DIY Rope Chandelier | A Kitchen Update

Recently I transformed the lighting in our kitchen with some rope and a glue gun.  Literally.



You might remember this wrought iron chandelier from our kitchen makeover about 2 years ago.

The problem: I never really loved the chandelier's wavy candle plates, skinny arms or the dagger that hung from the bottom of the fixture.  I recently replaced it with something a little lighter.  (I'll share that later.) It made the cut for a couple of years but nothing stays the same around here for too long...  I know it's a curse..

I tried selling it on Craigslist for a few months and I got no bites.  How could I hide what I didn't like about the fixture and turn into something I loved?  It was then that the light bulb went off. (I couldn't resist..) 

I rushed right out to the local hardware store and purchased 2 bags of this 'twisted manila' rope for $8 each.

There were a couple of options of rope to chose from.  I ended up chosing the darker rope over the lighter sisal..  I thought it would make the fixture have a richer look. 

I then did my research.. I checked out some images of rope chandeliers to get an idea of what I was going to do.  Can you believe these sell for $300 plus at Potterybarn and West Elm?                                                    

                                             

                     

The point of attack:  This light has 8 "arms".  I chose to start with the bottom 4 arms first making my way down each arm. 

I started at the candlestick, gluing and circling the rope around and around until I made it all the way down the arm and then I left 8 inches of rope when I was done.

I instantly noticed how it hid the things I didn't like...

Then I unraveled the 8 inches of rope and used the small strand to finish the inside posts that lead to the top arms.  (It was impossible to wrap each individual bar because they were too narrow.)

I went around all four individual posts in the middle with the unraveled rope about 3 inches high.    Then I used the regular sized rope to go up the rest leading into the upper arms.   I glued and tucked the ends wherever they could be hidden.

 The final step was wrapping the rope around the bottom.  

The Final Result:

This project took about 3 hours and cost $18.  I would suggest wearing gloves if you are going to try this one.  Between the rough rope and the hot glue, my hands were red and sore with minimal bleeding.  

One of my favorite details about the chandelier is the hook at the top.  I knew I definitely wanted to keep that uncovered.  

I really wasn't sure about this project until I finished and really until it was hung in the room.  I almost quit several times.  But now I'm so glad I pushed through.  

At first I thought it would be too nautical for our kitchen, but I love the texture it brings in the room.  I took down the balloon shades that had been hanging in the room for the last 8 years.  The room is so much brighter and I'm thinking about making some flat roman shades..

Here's more Rope Chandelier inspiration on Pinterest. There are some good ones.

We all know you can paint your outdated chandeliers and now I am convinced you can also wrap them in rope.  This is a great solution to change up the look of any room.

You could also just wrap the chain or even just the candlesticks.  Use your imagination.

Do you have a chandelier that needs to make a come back?  Would you wrap it in rope?  What do you think about mine?

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Linking to:  City Farmhouse, Thrifty Decor Chick. Thrifty Decor Chick, Savvy Southern Style, Three Mango Seeds, Nifty Thrifty Things, The Shabby Nest, Hit me with your best shot | Just a girl and her blog, The Turquoise Home