Apartment Therapy reader Jill Keto wrote in to share her high-end chandelier DIY designer imposters project: I recently recycled and revamped a $3.99 thrift shop chandelier into one that looks like a 1960's Vistosi or Mazzega blown glass chandelier. But instead of blown glass, I use lucite...
I think your readers will love this because they are into midcentury high end looks, but it's really challenging to find the disc chandeliers retail, (and they are outrageously expensive). Anyone can make their own disc chandelier on the cheap as a DIY project!
One horribly dated late 80’s chandelier frame from Goodwill, Craigslist, curbside, or dumpster. Make sure it is cylindrical in shape and has hooks going all the way around.
4″ diameter x 1/8″ thick lucite/aka plexiglass/aka plastic/aka acrylic glass discs, which can be found here. Buy, at a minimum, 2 discs for every hook on your chandelier frame. If you want to really fill it in, you should double that number and hang the rest off of the frame with invisible fishing line.
Nail polish. The cheap, drugstore variety. SinfulColors is available for $1.99 per bottle, and the colors are luminous and have incredible depth. (Side note: nail enamel is one of the highest quality paints that exists, which makes it perfect for any DIY project where you need a permanent, glossy paint job on a smallish surface area). Auto paint is also awesome, but stick to slightly sparkly nail polish for this project. Have fun with the colors you choose. There are no limits.
20g stainless steel jump rings, about 1/2″ in diamter which you can buy or make yourself by wrapping wire around a tube of lip gloss (or anything else 1/2″ in diameter and cylindrical) into a coil, and cut the coil into individual circles (jump rings) with wire cutters.
Check out more recession friendly solutions over at Jill's site, Practical Chic.
There should be some way to round the edges off on the lucite disks. We've got TAP Plastics here in the bay area, and I think they could tell you how to do that. It'd make a huge difference in the look, I think.
posted by
paintitbright
on September 11th 2009 at 2:35am view
paintitbright's
profile
Paintitbright, I thought about rounding off the edges. TAP might even round the edges off for you in their fabrication shop. Alternately, you could round the edges off yourself with either sandpaper discs or an abrasive rubber wheel. I'm wondering if the edges could even be melted with a torch.
I did an all white version of this chandelier with no paint, just by adding a texture to the discs. It looks really amazing, and the options are limitless when you are working with material as versatile as plastic.
posted by
Jill Keto
on September 14th 2009 at 5:58pm view
Jill Keto's
profile
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a bit hilarious and wonderful...i'm raiding local thriftstores tomorrow...thanks for sharing this...
view orangered's profile
Hideous.
view Ophelia907's profile
WOW - I'm so impressed.
I want to do this too!
view bepsf's profile
I think this is really cool and creative! I'd love to see more projects like this on AT. I'll be linking to this in tomorrow's Daily DIY.
view Rachel@oneprettything.com's profile
There should be some way to round the edges off on the lucite disks. We've got TAP Plastics here in the bay area, and I think they could tell you how to do that. It'd make a huge difference in the look, I think.
view paintitbright's profile
Paintitbright, I thought about rounding off the edges. TAP might even round the edges off for you in their fabrication shop. Alternately, you could round the edges off yourself with either sandpaper discs or an abrasive rubber wheel. I'm wondering if the edges could even be melted with a torch.
I did an all white version of this chandelier with no paint, just by adding a texture to the discs. It looks really amazing, and the options are limitless when you are working with material as versatile as plastic.
view Jill Keto's profile