How do I make this chandelier?
July 26, 2011 6:26 AM Subscribe
How would I go about constructing this branchy chandelier with white fairy lights? I'm ambitious but not particularly handy with tools and craft resources.
I think adamrice is mostly right, but I might start by hot-glueing the arranged twigs. To me that would be easier than doing the craft wife.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:59 AM on July 26, 2011
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:59 AM on July 26, 2011
Response by poster: Cool! However, I should have mentioned this is for a wedding in a loft space, so we couldn't do anything permanent such as drilling into the ceiling.
posted by Hwaet at 9:13 AM on July 26, 2011
posted by Hwaet at 9:13 AM on July 26, 2011
Go with LED lights and a small battery pack. You could suspend the whole thing with fishing line from a beam. Tiny holes from a screw eyes can be filled after use with a piece of twig or bamboo skewer matching the color of the wood.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:45 AM on July 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:45 AM on July 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I would just assemble with zip-ties. No one is going to notice them when the thing is strung with lights. However, if you can't drill into the ceiling, you're not going to be able to hang anything.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:38 AM on July 26, 2011
posted by oneirodynia at 10:38 AM on July 26, 2011
... in which case, you might need to make branchy trees in buckets with pebbles, or something.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:39 AM on July 26, 2011
posted by oneirodynia at 10:39 AM on July 26, 2011
Getting it to stay on the ceiling is going to be the trick if you can't drill into it. Building it should be fairly easy.
If you keep the weight down you may be able to use something like command 3m sticky hooks to attach it to the ceiling with fishing wire. You could hot glue the wire after tying it around the hooks to make sure it stays. No one is going to notice sloppy construction from the floor and it won't be so important for a one time event.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 11:02 AM on July 26, 2011
If you keep the weight down you may be able to use something like command 3m sticky hooks to attach it to the ceiling with fishing wire. You could hot glue the wire after tying it around the hooks to make sure it stays. No one is going to notice sloppy construction from the floor and it won't be so important for a one time event.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 11:02 AM on July 26, 2011
...if you can't drill into the ceiling, you're not going to be able to hang anything.
Not necessarily. With something fairly lightweight like this you can run three fishing lines out sideways, about 120 degrees apart, and tie them to three fastening points at the top of the wall, like light fixtures, window frames, etc.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:03 AM on July 26, 2011
Not necessarily. With something fairly lightweight like this you can run three fishing lines out sideways, about 120 degrees apart, and tie them to three fastening points at the top of the wall, like light fixtures, window frames, etc.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:03 AM on July 26, 2011
I wouldn't use a hot glue gun--messy and not particularly secure. Brown or clear twist ties, lightweight wire, or even brown string would be better. The twist ties could secure the lights and battery pack at the same time. You could even disguise the wires as twigs by wrapping them in brown masking tape.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:13 AM on July 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:13 AM on July 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Just for reference, this is the loft. It seems to have rafters or metal pipes running across the ceiling. If the wreath is relatively lightweight, maybe we could hang it from them?
posted by Hwaet at 11:17 AM on July 26, 2011
posted by Hwaet at 11:17 AM on July 26, 2011
Sure. And if you use the three-point suspension, you can hang it virtually anywhere you want.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2011
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2011
There was a very similar project on The Hairpin yesterday. Maybe that will give you some ideas. That project has you convert (temporarily) an existing light fixture into a plug for fairy lights.
I was going to suggest you use florist wire, which you can get at craft stores like Joann, but zip ties sound like a good solution too.
posted by apricot at 5:46 AM on July 27, 2011
I was going to suggest you use florist wire, which you can get at craft stores like Joann, but zip ties sound like a good solution too.
posted by apricot at 5:46 AM on July 27, 2011
Just for reference, this is the loft. It seems to have rafters or metal pipes running across the ceiling. If the wreath is relatively lightweight, maybe we could hang it from them?
Where I live, it is illegal to hang anything from fire sprinklers or their supports (I lived in a warehouse that hosted many events). Maybe it's not in NY, but I would check with the event space and see what their take on the situation is. There may already be some attachment points in the ceiling that you could use. Very lightweight things can probably be hung from plumbing pipes without a problem, but their insurance may prevent that as well.
I also wouldn't rely on adhesives to support hanging things above guests. If they're great adhesives, you run the risk of ruining the finish of whatever they're stuck to. If they aren't great, stuff falls down.
I think if you can't hang a chandelier the way you would like, you might be able to construct something around the wood columns in the room that will look just as cool.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:56 AM on July 27, 2011
Where I live, it is illegal to hang anything from fire sprinklers or their supports (I lived in a warehouse that hosted many events). Maybe it's not in NY, but I would check with the event space and see what their take on the situation is. There may already be some attachment points in the ceiling that you could use. Very lightweight things can probably be hung from plumbing pipes without a problem, but their insurance may prevent that as well.
I also wouldn't rely on adhesives to support hanging things above guests. If they're great adhesives, you run the risk of ruining the finish of whatever they're stuck to. If they aren't great, stuff falls down.
I think if you can't hang a chandelier the way you would like, you might be able to construct something around the wood columns in the room that will look just as cool.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:56 AM on July 27, 2011
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Branches/twigs, craft wire, xmas lights, screws, drywall anchors, twine.
Tools:
Needlenose pliers, wirecutter, drill, screwdriver.
Directions:
Arrange twigs artfully.
Bind intersections with craft wire, twist wire ends together and nip off excess.
Wrap xmas lights artfully around twig bundle, leaving enough hanging off the end to plug in
Tie three lengths of twine around perimeter of bundle; tie small loops in loose ends
Drill three holes in ceiling. Insert drywall anchors into holes, drive screws most of the way in.
Hook twine loops around screws, drive screws all the way in.
Plug in.
posted by adamrice at 7:20 AM on July 26, 2011 [2 favorites]