Beaded Outdoor Chandelier
PROJECT AND PHOTOGRAPHY TARA CHATTELL
This beaded chandelier makes a charming addition to your outdoor space. It’s subtle candlelight will provide ambience on warm evenings.
Materials
Two 14-inch wood hoops
4-inch wood disk at least ½-inch thick (we used a coaster)
4-inch wood hoop (we used the inside of a small embroidery hoop)
Strong adhesive
72 small screw eyepins, around 10-by-5mm in size
Six screw eyepins 17mm in size
Hanging planter chain that includes a hook and connector: Three pieces 6 ½-inches long. Three pieces 11-inches long. One piece 13 inches, or longer if needed, with a hook at one end and a connector piece at the other (you can cut or piece together sections of chain to obtain the length needed).
Gold spray paint suitable for outdoors
Strong fishing line
Wood beads in various sizes (we’ve used 360 6mm, 360 8mm, 144 10mm, 144 12mm, 144 14mm, 144 16mm and 144 20mm)
Flameless outdoor candle
Tools
Pencil
Tape measure
Small handsaw
Four to six clamps
Small piece of cardstock or paper
Drill with bits to match the eyepins (if you don’t have a drill bit small enough for the 5mm eyepins you can use a dremel rotary tool)
Bench vise
Pliers
Scissors
HOW-TO
1. Start by cutting a small section from one of your 14-inch hoops, so that it fits inside the other hoop. Apply adhesive around the inside of your larger hoop. Place your cut hoop inside, then clamp the hoops together in multiple spots and allow to dry completely. You will have a thicker, sturdier hoop to work with.
2. Measure the outer circumference of your hoop and divide that number by 36 to determine how far apart each 5mm eyepin will be.
Make yourself a small paper template with a few premeasured sections drawn on it. Use the template to make little marks with a pencil on the surface around your hoop where you’ll be attaching the eyepins. You should have 36 equally-spaced pencil marks.
3. Drill small pilot holes at all the pencil marks on the hoop and use pliers to screw in 36 5mm eyepins. These will be for hanging one end of the bead strands.
4. Measure the inside circumference of your hoop and divide that number by three. Mark three equally-spaced spots with your pencil on the inside of the hoop. Place the hoop in a bench vise and drill pilot holes for the larger eyepins at each mark. Screw in three 17mm eyepins. These will be used to attach some chain.
5. Now you’re going to repeat this process with the wood disk (coaster). Measure the outer circumference of the wood disk and divide that number by 36. Make another paper template with a few pre-measured sections drawn on it and use it to make 36 pencil marks around the edge of the bottom flat surface of the wood disk.
6. Drill small pilot holes at all the pencil marks on the surface of the wood disk and use pliers to screw in 36 5mm eyepins. These will be for attaching the other end of the bead strands.
7. Using the outer circumference of the wood disk again, divide that number by three and make pencil marks at three equally-spaced spots around the outside of the disk. Place the wood disk in a bench vise and drill pilot holes for the larger eyepins at each mark. Screw in three 17mm eyepins. These will be used to attach some chain that will connect this wood disk to the 14-inch wood hoop.
8. With the adhesive, glue the small 4-inch wood hoop to the top surface of the wood disk, clamp them and allow to dry completely. This will be the holder for your flameless candle.
9. Coat your completed wood pieces, chain, hook and connecter piece with gold spray paint and allow to dry. Once all the pieces are dry you can assemble the frame of your chandelier.
10. Hang the longest piece of chain by the hook from something such as a garment rack, shower or curtain rod. This will make it easier to work on your chandelier. Attach the three 11-inch pieces of chain to the connector piece that is at the bottom of your long piece of chain. Using your pliers, attach the other ends of the three 11-inch chains to the larger eyepins on the inside of the wood hoop, making sure that the side with the 36 smaller eyepins is facing down.
11. Using your pliers again, attach the three 6 ½-inch pieces of chain to the three larger eyepins on the inside of the wood hoop. Then, attach the other end of each chain to the three larger eyepins on the outside of the wood disk, making sure that the side with the 36 smaller eyepins is facing down.
Your chandelier frame is complete!
12. Now you’re ready to start stringing some beads. You’ll need 36 strands of beads, approximately 14 ¾ inches in length, with the larger beads starting at one end and gradually transitioning through the varying sizes to the smallest beads on the other end. Each strand consists of four 20mm, four 16mm, four 14mm, four 12mm, four 10mm, 10 8mm and 10 6mm beads.
13. To make a beaded strand, cut two pieces of fishing line 25-inches long (we’re doubling up on the fishing line to make the strands stronger). Put the two pieces of line together and tie a double knot about five inches from the ends. This will leave enough extra line to tie the strand to the chandelier frame once the beads are on. Working from the open ends, separate your pieces of line and string one piece through one of your largest beads and push it all the way down to your knot. Bring the two pieces of line back together and string the remaining beads over both pieces of line until you reach the second-last bead. Separate the line pieces again and string one piece through the last bead and then bring the line pieces back together and tie tightly with another double knot. Stringing them this way prevents the beads from sliding off the line at the ends. Repeat this process until you have 36 beaded strands.
14. Tie a beaded strand, beginning at the end with the larger beads, to one of the small eyepins around the bottom of the large wood hoop. Take the other end of the strand, with the smaller beads, and tie it to a small eyepin on the bottom of the wood disk. Repeat this process until all the beaded strands are attached to the frame.
Hang your chandelier in a covered outdoor space and add your flameless candle to the centre. Grab a cold drink, sit and enjoyyour beautiful creation! OH