Life On Virginia Street

DIY . Home Decor . Travel . Style . Life

DIY Wood Bead Chandelier Using Chalk Paint

DIY Projects, Paint Projects

I will show you how to make a DIY wood bead chandelier using chalk paint.

DIY wood bead chandelier using chalk paint poster.
This is the first project in a Look-for-Less Design Challenge I participated in with six other bloggers. We were each tasked with creating a designer-inspired piece at a much more affordable price-point. More details and other great projects at the end of this post!

Up close picture of the individual wood beads.

You may remember my office lighting design dilemma. Bottom line – as much as I love natural wood bead chandeliers, they are pricey! After my failed attempt using the Feiss Charlotte Chandelier in the office {it was much too small} I hung it in our guest bedroom. But I was back to square one for the office.

I then stumbled upon this pin from Dear Lillie. She used Annie Sloan chalk paint to transform an old brass chandelier into a “wood” one.  After my success with the AS chalk paint on the office desk and upstairs table, I figured a light fixture would be equally as easy.

DIY Wooden Bead Chandelier

I was in Lowe’s one day shortly after the other chandelier didn’t work and saw this piece. It had just been marked down from $169 to $139. More than I wanted to spend for a DIY wooden chandelier makeover but I liked the lines of the fixture, shapes of the wooden beads and the scale was right. I bought it, praying I wouldn’t end up botching the whole thing. Then I scoured the internet once I got home to see if I could find a similar project for tips, but came up empty-handed {everything I found involved buying and stringing your own beads and building out your own frame for the chandelier}. So, I was going to have to make it up as I went along if I wanted to turn this into a “wood” chandelier.

Medium sized wooden chandelier hanging up.
Bead Chandelier

I thought about keeping the piece as it was, but I knew I didn’t want a brushed nickel base in the office. I actually didn’t mind the larger “jade” beads, but the clear ones had a purple tint that made the whole piece feel like it belonged in a little girls room – not an office. So, I picked up some spray paint, chalk paint and wax. This $1,248 Regina Andrew Lighting Wood Bead Chandelier from Serena & Lily became my inspiration:

Wood and metal chandelier with faux candle lights on it.
{via}

It also happens to be the same inspiration light I used in my design board. It’s amazing how little I have swayed from this original plan. So not my regular M.O. 😉

Office inspiration design board poster.

So back to the light I purchased. Here are the supplies I used (some affiliate links used for your shopping convenience):
This wooden chandelier came fully unassembled so it made it much easier to paint the various sections as I chose. Setting aside all the beads {with the exception of those that were built into the light fixture frame}, I took all the metal pieces outside to spray. Then I used Frog Tape to tape off the electrical wires and the light bulb sockets. I didn’t bother painting the chain because we knew with the height of our ceiling we did not need the extra length {we had an extra carabiner chain clip so I used that instead to affix the two ends together}. Finally, I did two coats of spray paint, flipping most of the pieces over for the second coat.
The pieces of the chandelier outside on cardboard being spray painted black.
Then I then laid out all of the beads on a cardboard box and I painted about half of them and then they sat like this on my office floor for nearly a month.  I work best under pressure {insert sarcasm font} so I just finished painting the rest of them on Friday.
The wooden beads laid out on cardboard.
The wooden beads being painted white.
So I ended up doing two coats on each side of the chandelier beads. There really was no technique. I just tried to get maximum coverage with each coat without having drips or paint blobs. The good news is the chalk paint is very forgiving. If you mess up, just let it dry and then you can pick or scrape it off. The first coat will go on streaky {because of the nature of the plastic} but by the second coat, you’ll be in good shape.
Painting the beads white with a paint brush.
After two full coats on each side, I thought about leaving it as is. It looked a lot like pine beads at that point and I thought it would be a good contrast to the oil rubbed bronze on the iron.
The wooden beads painted drying on cardboard.
I tested a strand of beads and loved how it looked with the wax so I painted one strand at a time {front and then back} and then simply wiped it all off with a paper towel. Then I pretty much just wiped off the excess wax until I liked the look – but left it on a little heavier in some places because I liked the variation in color that it added.
Sealing the wooden beads with wax.
Up close of the wooden beads on a string.
Once the wax was applied
The beads after the wax was wiped off.
After the excess wax was wiped off
You can see just how little of the wax I used for this project. Although the Annie Sloan lines are pricey, they last forever. Sort of like painting the beads 😉 This is by no means a difficult project, but it is definitely time consuming.
The beads on cardboard, a can of wax, a paint brush.
I let all the wax dry for about and hour and then conned my husband into helping me hang the light. We dinged up the spray paint in a few areas {likely my fault since I didn’t use a primer}, but I simply sprayed some of the spray paint into a plastic cup and then lightly touched up the areas with a tiny paint brush. Good as new.

And now for the fun pictures!

Wooden bead chandelier hanging up.

