Who doesn’t love copper?  It’s a close second to rose gold, but I particularly love it because it ages into such a nice patina.  I had some copper tape sitting around for about 8 months and hadn’t earmarked what I’d do with it until last weekend.  Usually, there are two reasons why I’ll undertake a project.  Either what I’ve seen out and about just isn’t quite what I want or I’m being frugal and feel like I could make something just as good – but cheaper.  Usually, I’m on the fence about whether my love for an item will outweigh the cost.

I saw a copper rimmed candle holder the other day at a nice home decor store for about $70 and although I was drawn to it, I wasn’t quite sure if I’d actually get a lot of use out of it.  I had some copper tape at home and thought that I’d give a DIY a try.  I’m glad I did because this project cost under $20 and was quite easy!

It’s obviously not the same as a store bought (welded) version, but I really like how it turned out and for the cost it was totally worth the project.  If you’re worried about your capabilities, you shouldn’t!  This took me about 15 minutes total and don’t shy away from a project because it has cut glass.  I just read off my dimensions to the guy at Lowes and he cut them up for me. Easy as pie. 

The five pieces of glass you’ll need can all be cut from one piece of 24″ x 18″ glass, which will save money since glass cutting is free!  The copper tape is the hardest to find, so if you’re wanting to do this project, just snag some online.

You’ll start the project by constructing a rectangle, then you’ll apply the bottom, then you’ll line the top rim last.

ONE cut two pieces of 4″ tape and apply it to two opposite edges of one 4″ x 4″ piece of glass.

TWO apply your 4″ x 4″ piece to the edges of two standing pieces of 24″ x 4″ glass as shown.  Wrap the 4″ pieces of tape around the corners.  Repeat on the other side forming your basic rectangle.  THREE top the rectangle with your last piece of 24″ x 4″ glass. Use the tape to tape around the edge of the entire base, making sure to adhere the sides to the base evenly.  FOUR flip the box right side up and use the tape to edge the entire raw rim of the glass. FIVE to create a more sturdy project, go back with glue and glue along the inside seams of the box.

See how easy that was?  When the glue is dry, you can fill the box with your favorite candles, or even some potted succulents would be really pretty!

I can confidently say that this project is much much easier than it looks.  I carved two hours out of my day to make it (along with photography) but it only took me a whopping ten minutes!

I love the way it turned out and know that the copper will patina with time and will look even more rustic!