Inspired By DIY - Stray Dog Designs Chandelier

As part of my New Year New Room Challenge Staircase, I created an Inspired By DIY. This DIY involved transforming a thrift store chandelier into a Stray Dog Designs style paper mache chandelier like the ones below. This week I’m going to show you just how I accomplished this.

But first, we are going to need to gather some supplies.

Materials

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Craft Paper
Watercolor Paper
22 Gauge Wire
Masking Tape
Wood Glue
Parchment Paper
Scissors
X-Acto Knife
Needle Nose Pliers with a cutting edge
Spray Paint (Ace Gloss Plum)
And of course your thrift store chandelier, any shape will do.

Prepping the Chandelier

I started with a chandelier I scored at the thrift store for $10. You’ll want to look for something that has an open frame. I found this one that was glass facets and decided I might be able to break out the glass to use only the structure. I taped over the glass with masking tape and used a hammer to break out each pane of glass.

Making Decorative Components

With the base chandelier ready I got to work on the decor. I made several flower shapes, pods, and leaves that will later be wired to the chandelier frame. For these, I used my 22 gauge craft wire, watercolor paper, masking tape, and paper mache. Below are the sequence of steps for making each one. The brown portions are paper mache which I will show you how to do a little later.

Once all the decorative components are complete and dried it is time for paint. I used Ace Gloss Plum spray paint for mine but any spray paint or sheen will work. Panting the components before attaching them makes getting into all the nooks and crannies much easier. At this time you can also paint any other small components like the chandelier canopy and inner parts of the chandelier.

With all the elements painted it’s time to attach them to the chandelier. To do this wrap the wires around the frame and cover it with masking tape to hold it in place.

Paper Mache

Now it’s time to cover all the exposed parts with paper mache. You’ll need the wood glue, craft paper, water, and a good size bowl. Before you get your hands dirty tear plenty of craft paper in all different sizes. Long strips are best for wrapping the frame. Smaller rounds and ovals are best for the flower components.

Start by mixing 2 parts glue with one part water. You want the glue diluted but not watery. This mixture goes pretty far so you don’t need to mix a lot. To begin paper mache-ing add a few scraps of craft paper to the mixture and let them absorb the glue for a minute or two. When you remove the scraps squeegee off the excess by pulling the paper through your fingers. Now it’s ready to apply.

Use whatever shapes work best for wrapping each component. I wrapped long strips around the frames like bandages and used smaller scraps to build up around the base of the pods and flowers. Working in sections is best because the paper mache dries pretty quickly if properly squeegeed. The paper mache will dry very hard so be sure you have all the flowers and leaves shaped and in the right direction before it dries.

If you have any ragged edges you can come back with a detail sander once everything is dry to smooth those edges.

Final Paint

The final step is a full paint job on your completed paper mache project. Turn the chandelier upside down and spray the underside first getting as many angles as possible. Then hang the chandelier by its chain and repeat the process on the top side. This allows you to get every angle and then leave the chandelier hanging until it is completely dry.