B.E. Interiors: Basket Chandelier

Ready for a new project? One that is super easy? One that COULD give you a real "tingle"? How'd ya like to make one of these?

"Basket Chandelier"
B.E. Interiors

"Basket Chandelier"
Put on blinders and pretend you don't notice I've not touched up the ceiling paint where the old fixture was!
B.E. Interiors

This has got to be one of the easiest projects I've done in a while. My sister-in-law was having a yard sale so we stopped by and this basket was sitting there with old paperbacks in it. The handles were loose and it had seen better days structurally, but it was still pretty solid. I asked about it and she told me just to take it. It wasn't even hers. A friend had told her just to get rid of all that was in it including the basket. Done! I loved the wash of paint, shape and size.

I then went hunting for the cheapest LONG chained chandelier I could find. That was the tough part. The existing light fixture in our kitchen was one of those awful fluorescent fixtures and it wasn't even centered over the island! Go figure.

This was the kitchen when we moved in with it's florescent light.

I had to find something with a chain long enough to swag and that made it tough, but I found one at Lowes:

First, I took down the old fixture. Remember the part about the "tingle"? Yes, I've given myself quite a "shock" putting up a fixture before. I tingled all day long after I thought I flipped the circuit back off to fix an issue and found out I'd hit the wrong switch! Zap! No kidding...all day long...so bad I called a friend/neighbor to tell them if they hadn't seen me out later that day to come check on me. I'd just done the dumbest thing ever!

Once that was down, I took the basket handles off carefully since one was broken. I then simply took the light kit apart so that the glass globe was off, fed it through the bottom of the basket and then reattached the ring to hold the globe on without it. It held the basket on instead. I wired it up and hung a string weight from the ceiling down to the center of the island to find the spot to put the swag hook in the ceiling. That's it. Done. How easy was that?!

Need a little more inspiration? Here's what I had collected to convince hubby I wasn't crazy (not sure I really did, but he didn't put up much of a fuss after seeing the idea materialize in my collected pictures). Unfortunately, I have no idea where I got these from. I've just collected and saved them in a file.

Kay Douglas?

I just love this bird nest chandelier. Talk about unexpected and whimsical!

via Kay Douglas

via Elle Decor

Inspired? Good. Now go make one of your own. You can probably get it hung before hubby even notices:)

Miss Bee

*disclaimer*

(I hate having to put this in, but in today's world, you have to.)

Be Careful to turn off circuit switches and don't attempt to hang your chandelier if not sure you can do it correctly (or if you're sue-happy). This is not a "how-to hang electrical" post. It's purely for ideas. Attempt at your own risk.

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