This area of the wood needed a photo op!  I liked the grain effect so much I changed my plans for the rustic wood plank plaque!

One area of wood changed the painting plans

I was planning on painting over the “old” wood with white chalk-based type paint.

Then sand the paint back to reveal the aged wood.

Instead, I dry brushed over the now aged wood with cream chalk-based paint.  Then added a highlight layer with white.

I hung it back up in the bathroom… :/

Actually, it got a downgrade!  It’s in the powder room.  But, more visual to guests. 😀

A couple of chunky tea light candles were plopped on top.  I bought battery stick candles but I haven’t covered them yet with wax.

So…

I covered them with washi tape.  Not realizing the battery candle were LED…I added washi tape to the flames!

Tones the candles down a bit.

Even with the downgrade to the powder room, the candle sconce is feeling pretty special.

It told me so! 😀

It’s ridiculous but I just realized our house has four toilets.  There are only two of us.