House & Home
Five Items to Upcycle Into a Chandelier
If you're anything like most Americans (meaning you have a lot of stuff), you probably own something that could become a chandelier. Huh? No, really. The junk in your garage or basement is just waiting to become a chandelier. Five DIY bloggers prove it, with ingenious chandelier projects made from
Posted — UpdatedIf you're anything like most Americans (meaning you have a lot of stuff), you probably own something that could become a chandelier. Huh? No, really. The junk in your garage or basement is just waiting to become a chandelier. Five DIY bloggers prove it, with ingenious chandelier projects made from everything from bicycle wheels to clothespins. If you have some broken crud, and if you have some creativity and willpower, you are on your way to an industrial-chic or farmhouse-chic chandelier. Don't worry -- you won't have to hire an electrician to wire them.
Bike chain chandelier: These are unbelievable. It is a bit of a lie to say that all you need is inspiration to make a bike chain chandelier. The chandeliers that I am writing about were made by the super-talented artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga. Still, an experienced DIY-er could probably improvise something. Alzaga's bike chain chandeliers are quite elegant, and her metalwork is beautiful. Could that pile of old bike chains in the garage become an elegant chandelier? If you are Carolina Fontoura Alzaga, you could.
Bike wheel rim chandelier: What do you get when you combine a cake mold, a bike tire rim, a standard hanging chandelier mount and chain, and an Edison bulb? You get a really cool chandelier.
Twig chandelier: One of my favorite DIY bloggers, Funky Junk Interiors, thought up this beauty. You basically take an ordinary, dare-I-say-ugly chandelier frame, and you tie twigs to it. How in tarnation could that look attractive? And ugly chandelier with twigs tied to it?! No, it does. The sheer volume of twigs conceals the ugly chandelier frame. All you see is rustic-chic beauty. It actually looks expensive, but it is really a bunch of twigs, an ugly old chandelier, and some spray paint. High five!
Clothespin chandelier: An amateur Dallas-area electrician/handywoman/DIY-er extraordinaire built this modern light fixture out of a tomato cage and a whole lot of clothespins. This idea takes the mid-century drum pendant to a whimsical place.
Tomato cage chandelier: This perfect outdoor chandelier is a delicate, but rustic, addition to a screened-in porch. What fun!
Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com.
