How to Make a Repurposed Rustic Chandelier
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Lighting can be expensive, but you're not without options. We wanted to show you a Rustic Chandelier that you can make yourself out of an old repurposed chandelier.
Note the finished size of this project is 20" x 12".
For this project you'll need the following supplies:
(4) Square Dowels 3/4" thick
(4) Square Dowels 5/8" thick
Old Chandelier
Spray Paint - White & Metallic
Various length braid nails
Compound Saw or Miter Saw
Clamps
Small piece of Square Plywood (optional)
Screws
Start by cutting the 3/4" Dowels in the following cuts:
4 @ 20"
8 @ 10-1/2"
These will be the boxed frames of the Chandelier. You'll complete 2 boxes. (Leave the other four 10-1/2" ends for the other sides. You'll nail these to the two box frames later.) Nail these together with your Brad Nailer using 1-1/2" brad nails. We love to use our battery operated Ryobi Airstrike for these type of projects. You might also need to use some clamps to hold the pieces at perfect right angles when nailing.
X Pattern
Next cut the 5/8" Dowels at 20-3/4" in length with a 27.5 degree mitered cut on each end. You'll need 4 of these. They are cut with the angles going the same direction. See my hand drawn diagram. (I never said I was artist. It's bad, I know. Don't tell the Hubs. He'd be appalled and would spend 5 hours redrawing them to perfection for me.)
Now cut 8 shorter pieces from the 5/8" Dowels. The angles are 27.5 degree on one and 34 degree angle on the other end. The angles should be going the opposite direction. It's hard for me to give you the exact length of these cross pieces. Because you'll want the angles to be tight, I'd recommend building the two boxes and the two side pieces and measuring out the length of the shorter pieces after you've attached the long 20-3/4".
Use 1-1/2" Brad Nails to attach the longer cross piece to the boxes and the side panels. Nail them from the bottom. Use 1" Brad Nails when attaching the pieces in the middle of the X pattern, otherwise you might pierce through the wood.
Here's a Facebook video that helps explain the cuts and assembly.
Make sure you also cut two pieces of the 5/8" Dowels at 11-12" with no angles. You'll use these pieces at the top to attach the actual chandelier. You might have to use a small plywood square or metal brackets. It all depends on the type of chandelier you have. (The Hubs ended up cutting a hole in a small piece of plywood for our project. You may or may not need to do that.) We screwed ours in to the completed frame. We drilled pilot holes first to make sure we didn't split the wood. I'll show a picture to you later in this post.
Spray paint all panels on all sides with White Spray Paint in a well ventilated space.
Chandelier / Light
We got our old Chandelier from our local ReStore / Habitat for Humanity for just $15. You can probably find one at a Thrift store for anywhere from $10-$40. Most chandeliers have been removed from a home, so they are hardwired. Make sure it is in good electric order. I can't stress this enough. Remember, we're using electricity here, which can be dangerous if there are kinks in the wires, they aren't grounded or are frayed. If this makes you uncomfortable, we'll talk about some other options for you later.
After you have all your parts. You can assemble all the pieces. We used a number of clamps to hold the pieces in place before nailing them together. Otherwise it can be very awkward and your wood can slip, meaning you can misfire a nail or have it shoot through, which is no fun.
Once you have your completed box, attach your two small pieces of wood to the top, as mentioned later. Like I said, we screwed them in and also had a small piece of plywood with a hold drilled through it to hold the chandelier in place. Each project will be different. Brain storm on the best way to attach your frame to the light. I've used metal band, clear zip ties and other hardware in the past. Use what's best for your project.
And you're done. I can't stress enough that you must make sure your light is electronically sound. There are kits in the lighting departments of most hardware stores that will allow you to attach an electric plug to a hardwired chandelier. Otherwise, you should have an electrician hardwire it for you. Or another option, would be to not use a chandelier, but use a light that plugs in. It wouldn't give you a chandelier look, but would definitely work for this project. Look for Pendant Plug In Light Kits. Here's another fun option.
And there you go! All done. This is definitely a little harder of a DIY project because of the angles, but if you're up to the challenge, it's worth the reward.
Blessings,
Anna
