Have you ever saw something you just HAD to have online but then came to realize it was WAY out of your budget? Yeah, same girlfriend, same.
I had been looking for a fun chandelier for the girls playroom and ended up finding the perfect one from Pottery Barn that I new I had to have. That is, until I saw the price tag of 700+ dollars. Fun fact, I am about as cheap as they come and can hardly stand to spend $20 on anything, much less 700. So that was not about to go into my cart and end up in my house. My husband makes fun of me all the time because I can't commit to spending any money.
Lucky for me, DIY is my love language and I was convinced I could make my own, and so can you! So, I set out to see if anyone else had made something similar and stumbled upon Lauren and her blog Farmhouseish for my inspiration. I felt her space lended itself to a larger chandelier, so I opted to make a few changes to mine and here is how I did it.
Step One: Gather Your Supplies
Below is a list of all the necessary supplies needed for this project-
Beads
2 - 1/4" Metal Rod (you will need to cut theses down to size)
Chain Links
Hook
Twine
Wood Glue
Clamps
Scissors
I already had twine, wood glue, clamps and scissors. I purchased all the beads I was going to need for this project + extra because I planned on making a matching beaded tassel garland to tie in the chandelier as well as the DIY rainbow I previously made for the playroom.
The beads cost about $120 total and the rest of the supplies I needed to purchase cost me around $50 bringing my grand total to less then $170 for my DIY Beaded Chandelier.
I did a little happy dance when I was able to save HUNDREDS and still get the statement piece I wanted for my space.
Step Two: Organize + Stringing Beads
I wanted to organize all the beads in a way that leant itself to easy clean up as well as having safety in mind. I knew this would be a multiple day project, and with a 2 + 3 year old who still love putting things in their mouths, I wanted to make sure I had all the beads contained so little hands didn't have free access to them.
I opted to place each size bead into a gallon size ziplock bag and placing them in the order they needed to be strung up in a cardboard box. That way, each time I was ready to string beads I could just open the bags, have it all contained right in front of me and then when I was done for the day, zip them up and put them back into the closet where the girls didn't have access to them.
To string the beads I followed these diagrams for each swoop
To string the beads onto the twine I used a small piece of tape to make a firm end to slide the beads onto. I decided it would be best to leave my twine attached to the spool and complete all 5 strands for 1 swoop before cutting each of them off. This way I didn't have to re-tape as often and could move a little bit faster because let's be honest, Momma doesn't have time to waste.
Before cutting each strand off I also made sure to leave about a 1/2" of twine on both sides of the cut, this way it would be easier to attach to the hoop when the time came.
Each completed swoop was then attached to a hanger to stay organized. I started with the 23" hoop first and completed all 10 swoops + attached them before moving onto the 18" hoop. In hindsight, I recommend doing that in the opposite order because of all the small beads you need to string for the 23" strands. It would have felt good to move much faster on the back end of the project!
Step Three: Tying Your Strands + Swoops to The Hoops
Now it's time to attach each stands to your hoops to make the swoops. This was were I could finally see the vision taking form!
I had a lot of "help" during this part so it ended up taking me a bit longer then I had anticipated. I, however, love when my littles get involved in projects, especially ones that are for them or for spaces that they enjoy.
Separate your embroidery hoops. You should end up with 4 circles of each size. Start with your shortest strand on your hanger and attach that to one of the non adjustable hoops on both sides. To tie, I looped the twine up and over the top of the hoop and double knotted it at the bottom where the beads start. Next, keep tying your shortest strand left on your hanger to the hoop underneath the previous strand.
Once you have your first swoop tied (all 5 strands), you’ll move to the right and overlap your first swoop with a second swoop, in the middle of your last hoop. This sounds more complicated than it actually is (and of course I forgot to take a picture of this part to show you exactly what I mean, SORRY!).
Follow this process until you have all 10 swoops completed for the 18" hoop and all 8 swoops for the 23" hoop. Once you have this done take the time to even out your spacing so that the swoops are all fairly even to one another. Don't worry about all the extra twine that you see, those will be cut off during the next step.
Step Four: Glue on the Inner and Outer Hoops to Clean up the Edges
Now that all of the strands of beads are tied onto both of the hoops it's time to clean it up a little bit!
Take one of your additional 18" hoops, remove the blocks from the ring and cut it to fit onto the inside surface of the hoop. Next, cut an opening in another 18" hoop and place it on the outside surface. You should be sandwiching the twine with the additional hoops at this point. Take your wood glue and place a small layer on both hoops and use your clamps to hold them in place as they dry. I waited 24hrs before moving onto the final steps.
Repeat this same process for the 23" hoop.
Once the glue has dried, remove the clamps and trim off all the excess twine that you have left over from when you tied all the strands on.
Step Five: Install the Metal Rods
Now it's time to put the two hoops together and create the chandelier look!
Place your 18″ hoop inside your 23″ hoop. Move our hoops so that the 23" swoops will in the gaps of the 18" center hoop. Once you have them placed how you want, cross your metal rods over top of one another.(I used an angle grinder to get a clean cut on the metal) Cut the rods down to size and figure out exactly where you want them to sit, then mark a spot where you’ll drill holes.
You will drill holes with a .25″ drill bit all the way through your 18″ hoop, but you’ll only want to go through the first 2 hoop layers on the 23″ hoop.
Place one rod through both hoops, then cross the other one over, manipulating the rod and hoop as you can to get them in tightly enough so they’ll stay put.
Step Six: Attach Your Chain and Hang
The end is in sight, ya'll! I promise the end result is SO worth it.
The final step is to attach the chain you will use to hang the completed chandelier.
I used black chain link on all four of the rods and used a decorative hook, rated for up to 50lbs, that I screwed into a stud that was centered between our 4 can lights.
COMPLETE!
If you have questions about any part of the process or make your own chandelier leave me a comment below or find me and tag me on instagram
I am so in love with how this turned out! It looks beautiful in the space and I think it's pretty badass seeing it hang it my home everyday and knowing I made it.
In total this DIY took me about 5 days to complete. I did most of the work in the evenings once my girls were in bed.
I hope you all find the courage to take on a bigger project like this and that this post gives you the confidence to give it a go. DIY doesn't have to be your passion. Just know, if you want to do it, you can!
And as always....Honey, Be You
XOXO Momma Mageed
That playroom is beautiful and the chandelier is the perfect centerpiece! Your instructions give me hope that MAYBE ONE DAY I can DIY!