Deck the Halls Mantel DIY Spindle Candle Holders

How I repurposed old spindles into candle holders and went beserks on the mantel for Christmas 2015.  My buildy friend Jen at The House of Wood is hosting Deck the Halls DIY Style and today is my day to share.  

Jen hosted a similar series last December when we shared our DIY tables, there are some beautiful ideas there, but this year the focus is mantels or vignettes and I choose to repurpose some twisty old spindles into candle holders and flood my mantel with candles.

I've had these spindles for at least 5 years with no project in mind.  The twisted shape attracted me long ago and I've just held on to them, in all there were about 30 spindles.  Reluctantly I cut them into shorter pieces trusting my project would work out.

And now they fill our Living Room mantel with a sea of glossy, red, twisted wood spindly goodness!

Down below I'll show you how I repurposed the spindles and made them into candle holders.

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DIY Beauty Organizer

Happy Friday friends!  As we are nearing ever closer to the big day (who's ready? yikes!!) I continue to share gift build projects as part of the Handbuilt Holiday series with Ana White.  Today we are bringing you this beautiful and extremely functional organizer:

It's a beauty organizer, a desk organizer, a desktop vanity, makeup organizer - you decide but either way it can be made entirely from scrap wood and takes no time to build.

Ana White and I have shared 9 gift builds so far this series.  As we near the last few weeks the builds will become smaller and more simple because we know you're tight on time but that doesn't mean you can't make an amazing gift from wood!  

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DIY Coloring Gift Tags

Create your own gift tags by coloring inside the lines! I made small, simple holiday themed lined drawings and used colored pencils to bring them to life. Adults love Christmas crafts just as much as kids and what better way to sit down and relax than coloring gift tags.

Use any blank tags, gift cards or cardstock for your coloring surface.  Then doodle away with Prismacolor Premier colored pencils and markers.  I purchased these pencils at Michael's, there are a ton of colors to pick from or you can buy a whole set!  The consistency and quality of their colored pencils is exquisite, there's no crumbly bits and the workability is unmatched.

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DIY Modern Tree with Ornaments

The holiday decorating is in full swing friends and today I'm over at Classy Clutter sharing this modern tree with ornaments.  All month long Mallory and Savannah have been posting amazing decorating ideas as part of A Handmade Holiday series, be sure to check out all the tutorials!

This modern tree is a basic build that does involve some beveled cuts so you will need a miter saw.  As always be careful with power tools and follow all safety precautions.

Below you will find the step by step instructions including cut lists.  Be sure to stop over at Classy Clutter for more finished product photos and lots more project ideas.

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