DIY CHANDELIER UPDATE {FROM ITALY TO FRANCE ON A BUDGET}

Step 1: Make Jump Rings

Note: Since my chandelier has open, curved ends, I was able to make jump rings and just slide them onto the chandelier.  If your chandelier doesn’t have an area where you can slide them on, you will have to make the jump rings directly onto your chandelier.

o    Find an item to use as a mandrel that has a diameter large enough to slide over your chandelier.  The ends of my chandelier are large and flat, so my jump rings are extra large so that they could fit over the end of the chandelier.

o    Use tape to mark a spot around which you will bend the wire.  This will help ensure that all of your jump rings are a consistent size.

o    Hold the wire with your thumb and wrap tightly around the mandrel, overlapping slightly.

o    Cut the excess making sure that you use the flat side of the wire cutters, not the pointed, so that you don’t end up with a pointed end that could scratch your chandelier.

o    If you use pliers that have ridges on them, be sure to wrap them in tape so that they don’t scratch the coating off of your wire.

o    Step 2: Determine Length of Crystal Chain

o    Decide how much drape you want each of the strands to have and count the number of crystals so that you can ensure each strand has the same number.  Be sure to leave the original silver jump rings attached to each end of your strand, as these are what you’ll use to attach to the jump rings you made.

o    Step 3: Attach

o    Slide the crystal chain’s jump ring onto the one you made and attach your jump ring to the chandelier along each arm.

   Step 4: Additional Crystals

Once I was finished, I decided to add two additional types of crystals for a little extra bling!  Around the circumference, I added these prism pendants purchased from sunwe

I also stopped by my local antique store and found a large crystal that I could hand from the bottom of my chandelier.

And that’s how I managed to move my chandelier from Italy to France on a budget! 

I like that it now fits better with my other decor, but should I ever decide to change my style, I can just remove the crystals.  It also solves another issue that I’ve had with my chandelier in that the crystals sit lower and thus make the chandelier feel closer to the table.  The chandelier was not installed at the right height and was just a bit too high off the table, which made it feel disconnected.  With the crystals attached, the bottom of the chandelier is now 34″ off the table and feels much better.  {As a side note, a good height distance for a chandelier is 30″-36″ above the table surface.  I wish I had known that 10 years ago!} Pay attention to more reference：http://www.worldchandeliers.com/customer-service2/

I have a few extra crystals left over, one of which I’ve already turned into a bookmark.