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You are visiting: Home » Decorating/DIY » Create Your Decor » How to Paint a Chandelier

How to Paint a Chandelier

by Lindsay Ballard on January 27, 2014 11 Comments

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

I am a chandelier hoarder.  When I see an old one with a great shape, I must bring it home with me – even if I don’t have a place for it at the time.  I stick them in corners of closets and in the attic crawl space until the perfect ceiling presents itself to me.  It’s gotten to the point that my husband, Tom, has asked that I not bring anymore home.  Oh, like that is going to happen!

Generally, the light fixtures that I hoard need some sort of attention – cleaning up, new wiring or an updated paint job.  The challenging thing about painting a chandelier is getting the underside, the side that you can see when you stand underneath it.  Chandeliers aren’t exactly easy to balance upside down.

So, I’ve devised a system in my garage to make the job easier.  Here’s how to paint a chandelier:

First, I installed a hook in the garage ceiling.  I put it into a stud, so it can bear some weight without the drywall coming down.  From the hook, I tied a length of rope.

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

At the bottom of the rope, I am able to tie the chandelier – either by the chain or from the old wiring.  I tie it high enough so that I can easily walk underneath it.

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

I string some plastic behind it so that I don’t get spray paint on my garage walls and place a drop cloth on the floor.  I make sure to cover up any parts of the light fixture that I don’t want to paint, like the sockets.

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

I let the chain hang down so that it can be painted, too.

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

Then, I just spray paint as usual.  I can cover the whole fixture at one time and be able to fully cover the bottom of the fixture without problem.  If there are any other pieces (this one had a canopy and a piece that went around the outside of it), I put them on the drop cloth and spray them directly on the floor.

How do I actually paint it?  I generally wipe it down with a wet cloth, and when it’s dry I use the Rustoleum Ultra Cover 2X (for colors) or Rustoleum Universal Metallic Paint and Primer in One (for metallics) spray paint.  I don’t worry about using a stand alone primer or roughing up the surface if its for something that’s only going to be seen and not touched.

how to hang a chandelier for easy spray painting via MakelyHome.com

Are you a chandelier hoarder?  How do you paint them?

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

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Comments

  1. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    January 27, 2014 at 8:29 am

    Great tip and this one looks amazing. Be sure to link up to Inspire Me this afternoon, this is very inspiring. http://www.astrollthrulife.net. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  2. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    January 27, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Love that chandy! We don’t have a garage or basement/workshop, so I always do my spray painting outside. I did my first chandelier in the Fall, and we hung it from a tree limb outside so I could get to all of it. Ghetto, I know, but it worked!

    Reply
  3. Sunday Burquest says

    January 27, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    YES – I am a chandelier hoarder! I just can’t get enough of them. I love the idea of the hook to hand it to paint. I”m always asking my husband to rig up some contraption for me to spray them. Looks fantastic and great idea!!

    Reply
  4. Jenn says

    January 27, 2014 at 3:19 pm

    Love the tip. Do you have a picture of the finished chandelier? I have the exact same one, and have been waiting for warmer weather to spray it, and would love to see the finished, updated look. Thanks for posting the tutorial.

    Reply
  5. Shelley says

    January 27, 2014 at 3:34 pm

    We love the chandelier, thank you, thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Joan B. says

    January 27, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    We painted ours a couple of years ago. We took it outside and hung it from a tree branch! Great ventilation LOL

    Reply
  7. Teresa says

    January 27, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    Great tips for painting the chandy. I’ve hung mine from a low tree branch, of course the poor tree gets painted along with the light haha.

    Reply
  8. ashley says

    January 28, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    I have one I NEED to paint for over my kitchen table. I think I want it to be chrome but am having trouble finding a finish I like. Do you have a go – to chrome color?

    Reply
  9. Janeen says

    January 29, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Great idea for indoor painting. For those with outdoor space without a tree, I used a tall shepherds hook!

    Reply
  10. donna says

    April 14, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    What about painting the chain? I have seen some in pictures painted, but I am wondering how do you get the paint evenly covered and where when you move it, it does not crack the paint where links are touching.

    Reply
    • Lindsay Ballard says

      April 16, 2015 at 9:41 am

      Hi Donna! I’ve painted tons of chain over the years, and I’ve never had any of it crack. I think if you painted it with latex paint you might have a problem, but spray paint lays down nicely since it’s an oil paint.

      Reply

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About Makely

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.


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