Transforming a Brass Fixture into a Shabby Chic Chandelier

After watching yet another "home improvement" or "how to sell your house" show on cable television, I realized there was a common thread. Brass is out. Brass fixtures seem to have a stigma that you haven't cared for your home since the 80s. It really doesn't seem to matter if you replace them with something that looks even older, you're just strongly encouraged to change them.

This revelation is totally alright with me. I have never been a big fan of brass fixtures anyway. My husband is another story, he likes things the way they are. He will sit and watch the shows with me, though, and I use that as my way to reason with him on changes in our home. We have a brass chandelier over our kitchen table that I hate. My tastes bend toward the shabby chic look and the brass chandelier is not cutting it. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't take too much convincing that we needed to change it.

I didn't want to try to disconnect it and take it down, so I decided to leave it hanging. My arms would get tired, but I knew the process would be completely doable.

Materials Needed for Transforming a Brass Chandelier into a Shabby Chic Chandelier:

Brass chandelier
Cleaning supplies
Masking tape
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Brown acrylic paint
Paint brush
Crackle medium
White or ivory acrylic paint
Muslin
Ruler
Scissors

Steps for Transforming a Brass Chandelier into a Shabby Chic Chandelier:

Step 1

To eliminate the glare of the lights and prevent possible burns, remove the light bulbs from the chandelier before starting the transformation. Thoroughly clean the fixture. This is important no matter what room the fixture hangs in, but especially if it hangs in a kitchen. Dirt, dust and greasy grime naturally settle on everything, and paint will not stick to grease and dirt.

Step 2

Use masking tape to mask off light sockets and any glass that your chandelier may have. Take off any decorations or parts that can be removed. If your fixture is hanging by a brass chain, don't worry about masking it off, you will be covering it later.

Step 3

Lightly scuff the exposed brass with sandpaper. This does not need to be an intense job, you only want to rough up the surface slightly to give it a tooth to better accept the paint. Wipe off the dust particles with a tack cloth when you are through sanding.

Step 4

Paint all of the exposed brass with brown acrylic paint. One coat is sufficient. Do not forget the ceiling plate. Allow the paint to dry. Paint an even layer of crackle medium over the brown paint. Allow the crackle medium to dry to a tacky texture. Paint a coat of white or ivory acrylic paint over the crackle medium. The crackle's reaction with the paint will begin almost immediately. Do not stroke over the same paint more than once, or the crackle process may smear the surface. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly. Note: The brown paint will show through the cracks.

Step 5

Cut several 3 inch wide strips of muslin. The length and the amount will depend on how much chain you have to cover. Tie one end of the muslin around the top of the chain at the ceiling plate. Loosely wind the muslin around the chain, overlapping each wrap. Do not twist the strip. At the end of the muslin, overlap the end of a new strip and continue to wrap. The overlapping on each wrap and the overlapping of the strip ends will hold the new strip in place. Continue adding more strips, if needed. At the bottom end of the chain, tie the muslin to attach. Cut the end of the muslin leaving a 3 inch tail. Tuck the tail up into the wrapped muslin chain.

Step 6

Remove the tape, reattach decorations and reinsert light bulbs. Rest your arms.