Creating a Candle Chandelier

I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one.So I got a cake.

- Mitch Hedberg

It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

How far that little candle throws its beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

- William Shakespeare

***

I have always coveted dreamed of owning a candle chandelier.
Have you seen the prices of those puppies? Good gravy. So I thought I would peruse Goodwill.

*Score*

I found this bad boy for $5. It's wires were cut, it was missing the chain it hung from and was a lovely 80's gold color. So naturally, it was love at first sight.

I nestled it in the front seat and began daydreaming of the lovely nights we would spend together. Just me and Brassy. Good times indeed lie ahead.

Now I just had to figure out what color to paint it.

{This was a HUGE dilemma. Black, white or silver. This poor guy sat in my living room for weeks 'cuz I couldn't make a decision. I was so afraid I would hate it, or that it wouldn't work, or that my style would change in a year.} 

And then I remembered. It's JUST paint, and I can always REpaint, so I went with white.

I visited my Friendly Neighborhood Walmart Spray Paint Concierge Desk and retrieved my hearts desire from behind the clear pane of glass. I admit I feel a little annoyed that they have to lock it up, yet also feel like I'm super special 'cuz I am always granted access to this restricted area. 

Before the painting could begin, I had to do some revamping on Brassy. 

Here are the steps in handy bullet form:

• Unscrew the top piece and the parts that hold the light bulbs. You may have to keep unscrewing different sections, to get to the core of the lamp. When you reach the part where all the wires merge, remove them. Yep ALL of them. Cut, pull, whatever it takes. You want those suckers out of there.

• Reassemble the chandelier.

• Using pliers, bend the bottoms of the lightbulb holders back and forth until they break off, then screw the bottoms back onto the 'drip pans'.

• Wash and dry thoroughly. You could gently rough it up with sand paper, but I didn't.

• Coat with primer. {I used Rustoleum's metal primer} Let it cure for about a week. Out of the reach of your children is highly recommended. Not that I am speaking from experience...

{I loved the matte look of the primer so much that I actually didn't paint a top coat.} 

Now since the chain was missing, I began looking for a replacement, and then it dawned on me. Why use a chain? I found some rope that I felt added some charm to a somewhat plain chandelier. If I get tired of it, I could always make one of those cord covers.

• I used 1 rope folded into thirds to create loops on each end. I then twisted together and wrapped with twine to secure the loops and loose ends with this technique. In deciding how long to make it, use this rule: the drip pans (at the base of the candle) should be about 37-39" above your table, about eye level when standing. If walking beneath it is planned, you need about 78" of clearance.

• Add candles: Since I'm using a rope, I decided to grab these at Walmart {for $3 each}:

They are light weight and I don't have to worry about the rope burning or breaking under the weight. If you are using a chain, or are super confident in the weight your rope can hold, another idea would be placing glasses on each drip pan and placing tea lights in them. Or cover those glasses with decorative paper then place an electric tea light in them. Of course, just a regular pillar candle would look divine, too.

|glasses|

|candles|

I'm loving my new chandelier, but now I just have to figure out where I want to hang it.
I have like 957 places that this would look good hanging up.

*sigh*

Happy Candle Chandelier Making!

Jordan is a mother of 2 and is an addict frequent shopper of Goodwill and Craigslist. When not
tackling projects, she writes about mommyhood over at Mean Mommy Academy.

*all photos are my own*