You know the old saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself”?  I find the easiest way to get exactly what I want is to make it myself. That was the case when searching for a chandelier for my dining room. I wanted something rustic but glamorous, but couldn’t find it for the right price. I couldn’t afford to buy a new chandelier like this. So I searched all over the internet yard sale sites, thrift stores, and antique shops and I found this brass chandelier for $5. SOLD! I thought it had great potential, and since it was only $5 I wasn’t breaking the bank if it didn’t work out.

I wanted it to look like it had been in an old beautiful french chateau. A girl can dream, right? I started by painting the chandelier with a beige chalk paint. Once it dried I used a mixture of reddish brown (rusty) acrylic paint and water (roughly 50/50). Using a brush and paper towel I dabbed the watered down paint onto the edges. Because it was watered down so much it was very forgiving. If I didn’t like how it looked I could just wipe it away. By focusing on the edges it gave the chandelier a realistic rustic, aged look.

I found the “crystals” at Hobby Lobby. During christmas they have lots of crystal ornaments to choose from. And they are always 40% off. I picked up two packages with four in each package. They also have some in the wedding section if you are looking to recreate this and it isn’t during those six months that christmas stuff fills the stores. I found the long strings of crystals on amazon.

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