Chandeliers are mostly used for decorating our living rooms. They not only act as a source of light but also give a beautiful and grand look. Chandeliers are also used in dining, ballrooms and passages. Chandeliers can be made from glass, crystals, metals, or can be made only for carrying candles. Nowadays modern designs have started replacing the old traditional ones. They are fixed into the ceilings with light fixtures.
If we look into making a chandelier at home then almost anything and everything can be turned into a chandelier. Making chandeliers out of old vinyl records is a moderately easy way and in this way it helps us to reuse the old vinyl records which are now outdated and have been replaced with CD and DVDâs.
Making a chandelier out of the old records will not only be entertaining and creative but will also minimize the cost of purchasing a chandelier for your home. You can utilize the vintage looking chandelier in your study room, game room or your entertainment zone with all those stylish furnishings. Instead of parting or discarding the collections you have at your home, creatively utilize them into an artistic and functional chandelier and prevent it from being thrown onto landfills.
Affix this chandelier on your plain ceiling light and see the way it transforms the look of your house.
Difficulty Level:
Moderate
Time required:
3-4 hrs
Resources required:
- Tiered hanging basket
- Drill
- Pliers
- Jump rings
- Hot-glue gun
- Glue sticks
- Chalk or marker
- Metal screw-in ceiling hooks
- Old vinyl records
- Soft cloth for cleaning
Estimate Cost:
Pliers, chalk, marker and flower basket, old records are generally available in our homes so only the rest are to be purchased. If old records are not available then those can be procured from antique shops or old marts.
Instructions:
1. Identify a place where you can carry out your chandelier making. Take the vinyl records and look out for ones that are plain i.e. without any stickers on them. Clean each of them with a soft cloth.
2. Remove the chains from the basket and paint each basket with black color. The color should match with the records.
3. Make 2 small holes into the vinyl records through a drill machine.
4. Position them across one another. Keep them very close to opposite edges. Using a pair of pliers, open a jump ring and insert it across one of the holes in the record.
5. Thread the open part of the jump ring around the top tier of the basket. Using pliers close the ring and hang the records slowly from the top tier.
6. Make small holes in a second vinyl record and position them at the same distance from the edge (same as the previous holes). Use another jump ring and join the records to the bottom hole. Hang it from the basket.
7. Keep repeating the process until you have the desired number of records to hang down from the basket. The number of records depends on the size of the basket.
8. Slide the dangling records around the top of the basket. Keep doing it until they are spaced around the circle.
9. Use some hot glue to keep the jump rings in place along the top tier of the basket. Allow to dry.
10. Repeat the process of adding the dangling records to the bottom tier of the basket.
11. Use fewer 2 record hanging pieces for the bottom tier as the area would be smaller and wonât be able to accommodate many tiers. Keep space between them. Distance should be equivalent to the distance that you used for the top tier. Carefully arrange the records to fill in the gaps between the top tiers of records. Apply hot glue and allow it to dry.
12. Remove the cover from the ceiling light and hold the chandelier to the place where you would attach it. Using chalk or marker make points where you would attach the hooks.
13. Remove the chandelier and with help of a drill make holes for putting the hooks in the ceiling.
14. Screw the hooks (depending upon the size/weight of the chandelier) and hang the chandelier.
Frequently asked question?
1. Question. Can i paint the records?
Answer. Use acrylic colors to make designs or paintings on the records. Dry the records properly and then use.
Quick tips:
If you do not have old records at home and you do not want to purchase them, ask your friends or relatives to donate their old records. Surf online to check if anyone is giving it for free.
Things to watch out for:
Be careful while using the drill while making holes. You may break the records.
