Gilded Geometric Votives

Give plain glass votives the gold treatment. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

DIY PROJECTS THAT ARE EASY, pretty and useful are my favorite. This is one of them. And after an afternoon of making, I now have something handmade to give to a couple of good friends (and myself). These votives look amazing unlit, with their simple but stunning gilded triangles. They might lend some modern whimsy to a tired old coffee or dining table. Drop some scented votives in them and light them up, whether you're with company or not. They are super simple, you'll see.

GILDED GEOMETRIC VOTIVES

You will need

Small glass votives or shot glasses

Shiny gold spray paint

Wide masking tape

old newspaper

cotton balls or Q-tips

nail polish remover

votive candles

How To

Make sure the glass votives are clean and without grease. Cut two strips of the wide masking tape. The strips should just be about 2 inches longer than the height of each votive. Make a wide triangle shape with the tape on each glass.

In a well-ventilated area (preferably outdoors), lay some newspaper to protect the surface you're working on. Put a taped glass on the newspaper top side up, then quickly spray the paint evenly on the triangle. Allow the paint to dry for at least 30 minutes before peeling off the tape. 

My triangles were wide, they took one side of each glass. The tape should go over the top of the glass. Fold them over the top so you don't get any of the paint inside the votive.

* Some notes *

The secret to this looking polished is that the triangles are sleek, with clean edges, and the paint is even without wrinkles or lumps.

Before spraying, run your fingers along the edges of the tape so there are no gaps or bubbles. Shake the spray paint can well (I counted 12 seconds) before you spray, and shake again while spraying. Spray in firm, quick bursts. And just rotate the newspaper to spray the entire triangle. Spraying one votive takes about 15 seconds. Lastly, resist the urge to pull the tape off too early.

Wait for the paint to dry (about 30 minutes to an hour). And as always when working with flammable paint, please don't spray near heat or an open flame, and keep it out of the reach of children. Use some nail polish remover on a Q-tip or some cotton to remove any errant paint on the glass.

These were so much fun to make. And I will be packing them with paper shreds and scented votives in craft boxes for some friends. And so super-easy, I think making the craft boxes and shredding the paper will take much longer :) Here's another easy votive DIY you might like too. 

And thanks for reading!