Learn how to create a faux concrete candle from a thrifted vessel in a few simple steps for a beautiful high-end looking piece of decor for your home!

Every now and then I’ll browse high-end stores like Anthropologie and Pottery Barn to see what home decor is trending and what new items are coming out for each season. And while I’ve never bought anything from these stores, I like to draw inspiration so that I can recreate my own version at a fraction of the cost. Although it seems impossible, many of the decor pieces sold at high end stores are easily replicated using inexpensive materials that are readily available to all, including items from places like the Dollar Tree and the thrift store.

I’m a huge fan of repurposing items as opposed to buying new, so I always scour my favorite thrift stores for items that I can makeover to look high end. For this project, I drew inspiration from this fluted candle from Crate and Barrel that’s nearly $80! I found a ceramic dish while thrifting that had a similar type of fluting for under $5. And although I knew I couldn’t make this vessel look like real stone, I could make it look like concrete, which seems to be trendy right now. So, I headed to the hardware store and found some cheap spackle and got to work. A little spackle and some acrylic paint later, I had a beautiful faux concrete candle holder. All I had to do was add some wicks, some candle wax and boom, I had a candle for literally a fraction of the cost of high end. Find out below exactly how I did it.

PIN FOR LATER!

YouTube Video Tutorial

FAQs

What type of vessel works best to make a faux concrete candle?

You can use ceramic or glass to make a faux concrete candle. I recommend looking for something that is at least a few inches deep to get a nice sized candle and one that isn’t too shallow. Great examples would be bowls, crocks, old candy dishes, ramekins, coffee mugs and so much more. Just get creative and look for vessels that you like the shape of.

What’s the best concrete mix for DIY concrete candles?

Instead of using actual concrete, I found that using cheap spackle from the hardware store and painting it a grey color actually looks very realistic. Although using spackle is still messy, you don’t have to go through the hassle of mixing concrete and making a bigger mess. This project can also be done inside, which is really nice.

Do I have to make a candle from scratch for this project?

If you don’t want to gather all the ingredients to make a candle from scratch, you can absolutely melt down your favorite wax melts or a full candle from the store. You can also gather all your old candles that are almost gone, melt them together and form a new candle!

How to Create a Faux Concrete Candle out of a Thrifted Vessel

Tools You May Need:

Materials Needed:

Thrifted ceramic dish or vessel
Primer spray paint
Acrylic paint
Baking soda (1 tsp per 1/2 cup of paint)
Spackle
Candle wicks
Soy wax or beeswax pellets
Essential oils
Hot glue sticks

Directions

Clean the vessel well, then tape off the inside starting about 2 inches from the top.

Spray the vessel with any kind of spray primer or spray paint and primer combo, and allow it to fully dry.

Mix 1/2 tsp of baking soda with 1/4 cup of acrylic paint and paint the upper portion of the inside of the vessel.

Use a putty knife to apply spackle to the outside of the thrifted vessel and allow it to dry fully for a few hours or overnight.

Mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1/2 cup of acrylic paint and paint the entire outside of the candle.

Once the paint is dry, hot glue wicks to the bottom of the candle.

Wrap the wicks around pencils and lay the pencils on the rim.

Melt the soy wax in the microwave or in a double broiler, add about 100 drops of essential oils, then pour the wax into the vessel. See notes for an easier hack. **

Allow the candle to sit for a few hours for the wax to harden, then trim the wicks.

Now you have a beautiful high-end dupe candle for your home!

Notes

Make sure to use a good base primer paint that is meant to adhere to the surface you’re working with.
In place of making your own candle from scratch, you can melt wax melts or a store-bought candle instead.
Keep the spackle only on the outside away from the wax so that the candle isn’t getting contaminated.
There a wide variety of wicks available, including a wooden wick which gives off a crackling noise, almost like a burning fire.

Faux Concrete Candle

Active Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Learn how to create a faux concrete candle from a thrifted vessel in a few simple steps for a beautiful high-end looking piece of decor for your home!

Materials

Thrifted ceramic dish or vessel
Primer spray paint
Acrylic paint
Baking soda (1 tsp per 1/2 cup of paint)
Spackle
Candle wicks
Soy wax or beeswax pellets
Essential oils
Hot glue sticks

Tools

Painter's tape
Paint brush
Plastic spatula
Hot glue gun
Wick trimmer or scissors

Instructions

Clean the vessel well, then tape off the inside starting about 2 inches from the top.
Spray the vessel with any kind of spray primer or spray paint and primer combo, and allow it to fully dry.
Mix 1/2 tsp of baking soda with 1/4 cup of acrylic paint and paint the upper portion of the inside of the vessel.
Use a putty knife to apply spackle to the outside of the thrifted vessel and allow it to dry fully for a few hours or overnight.
Mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1/2 cup of acrylic paint and paint the entire outside of the candle.
Once the paint is dry, hot glue wicks to the bottom of the candle.
Wrap the wicks around pencils and lay the pencils on the rim.
Melt the soy wax in the microwave or in a double broiler, add about 100 drops of essential oils, then pour the wax into the vessel. See notes for an easier hack. **
Allow the candle to sit for a few hours for the wax to harden, then trim the wicks.
Now you have a beautiful high-end dupe candle for your home!

Notes

Make sure to use a good base primer paint that is meant to adhere to the surface you're working with.
In place of making your own candle from scratch, you can melt wax melts or a store-bought candle instead.
Keep the spackle only on the outside away from the wax so that the candle isn't getting contaminated.
There a wide variety of wicks available, including a wooden wick which gives off a crackling noise, almost like a burning fire.

Looking for more easy DIY home decor projects like this?

Looking for more easy DIY home decor projects like this faux concrete candle? Check these out:

Did you try making this faux concrete candle from a thrifted vessel? If you did, I’d really love to see it. Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this tutorial!