Do you love all the metal floral decor over at Anthropologie? I know- me too! I figured out a way to duplicate the look at a fraction of the cost. You can do this at home too- learn how to easily DIY the floral metal tole candle stick look all over Anthropologie. These metal decor trend pieces add charm to interiors and provide unique conversational accents.
The toleware look decor you find at Anthropologie and other places covers an array of aesthetics, including whimsical, botanical and vintage inspired. This particular project uses roses and leaves but any flowers, fruits and flora in general can serve as inspiration.
Key Take Aways:
A Guide to the Floral Metal Tole Look
Toleware Introduction & History
Anthropologie Metal Decor Inspiration
Step-by-Step Toleware Look DIY Tutorial
Tutorial Insider Tips & Floral Metal Decor Recommendations
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Inspiration for the Reproduction Toleware Look
Vintage Toleware
Toleware refers to objects created from metal, which are painted in decorative styles. These decorative tin pieces are creative masterpieces with utilitarian bones. The vintage toleware look totally has my number. I love all the vintage trays, sconces, chandeliers, etc., which brings me to today’s project.
Anthropologie Decor
Anthropologie carries a wide variety of tole-like candle holders, which I’m obsessed with, but unfortunately they tend to be spendy. I look at it as a challenge, which inspired me to create the look myself at a fraction of the cost. AI describes Anthropologie’s features as “highlight gilded finishes, handcrafted, hammered, or soldered details, designed to add depth and warmth to spaces in a bohemian or traditional chateau style.” I’m here for all of it – and here we are.
What is Toleware?
The term tôle is derived from the French tôle peinte, meaning “painted sheet metal”. The technique of painting on tinplate to create decorative and practical household items is also known as “japanning,” which was developed to prevent rust and imitate Japanese lacquerware. Toleware originated in Wales in the early 18th century. This style of decorative art spread from Europe to the United States in the 18th century, and was popular in US kitchens in the 18th and 19th centuries. Common pieces of toleware include, but are not limited to trays, lampshades, candle holders and sconces.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Create Floral Tole Candlesticks the Easy Way
Simple Dollar tree supplies, including metal candlesticks and metal lotus tea lights, are used as the base for this easy toleware hack. This artistic project allows for plenty of creative license- use flowers you prefer, add colors which coordinate your decor, create a design which speaks to your sensibilities. Make it yours! I’ve included metal accent options in the shopping section below for your convenience.
Instructions
MJ Insider Craft Pro Tip:
Read all the instructions through once & then re-read everything again, familiarizing yourself with everything you need & know what to expect.
Prep Project
- Read instructions thoroughly and assemble all supplies & tools
- Remove all packaging and tags from supplies
- Disassemble lotus tea lights, providing individual leaves (the metal was flexible and I just bent each leaf back & forth until it fell off; a strong scissor or metal sheer can also be used)
Embellish Leaves
- Spray paint leaves with green paint on one side, allowing paint to dry thoroughly
- Once leaves are dry on top side, flip over and coat other side with green spray paint
- Once second side is dry thoroughly embellish leaves further using contrasting paint- around edges and center (do this on both sides of leaves)
- Once contrasting paint is fully dry add rub-n-buf around edges for added gilding detail
- Set leaves aside and allow to fully dry and cure
Adhere Leaves
- Plug hot glue gun in to preheat
- Glue leaf under candle holder cup, using a dab of E6000 and hot glue, holding in place until secured (leaf should be facing out wrapping around cup)
- Repeat above step to arrange three leaves around entire candle holder cup (see illustration below)
- Using sharp tool make a small hole on end of leaf (repeat for desired # of leaves)
- Insert one end of floral wire in hole(s) of leaf and wrap around leaf to secure, using crafting pliers
- Wrap floral wire around candle holder stem until desired height
- Use a dab of E6000 and hot glue to attach leaf to candlesticks- hold in place
Secure Flower
- Find where wire meets the base and glue the flower on top hiding the mechanics, using a dab of E6000 and hot glue
- Hold flower in place until bond has secured
- Once flower is set in place, adhere more leaves around flower using same technique as above
- Set assembled candle stick aside to fully cure
Enjoy Floral Tole Candle Stick(s) Dupe
- Add a taper candle in desired color to candle stick cup
- Display in desired location
- Voila!~ an Anthropologie dupe with the easy metal floral look
MJ Insider Craft Pro Tip:
Adhesive can make or break a project. Always select the best man for the job, noting the materials used- fabric, wood, glass, metal, etc. Select the adhesive best for securing a strong bond for desired material. For this particular project, the hot glue adheres the metal accents initially, while the E6000 provides the stronger bond once it’s fully dried. Both glues are necessary and provide a different purpose.
Tips & Recommendations to Keep In Mind
Embellishment Notes
I’ve had the iron roses for a few years now. I found them at a local flea market, and I had to have them. Well, they were underused around here. I could never fit them into my decor properly- weird, I know. And they sat in a cabinet, forgotten, but remember, I had to have them! Fast forward to today, and they were the perfect foil for this project. I realize everyone doesn’t have underused metal flowers kicking around so I have included some options in the shopping section below. I would also look at the Dollar Tree since they always have metal garden accessories this time of year, which you can break apart similar to the lotus tea light here.
