Add small Christmas ornaments to decorate her chandelier.
A shabby chic-style chandelier will be a darling way to pump up the fem power in a little girl's room. Retail prices can be on the high side, but you can tone down the price point by making it yourself. Be on the lookout for yard sale finds and shop in second hand stores to find a chandelier that's been waiting for you to come along and give it a second life. Add your creativity to make a chandelier to light up a little girl's life.
Instructions
1. Look for a chandelier with a working light fixture, or one that you can easily rewire with a lighting kit if you want the chandelier to be functional. Don't pass over an item that might be a bit dented or missing some dangling crystal-like pieces, after all, that's what makes it shabby and creates a canvas for you to turn it into something chic.
2. Remove light bulbs and lampshades (if the lamp has them). Take the chandelier outdoors and lay it on newspapers. Spray paint the entire chandelier antique white for a solid backdrop. Paint every surface, including the cups that hold lights if the chandelier has them. The goal is to turn the entire chandelier white, so when you add the jewelry pieces and trimmings the colors will pop.
3. Select a fabric for the lampshades that coordinates with her bedroom or her favorite color. Make a template to recover the existing lampshades or purchase plain mini chandelier lampshades.
4. Trace out the pattern for lampshade fabric on plain white paper. Cut the fabric and use spray adhesive to coat the lampshade. Accent the top and bottom borders of the lampshades with a matching gross-grain ribbon, feather boa strips or sequin trim, attached to the lampshades with fabric glue or hot glue.
5. Use long strands of pearls or clear glass beads to dress up the chandelier. Loop and drape the strands, spaced every 6 inches, along the base of the chandelier and attach them to the base with wire. Allow them to drape about 6 or 8 inches so the chandelier looks feminine and fancy.
6. Add faux crystal jewelry pieces to make the chandelier shimmer and shine by attaching them to the base and to the pearls and beads with thin craft wire. Go with all clear pieces for a grown-up look, pink to make it girly, or her birthstone color to give it a personalized touch. Mix up the sizes and shapes of the faux crystal pieces with teardrop shapes, ovals and circles to add interest.
7. Install a lighting kit (if desired) to make the chandelier a working light fixture, or you can opt to have her use it as a decorative statement piece in her room.
Tags: make chandelier, entire chandelier, faux crystal, , lampshades with, light fixture