Spare Parts and the Chandelier Man

Never underestimate the power of stuff you have just laying around. I usually end up with leftovers from various craft projects and usually am stumped as to what to do with them next or how to store 1 or 2 random items; however, my dad is the king of spare parts!

His antiquing business has morphed from furniture to fishing lures to toy trains to chandeliers to upcycling and salvaging architectural items. Now, his booths hold a hodgepodge of items, but he is most famously know for his chandeliers and crystals, giving him the name "The Chandelier Man." On sight, you would not expect him to have this creative mind that turns metal odds and ends into sparkling beacons that women flock too, but this is the case! He just has a good eye and pays attention to trends. He also has a knack for finding road side deals. Some of his most current projects are technicolor furniture and architectural details. They are pretty awesome!

Memorial weekend my goal was to get 2 projects done. The first was featured in my "I've been Framed!" post and the second was turning a vintage wooden sewing spool into a bracelet holder. I had a simple vision in mind for this transformation, however, my dad's was better, of course. With a little advice from  him and some gifted spare parts, I ended up with the creme de la creme of bracelet holders. So, bare with me! This is a pretty long post because of the pictures and happy mistakes.

Materials:

Chandelier finnial

washer

vintage wooden spool

old lamp base

metal dowel with rivets

spray paint

paint samples

 antiquing glaze

sponge brush

cloth sponge

1. ASSEMBLY

2. SPRAY ON LIGHT BASE COAT               3. SPRAY ON WHITE TOP COAT

***optional step***

4. "Whitewash" the whole stand, using a paint sample of your choice. The mixture should be mixed 50/50 with water. Apply liberally in small sections. Next, wipe off the water/paint mixture using the cloth sponge, leaving whitewash in the grooves. This will bring out the details of the design of the lamp base and groves at the base of the spool (best to wipe vertically on the spool base).

5. Antiquing the stand. Follow the same process as above, using the sponge brush and the cloth sponge. The sponge brush should be damp for the best application.

 6.  Sanding edges of designs, riveting, and body of the spool. This will help the details standout as well as let the green come through. (***This may also be optional.***)

                   

START        TO 

FINISH

Different design options include: 

- wooden dowels inserted in the holes to hang bracelets

-a vintage glass/crystal doorknob as the top embellishment

- a wooden or more modern lamp base

And here it is on display.....