Add light to the dining room with a swag chandelier.
Hanging swag chandeliers is a creative solution for anyone wishing to have removable lighting in places where no electrical boxes exist. Swag lamps feature long cords that you can drape from where the light hangs to the nearest outlet. Large, round make a modern, contemporary solution for a dining room chandelier or a masculine update in the bedroom. Add embellishments to create a romantic, whimsical vibe. White or cream-colored drum shades can easily be updated with fabric paint to create a chandelier that matches any décor and reflects your personality.
Instructions
1. Fit your selected stencil around your drum shade. Use painter's tape to secure if necessary.
2. Open a tube of fabric paint and gently squeeze the paint onto a paper plate. Dip a foam brush into the paint and gently dab the paint onto the drum shade through the stencil. Continue until the stenciled design is applied around the entire shade. Allow the paint to dry before peeling it off.
3. Apply a thin line of hot glue around the bottom perimeter of the drum shade. Press strands or pearls, or metallic beads or crystal beads, to the glue. Allow it to dry and trim off any excess.
4. Repeat the previous procedure, this time applying embellishments to the top of the drum shade.
5. Thread the cord of a light kit through the opening in the top bracket of the drum shade. Screw the pieces of the light kit together, following the directions included with the kit. Brands vary slightly, making it important to follow the recommended directions.
6. Measure the distance from the nearest outlet to the place where you want to hang the light. Add one foot to this measurement. Ensure your swag light's cord is equal to or greater than this measurement. Add an extension cord if necessary.
7. Mark the place where the finished chandelier will hang with a pencil mark. Add another pencil mark about one foot away, toward the wall where the outlet is located. Place another mark where the ceiling meets the wall. Add a final mark on the wall, halfway between the outlet and the ceiling. Screw hooks into each of these marks.
8. Measure the length of the cord. Cut a narrow rectangle of fabric about seven inches wide and 12 inches longer than the length of the cord.
9. Place the fabric faceup on the work table. Turn the rectangle so the short sides are on the top and bottom and the long sides on the right and left. Fold the right and left edges up together to create a tube. Pin the edges together. The back of the fabric should now be facing out.
10. Thread the sewing machine with thread that coordinates to the fabric. Set the sewing machine to a basic, straight stitch. Sew along the pinned edge of the fabric, removing the pins as you go.
11. Thread the cord through the fabric tube. Bunch it up as you go to cover the cord.
12. Hang the chandelier by looping the swag light's hanging loop over the hook placed where the light should hang. Loop the cord in its fabric tube over the remaining hooks to secure it in place. Plug in the cord.
Tags: drum shade, dining room, drum shades, edges together, fabric paint