From the Laundry Room to the Ball Room

Saw this beauty a while back while wandering through blogland.

Source Here

I admired and was inspired! Pure genius using a simple everyday object in an unexpected way. I decided to try my own version. Starting with the clothespins, I found the most cost effective ones to be from the good ol' Dollar Tree.

I couldn't tell from the pic above how things were put together, but decided to use a method I have used to make many other home made chandeliers. If ya'll haven't discovered strapping tape yet, you should! The stuff I'm talking about is usually used to strap water heater tanks to a wall.

It's galvanized metal, bendable, super cheap and has convenient holes already in it! The holes work well when forming the base shape of a chandelier and to hang things from.

 You will also need wire (I used 20 gauge) a good pair of tin snips, a glue gun and some metal chain.

Cut a length of strapping tape. You can decide how big or how small, but you will need three of the same shape, in graduating sizes. I chose circular, but you could also do a square or rectangle.

Two of my three circles ready to be assembled!

Secure the two sides together by overlapping slightly and running some wire through the holes and around the edges. Pull the wire as tight as you can during this step. Pliers might help.

Next step is to hot glue the clothespins to the metal form. I spaced them out by placing over every other hole in the strapping tape, but you could bunch them all up together or space them further apart, whatever your heart desires! Open the clothespin, squeeze a little dab of hot glue and let it close on the metal. This step ensures the clothespins won't shift while you are assembling your chandelier.

They are looking pretty cool so far and I'm really digging the sculptural quality they have!

 Now it's time to link the tiers together! 'Dry fit' the graduating shapes to make sure they fit together well.

Using your pliers, open the link on each end of the chain. I make sure the chain is all equal length by counting links, and making sure each length is the same number of links...make sense? Then, I attach the chain by hooking the open end in one of the holes of the strapping tape. I space the chain uniformly by counting the holes between each point where the chain is attached. Then attach the other end to the next tier, and use your pliers to close each end link back up.

I found it easier to work from the biggest shape to the smallest. Because each circle is smaller than the next, the number of holes between each chain connection had to decrease. I decided to jazz mine up with some spray paint, but I really liked the industrial look of the natural wood and the metal.

If I did it again, I would probably pull the tiers closer together so there is less space between them. But overall, I am really pleased with the way it turned out and I think it would look terrific hanging in a beautiful garden or as a cheeky light fixture in a laundry room...or a ballroom! As always, thanks for visiting and also please consider following my blog. I appreciate your comments! Ya'll come back now, ya hear? ;-)

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