Table Centerpiece

I started working on this lovely little candle centerpiece last fall and finished it a few weeks ago.  You might ask yourself why it has taken me so long to post about it.

One word, okay two - taking pictures.

We have a single table that we eat on, entertain on, do homework on, play on, etc, and since Christmas, it was cluttered with newspapers that didn't get recycled for a few days on end, Christmas legos, Thomas the train (including track), and other miscellaneous items that never seemed to be put away, or were brought back despite my efforts to put them away.

Recently, we had guests over, and I won my table back from the mess.  Phew!  So, now I could take pictures of my creation where it belonged, on the table.

I used some left over yellow pine for this project.

Materials

• 1x4x2
• 1x3x4
• 1 1/4 inch kreg or wood screws
• Wood glue
• Clamps
• Kreg jig 
• Glass jars or glasses collected to hold candles

Cuts

• 1 1x4 10 inches
• 2 1x3 10 inches
• 2 1x3 5 inches 

My cuts were basically based on the size of the jars that I had collected for this purpose and the size of the table I expected it to sit on.  I was heavily influenced by addictedtodiy.com's Fall Centerpiece post.  Now if you view Katie's post, she obviously has a much larger table than I do, but if you like hers, she did a very good tutorial on how she created hers.  I think both are beautiful.

Since I'd seen Katie's centerpiece, I have been collecting jars for this purpose - jam jars, sausage jars (Did I mention my husband is German?), salad dressing jars, and anything that struck my fancy.  I still have quite a few jars that I like, so I foresee at least one more centerpiece in my future, which is good, as this one is now destined for someone else's table. 

I began this project by adding 2 pocket holes at each end of the 1x3 10 inch pieces.

I next added 6 pocket holes to the bottom 1x4 piece, 3 at each end.

Using clamps, 1 1/4 inch wood screws, and wood glue, I put this simple project together in about an hour.  I applied Minwax's Red Mahogany stain with an old rag, wiping off the excess as I went.  Then I applied 2 Minwax Polycrylic clear coats, sanding after the stain dried and then after the first clear coat.

Finally, my beloved, battered kitchen table was freed from its chains, and I could take my finishing shots on the table.

I added the 3 jars that I had picked out and been saving all these months, put some glass stones in the bottom of each, and 3 matching candles in each jar.  Since I wanted to give this as a gift and I didn't want to give my friend used candles, I left them unlit, but I still think the centerpiece makes a fine picture.

Hope you enjoyed my version of this simple wooden table centerpiece.

Kelley

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