Homemade Hostess Gift for $20 or Less: Faux Marble Candle Tray

These faux marble candle trays are a great alternative to candle votives when you want to display you candles. It also makes a great hostess gift that is homemade.

You can also use this faux marble candle plate on your coffee table or even on your dining room table as an elegant centerpiece.

Marble is an expensive luxury that most of us just cannot afford. All you need for this easy homemade hostess gift is one wooden plate charger or candle plate. Either one will work or you can easily paint your own faux marble candle plate that will fool your hostess! She will never believe it is homemade.

With a little paint and some elbow grease you can easily paint your own faux marble Candle Tray

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This project will cost you about $25 for paint, but you can check out the reminded paints and use the paint swatches to match them to the small acrylic paints in the crafts store and only spend about $5 on paint. You should be able to complete your faux Marble Candle Tray in one weekend, but a lot some extra days to apply coats of polyurethane to protect your hard work.

To Faux Paint Your Marble Candle Tray You Will Need:

Wood plate or wood plate charger

Paint tray
3 china bristle brushes
artists paint brushes
latex paint, eggshell sheen: (base coat: Antique White); three or four marble-like colors (Tatimi Tan, Jute Brown, Coyote Trail 1224, Leather bound) - These paint colors are form Sherwin Williams
sea sponge
water bottle
latex primer (Kilz)

Latex glaze
cheesecloth
plastic containers
fine sandpaper
paper towels, rags or old t-shirts
semi-gloss acrylic varnish
foam roller and handle

Painter's tape

Start by lightly sanding your Marble Candle Tray. Wipe lightly to clean your work surface.

Now, prime the entire Marble Candle Tray by rolling on a coat of high quality latex base primer. Use a smooth paint roller. This latex base primer will be smelly, so open your windows if at all possible.

Once this primer has dried look around to see if you Marble Candle Tray needs another light sanding. If the surface is smooth, you can move on to the next step. If you find rough areas or dirt, then sand and paint again.