Another option is to use a crafting punch in a similar fashion to the technique I used here {Dollar Tree Lantern Glow-up Inspired by Terrain}. Using an aluminum foil cookie sheet, which you can also pick-up at the Dollar Tree, punch out floral and leaf shapes. Punches come in so many fun shapes, which allows for so many creative options. Have fun! Also thrift stores and garage sales might garner some interesting pieces.
Leaf Application
I applied leaves at the top of the candlestick around the cup, around the stem of the candlestick with the floral wire, and at the base around the flower heads. I want it to look like a real life plant in nature climbing and trailing. Add as many leaves as you want, achieving a pleasant composition to the eye and maintaining balance for the entire candle stick.
The paint application with the contrasting accent colors adds depth and dimension to the leaf elements. The rub-n-buf gilding adds that vintage vibe and ties the leaves to the roses. Rub-n-buf comes in a variety of finishes. If gold is not your jam, you can also accent the leaves with silver, brass or copper depending on the look you are going for and the feeling you are trying to achieve. Painting and embellishing the leaves on both sides provides the best look for the candlestick, giving the piece a finished look from all angles.
Flower Options
As mentioned above, I already owned the iron roses and it helped spring board this project. The roses are made of heavy iron, which is why I decided to adhere them to the base of the candle stick, providing the sturdiest construction. If I tried to attach them around the stem, the roses would have been too heavy and invariably would have fallen off.
If you use a lighter metal like tin or aluminum you can play with the placement of the flowers and have them trail on the stem of the candle stick if desired. You could also apply multiple flowers depending on size and placement. I recommend looking at the Anthropologie website or google “metal flower candle sticks” and study the different designs to create your own metal flower tole candle stick masterpiece.
Balanced Proportions
I used three different candlesticks at varied heights, and each one has a slightly different design. Although I used the same basic pattern, there are subtle differences. Since the length of the stem on each candle stick is different, it provides varied space to decorate. Consequently each one has a different number of leaves depending on the size of the candle stick.
Although each candlestick only has one flower, the size of the flower is also varied. The tallest candlestick displays the largest flower, while the shortest candle stick has the smallest flower, and so on. This maintains proportional heft for each individual piece. The metal candle sticks from the Dollar Tree are extremely light so the embellishments need to provide visual balance as well as proportional weight.
More High End Dupes
Fake it ~ ’til you make it! Get the look…
Anthropologie ~ Ballard Designs ~ MacKenzie Childs ~ Pottery Barn ~ Terrain ~ Wakefield Pottery ~ Wedgwood
Grab a copy of my free
Vintage Home
Decor Guide
This guide provides 10 easy ideas to add timeless charm to your home with a free PDF full of images and inspiration.
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Closing Thoughts ~ Conclusion
I am officially obsessed with this high end dupe! These candle sticks cost about $15 each to make and they retail at Anthropologie anywhere from $40 to $100 plus. Real antique toleware sells at auction in the thousands! I’ll take that all day long. Plus it’s incredibly satisfying to create something with our own hands. Artistic endeavors, whatever they may be, are incredibly therapeutic. They create a space where we slow down and immerse ourselves in the details of design- colors, shapes, textures, etc. Plus we end up with a charming accent like these floral toleware candlesticks.
What do you think of this project? Would you give something like this a try? I already have a few other ideas with the toleware look in mind. Let’s not forget the toleware tray I created last year. I hope you enjoyed yourself today and leave inspired. Thanks for dropping by and looking forward to seeing you next time.
Au Revoir!
FAQs ~ Floral Metal Tole Candle Stick DIY
1. What colors are most true to the Anthropologie aesthetic?
Anthropologie’s tole pieces tend to use rich, moody hues, including colors like deep teal, slate blue, hunter green, or aubergine plus added gilding. Layering a lighter highlight color and a deeper shadow color on the petals adds that hand-painted depth that makes the look feel luxe.
2. Can I use this technique on larger pieces?
Absolutely! The tole technique scales beautifully. Chandeliers, candelabras and sconces all have beautiful tole designs, which can be replicated with the techniques used here.
3. What other objects work best for the toleware look?
Great candidates include metal trays, watering cans, tin buckets, old lanterns, picture frames, and more. Thrift stores and dollar stores are goldmines for affordable bases.
Shop the Floral Metal Toleware Look
- 6-pack Metal Roses (perfect base colors, which can be embellished with paint or gilding)
- 6 Decorative Metal Flowers (Multi Color) (generic flowers in different colors with leaves which can be taken apart)
- 20 Pcs Daisy Iron Garden Stakes (love the look of these and have another project in mind for them)
- Metal Black Taper Candle Holders Set of 3 (I can’t believe the price! This is a fantastic deal!)
- White Metal Candlestick Holders- 3 Pack (this is a pretty good deal too)
- Hot Glue Gun (this is the one I use and love!)
- E6000 Adhesive (the best! – nothing else to say)
- Rust-Oleum Satin Moss Green Spray (the color I used)
- Small Metal Flower Candlestick (get the book out of the box)
- Tulip Vintage Metal Candle Holders (love these)
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Alice in Wonderland