Adding More Romanticism– Creating Your Own Candlesticks

Candles and candlelight are both an indulgence and a necessity. Lighting candles at the table every night; it’s amazing how a bit of candlelight can elevate even the simplest of meals. My first experience dining by candlelight was in Williamsburg, Virginia where candles were the only source of light at the King’s Arms Tavern. Even now, on this rainy summer morning there are candles burning here in the library where I am writing.

My experience in creating candlesticks begins with The Artisan’s Table, a gift to me from my husband after he noticed my covetous looks at the copy we gave to my sister.

The concept for the book by Jane Schulak and David Stark (Vendome) is focused in several areas and would be of interest to people who love art, artists, table settings, and/or entertaining! The authors take us inside museums and artist’s studios focusing on a particular type of art or object. They then use these works of art in table settings which are unique and wondrous. This is a photo of a 17^th century silver candlestick and an 18^th century French faience candlestick.

This is Laurent Poumat, creating paper mache candlesticks in his studio outside Paris, France.

Here are the photographs of table settings using two different types of paper mache candlesticks created by Laurent Poumat.

Here are some of the eight pressed or molded glass and metal candlesticks purchased in local vintage shops. We were hosting the family Thanksgiving and my original thought was that we could give each couple a candlestick and an opportunity to work together to paper and/or paint as a pre-feast activity. When faced with questions about how long this would take and how many people might actually to participate the idea was “tabled” and the candlesticks were stored in a cabinet until recently.

In this form of paper mache an object is covered in torn paper dipped in a mix of Elmer’s glue and tap water. This paper comes from a pad of artist’s sketch paper. To ensure there are no harsh, straight edges, you might carefully tear away the outer edges before beginning.

Here is a glass candlestick being worked and fully covered. It is best when working on small objects to tear small pieces of paper and to tear them ahead of time so you don’t have to use your gluey wet fingers to tear clean paper.

As a side note, our resident safety engineer was concerned candle wax and paper would not be a good mix. You can purchase metal bobeches online. Mine have a flared ring on them to catch dripping wax and a metal spike on which to impale the candle to hold it in place. When the opening of the candlestick is too small to accommodate the bobeche you can use a small amount of strong glue around the inside edge of the candlestick opening.

Even when not in use your candlesticks can provide joy. Mine are stored in a painted bookcase along with ironstone jelly molds and plates and platters used for serving family style.

Here they are on our table! The look of the stark white unpainted paper is fascinating against the gleaming mahogany of the tabletop.

The candlesticks remind me of Alberto Giacometti’s works in plaster. We recently purchased a copy of a catalogue from an exhibition of his work at the Cleveland Art Museum. The book is titled Alberto Giacometti: Toward the Ultimate Figure (Yale).

This is a photo of Alberto Giacometti in 1959 working on the plaster of a sculpture called The Walking Man.

A small bust by Giacometti. Notice the movement in the texture of the plaster.

The first table lamp shown above is in a bedroom featured in the latest issue of Frederic Magazine (XVII). Below it is a lamp attributed to Giacometti (1^st dibs).

These wall sconces are made in the style of Giacometti. Sconces and chandeliers made to look like Giacometti’s plasters can be seen in recent interior design work.

Whether it be paper mache made entirely of paper, paper mache covering glass or metal, or perhaps plaster there may be new candlesticks in your future!