Up close picture of the wooden beads joined by metal rings.
Side view of the chandelier with black and white curtains behind it.
Black metal base with painted wooden beads attached to it.
The close-up shots are a much more accurate representation of the true color. When I zoomed out, it seemed to give a yellow hue to the beads that just isn’t there in real life. I couldn’t be happier with the end results – except maybe if the beads were a bit denser. But the $1,000+ savings makes me forget all about that 😉
Do you think you would ever have the nerve to buy a new light fixture, only to try a DIY project on it? It’s safe to say I’m glad I gave it a shot on this one! I am this.close to wrapping up the office, so I hope to have a final reveal for you next week! If you missed the sneak peak, you can check it out here.
DIY wooden chandelier hanging up with dark wooden panelling behind it.

The good news is, the fun doesn’t end here. Be sure to check out all the other great projects in our line-up. There are six more amazing bloggers with projects that are equally as amazing.

Look for less poster.

The talent in the blogging community never ceases to amaze me. Each of these projects is completely different from mine yet all are so inspirational. Check them out!

West Elm inspired herringbone floor mirror poster.
West Elm inspired Herringbone Floor Mirror by Home Coming
DIY Board and Batten Shutters from Absolutely Arkansas poster.
DIY Board and Batten Shutters from Absolutely Arkansas
Drink Station poster.
Drink Station from Like a Saturday
Peace with poster.
CB2 Knock-Off Peace Wreath from Life.Love.Larson
DIY coasters poster.
Anthropologie inspired coasters from Sewing Barefoot
Faux pie safe poster.
DIY Faux Pie Safe from Kitchen Table Art
We’ll be back {likely in January} with another round of designer inspired projects. I’m already excited to see what other ideas these creative ladies will come up with!

disclosure: some affiliate links used

free email course!

5 Secrets to Re-Designing a Room You Love

Learn my foolproof system for designing a room you’ll love that you can enjoy for many years to come!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Kylie Helm says

    Oh my goodness, Sarah! I’m so incredibly impressed! WHO KNEW that chalk paint could give you that incredible “wood like” finish. AWESOME DIY! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

    xo Kylie

    Reply

  12. Gracie Lathrop says

    I seriously thought you actually beaded lines to make this but painting a already made chandelier is awesome!! Whenever I get a house that can handle a chandelier I’m gonna try this out fo sho!

    Reply

  15. Laura says

    Ummm, I LOVE this! I’ve never heard of or thought about giving a faux wood look with chalk paint. I’m going to have to give this a whirl at some point. Pinning!

    Reply

  19. Abby says

    This is just so beautiful! I think would be pretty nervous about messing with a brand new light…but it looks way more expensive and classy after your paint job! Amazing work!

    Reply

  22. Jan says

    Hi, first time visitor, I checked out this post at the Shabby Nest Frugal Friday. What a wonderful project. I can’t get over how MUCH the beads look like real wood, even in the close-up photos. What a beautiful chandy, too. $139 was NOT too much to pay, it does look very much like a thousand bucks.

    Reply

  24. Clydia Mangold says

    Looks like a TON of work but it paid off! It’s fabulous! Thanks for linking up to ITS PARTY TIME. Pinned it. xoxo

    Reply

  26. Tasha A. says

    WOW! That is an amazing transformation. I can’t get over the painting technique on the beads. Love it! I am visiting from the @twelve0eight linky party. Glad to have found this post there! -Tasha (www.trappeddesigner.blogspot.com)

    Reply

  27. Aimee at Refresh-Renew... says

    love this! I have a similar inspiration piece I want for over my master bath…and now I think it may come sooner verses later….new follower! :o)

    Reply

  28. Krista thehappyhousie says

    Wow Sarah- this is seriously fabulous. Thanks for sharing this at Work it Wednesday this week. Absolutely must pin it:)
    ~Krista from the happy housie

    Reply

  29. being-bianca.com says

    The chandy looks FAB! Too funny – I have the same (original version) chandy in my office. Love the wood looking beads! Related – what’s that gray color on your wall? Looks so good!!! xx, b being-bianca.com

    Reply

  30. Desiree @ The 36th AVENUE says

    Oh my goodness we are in love with your chandelier. We are featuring you on Friday since you are one of our favorites this week. Thank you so much for linking up with The Party Bunch!
    Desiree

    Reply

  37. Sweetbug Studio says

    Came from Thrifty Decor Chick. Did you see the price now? I really don’t like time consuming projects (my etsy shop uses my free time), however, I have really loved the look of these lights. I wasn’t sure if too trendy, the cost of some, or husband would poo-poo the idea. But I have to do this!!!! You did such an amazing job!! If we build our mudroom or bonus room I could use it in there??? I don’t want to pass up this DIY–it is just that great!

    Reply

  38. Sarah S says

    Yes, I saw the price dropped even further! Even more incentive for you to give it a try now 🙂 I would love to see your end results if you do try it out!

    Reply

  42. Rachel says

    This is crazy!!! A month ago I bought this exact light with the EXACT same intentions with faking a wood finish. I was randomly searching for something entirely different when I came across one of your images. I can’t believe my eyes! Great minds, let’s be best friends?!? ????

    Reply