Today’s post is a special one. This absolutely adorable chandelier planter was made by my amazingly talented photographer friend, Amy Crosby. Amy is the owner of Amy Crosby Photography. She did all my headshots for my consulting firm website and all the branding photography for this blog. A few weeks ago, I saw her post photos of this creation and I told her I had to have it for the blog! She granted me permission to write up the tutorial and she provided some great photos (much better than the garbage photos I usually take).
She made two chandelier planters. One was blue and the other yellow. You may see photos from either project, but the instructions are the same for both.
Materials List:
Chandelier
Spray Paint (Amy used this for the blue one)
Clear Top Coat Enamel Spray (Amy used this for the blue one – this for the yellow)
Nuts (found in the lighting department at the hardware store)
6 Terra Cotta Pots with Saucers
Flowers or Herbs
Step by Step Instructions:
First, find a cool chandelier that you can use. A lot of thrift stores have them for reasonable prices. They obviously don’t have to work. I’ve seen some at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore and that’s where Amy said she found hers for $5.
Remove all the bulbs, bulb hardware, bulb plates and wiring.
Keep the bulb plates. You’ll need to put those back on to support the terra cotta pots.
Clean the pieces you’re going to paint with hot, soapy water to remove any dirt and grease. Dry them thoroughly. Lay everything out, including the terra cotta pots and saucers, on cardboard.
Choose your paint. Amy used Rust-Oleum Ultimate Ultra Matte Golden Leaf on the yellow chandelier.
And Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Serenity Blue on the blue chandelier.
Apply a layer of spray paint to everything, including the chain.
Let the paint dry, then flip all the pieces over and spray the other sides. Repeat with a second coat, if needed.
Put the bulb plates back on and secure them with the nuts.
Get out your E6000 glue and Plumber’s Putty.
Glue a circle of E6000 glue along the bottom edge of each saucer.
Apply them directly to each of the bulb plates.
Add the terra cotta pots to the inside of the saucers using Plumber’s Putty and glue.
Roll the putty into balls and stick two to the bottom of each pot. This will ensure that any small amounts of excess water will drain properly. Use the E6000 glue to secure the pots to the saucers.
Center them as best as possible.
Place something heavy inside each pot to apply pressure while the glue dries. Then put some books on top of the pots for more weight.
Once the glue dries, remove your weights and spray the entire piece with two layers of clear coat enamel, allowing time to dry in between layers, to provide protection from the elements.
Amy used Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel on the yellow chandelier.
And Rust-Oleum Chalked Protective Topcoat Matte Clear on the blue chandelier.
Now add your plants.
They’re cute with herbs or flowers.
I totally want one for myself now!
Big thanks to Amy Crosby for the photos and the inspiration! If you’re in the Raleigh area, check out her website. Her photography style is on point!
Here are a few process photos from the blue chandelier she made.
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