How to Make a Rustic Chandelier
Rustic design and decor involves natural elements like twigs, bark, logs and other forms of wood. You can easily make a rustic chandelier for your dining table from a piece of wood from an old barn, antlers or driftwood. You can also distress new wood so that it looks older and more weathered, then turn it into a chandelier that your great grandfather might have made. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 12-inch wood block
- Nails and screws, mixed sized heads
- Gloves
- 6-inch-by-6-inch wood board, 36 inches long
- 2 -- 4-foot lengths of medium-sized chains
- 4 hooks
- Screwdriver
- Black spray paint
- Drill with a 2-inch hole bit
- Medium-grade sandpaper
- Stain/polyurethane
- 7 candles, 2 inches or less in diameter
Instructions
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Insert the various-sized nails and screws randomly into one-half of the 12-inch wood block. Do not insert them all the way, leave them at varying heights. This is a distressing tool to help you transform the new 6-by-6-inch wood board into a rustic chandelier that will appear older and weathered. The random placement and the different heights will create uneven marks in the chandelier, similar to what might occur in nature, over time. Wearing gloves, hold the distressing tool by the end with no hardware and hit the wood board randomly. The nails and screws will mark, dent, scratch and break off bits of the board's surface.
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Holding the middle of one of your 4-foot-long bits of chain, randomly hit the wood board to further distress it. The level of distress you create on your board is up to you. When you've finished distressing the board with the chain, spray both lengths with black spray paint.
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3
Drill seven indentations in the 6-by-6 board, evenly spaced beginning four inches from the end of the board and leaving four inches at the other end. These will hold your candles, so make them at least two inches deep in you prefer tall candles or one inch deep or less for shorter candles. Sand any splinters from the board.
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4
Stain the chandelier with a stain and polyurethane blend. The polyurethane in the stain will protect the wood while adding shine, depending on the gloss level you select.
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Attach a hook two inches from each end of your chandelier. Attach the corresponding hooks to the ceiling, making sure at least one is attached to a joist. Add the chain and hang your rustic chandelier. Add the candles.
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Tips & Warnings
Twine or rope may be used in place of the chains.
Never leave burning candles unattended.
Resources
- Photo Credit Stock.xchng
