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My favorite projects that I’ve create since starting this blog are my chandeliers!
They are such a fun and unique statement piece for any room. Making your own allows you to completely customize the size, colors and materials. Like my tassel chandelier, which I was able to make for only $30!
I love the look of beaded chandeliers, but the long, two-tiered ones were just too big for my space. Recreating a shorter version, though, was perfect for me!
Today, I’m going to go over the materials I used on this 1000+ bead project and how to do it on a budget. I’ll also share a short tutorial of how I put it all together! Remember, you can make any changes to make your chandelier fit your style!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
METAL/WOOD CRAFT HOOP | STRING | WOOD BEADS | PAINT | SKEWERS | PAINT BRUSH
HOW TO MAKE IT
FINDING MY SUPPLIES:
THE BEADS | I knew this project was going to require a TON of wood beads, so I spent weeks trying to find some affordable options. Keep in mind my chandelier is just over 1,300 beads!
When I started this project around the holidays, I was shopping for tree decorations and spotted some wood bead garlands. I thought these could be perfect! The only beaded strands they had were red, but they were 12ft long with over 250 beads. Bonus, they were on sale so I bought three garlands for $4 each. An awesome deal!
In order for the strands to hang next to each other without too much bulk, I needed to used some really tiny beads at the top of each strand. For this size, I grabbed two packs of tiny round plastic beads from the craft store. They came in a pack of 360 beads for $2 each, and I used two packs.
The wood beads I used to create a gradual transition between the tiny and large beads were from the Dollar Tree. I grabbed three packs originally, but only needed one for this project.
The cost of all of the beads I needed for this project was under $20!
THE HOOP | I bought a 12-inch embroidery hoop from the craft store for $3.
THE STRING | I used a basic white cotton string from the yarn section for $4.
THE PAINT + SKEWERS | I was able to use paint and skewers I had at home, so the grand total of this project was just under $30! Make sure to use coupons and look for sales at the craft stores for extra savings!
PAINTING THE BEADS:
I found the best way to paint beads with full coverage and no dripping was to place them onto skewers and then rest the ends over a container. This allows you to paint and dry the entire bead at once.
I painted two coats of blue over each bead and sealed with a clear wax. Make sure to keep your different-sized beads separated once you remove them from the skewers.
This will be a lengthy process, so be patient and find a good show to binge!
BUILDING THE CHANDELIER:
To build my strands, I started by playing around with the different bead sizes and patterns. It took me a while, but I eventually came up with the pattern you see above!
I used a majority of tiny beads to help with the length and to keep the strands from bulking together. I then used a three-bead transition (a gradual increase in size of each bead) between the tiny and largest beads.
To increase the size of each strand, I added a couple of tiny and large beads to each one. The three transition beads stayed consistent in each strand.
My chandelier is made of four groups of five strands, four groups of three strands and four single extra-long strands. You can see the full breakdown below.
GROUP OF FIVE STRANDS
STRAND 1: 4 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 7 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 4 TINY
STRAND 2: 8 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 8 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 8 TINY
STRAND 3: 12 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 9 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 12 TINY
STRAND 4: 16 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 10 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 16 TINY
STRAND 5: 20 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 11 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 20 TINY
GROUP OF THREE STRANDS
STRAND 1: 6 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 9 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 6 TINY
STRAND 2: 12 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 11 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 12 TINY
STRAND 3: 16 TINY, 3 TRANSITION, 13 LARGE, 3 TRANSITION, 16 TINY
SINGLE LONG STRANDS
50 LARGE
TIP: Use a needle to help quickly and easily guide the string through each bead! Leave several inches on each end of the string to tie to the hoop.
Now to add your strands to the hoop!
I started by tying my string to the hoop in four places to create the hanger, which also creates four sections.
For my first group of strands, I placed them inside of each section. There should be 20 strands hanging from your hoop now (four sections of five strands each = 20 strands).
Once the first 20 strands are all tied on, the groups of three strands can be added. These are going to be placed in-between the groups of five strands, centering on the section lines. You should be adding 12 strands, for a total 32 strands hanging now.
The single, extra-long strands will be placed offset in any open spot you’d like. Once these are hung you will have a total of 36 strands of beads hanging from your hoop.
Make sure to tie each strand to the hoop nice and tight! You can wrap more string around the hoop at the end to hide all of the ties.
This part will take some time, but you’ll have the most beautiful chandelier to add to your home once you finish!
If you have any other questions on this project, I’d be happy to help! You can leave a comment below, email me at ruffandrenew@gmail.com or send me a message on Instagram.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Hi. I really enjoyed your how to instructions. This is by far the best one I have found to teach how many beads and this is a very good thing thank you again. Your beaded lamp is pretty.
Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear this tutorial helped you!