There was a time in his life when my husband would’ve balked at the idea of a crystal chandelier in a closet.
He would’ve said that it doesn’t make any sense — chandeliers are for dining rooms! — and why don’t you just use one of those nice boob lights?
(He wouldn’t have known the term “boob light” at that time either, but if he had, he would’ve happily enjoyed any occasion to use it.)
I consider it a great and mighty achievement that, almost nine years into marriage, he didn’t even blink when I told him I wanted a fancy chandelier in my closet makeover. His only response was, “Okay, want to try to make one?”
BAM. Brainwashing mission complete.
After one chandelier attempt fail, we emerged victorious with this guy:
It all started when I found these crystal ball chandeliers at Horchow.
I liked them, but I wanted something a little more gold and a little less FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.
This Marmont Pendant from Serena and Lily was much closer, but I still wanted a little more bling, and there was just no way a $275 closet light fixture was happening in this house.
My little chandy came out to a measly little $60, and is full-on BLINGIN’ CRYSTAL.
I thought and thought for a long time about how we could make a crystal ball like that. How would you string crystals through metal like that without knowing anything about welding? My conclusion: uhhhh, beats me.
Remember my DIY capiz shell chandelier? It’s made from a capiz shell tea light holder which we rigged up to the ceiling. (See how here.)
So I went off hunting for another tea light holder that looked like the crystal balls and found these guys:
YESSSS!! I loved them, so I ordered one sight-unseen, with fingers tightly crossed that it would work out. Not-exactly-a-spoiler-alert: it did.
Materials Needed
- Hanging gold & crystal ball (Any size will work; mine is 8 inches.)
- Ceiling canopy kit
- Lamp cord (You buy it by the foot at the home improvement store. It’s very cheap.)
- Bulb socket like this one (affiliate link)
Step 1: Wire the socket
Follow the directions on whatever socket you bought. This is how we did ours. Thread your lamp cord through the top of the socket, then split the end of the cord with a wire stripper. Wrap one wire around one of the silver screws and the other wire around the gold screw, then tighten the screws down with a screwdriver.
It should look like this when you’re done:
Step 2: Add the bulb
These little crystal balls have a tiny door in the side that opens, resembling a tiny super-glam liberace version of a death star.
It’s very convenient for adding the bulb. You just open that little door, thread the end of the lamp cord through the top of the ball by the handle, and pull it taut, then add your bulb.
AAAAAAND you just wired a chandelier. Just like that.
Step 3: Hang it
Before we did this step, we spray-painted the previously-white ceiling canopy with gold spray paint. Thread the lamp cord through the hole in the center of the canopy, and hook the gold chain (included with the crystal ball) onto the canopy as well.
Then you wire it up just like any other light fixture and screw the canopy onto the ceiling. (I’m being purposely vague and not saying specifically how to wire a light into your house’s electrical system because if you’re not already comfortable hanging light fixtures, you should probably just hire an electrician. Electricity kills people, and I’d like you to stick around. I think we have a good thing going.)
Ta-da!
I extra-love the light it blings everywhere. My closet is so well-lit and I pretty much don’t leave it except by force.
But the real miracle here is that Andy believes crystal chandeliers in the closet are a good and normal thing. *Victorious fist-pump!*
Have you ever made a chandelier? Did you think I hand-wired all those little crystals myself? Ain’t nobody got time, yo.
P.S.: Check out all our other DIY light fixtures right here!
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
Genius I tell ya! And Looks fabulous!
I used a candle holder for my star chandelier in the hallway too. They are just perfect for pendants.
this looks freaking awesome- love that you re-purposed something so simple to get it done!
Totally love it and a good alternative to the $$$ ones! So pretty! xo Kristin
I don’t know what I love most: the chandelier, getting your husband to think it’s normal for a closet, or the comparison to a tiny super-glam liberace version of a death star.
I cant believe you made that- I love it!
I’m not kidding when I say I’ve been waiting for weeks to see this. And to be completely honest, I did fully expect that you would hand-wire/thread all those tiny crystals. I like this solution MUCH better.
Genius! I love your closet….I honestly want to live there in a none creepy way!
when it was said, “Let there be light!” I think this is exactly what was intended because it’s glorious.
So smart! I was wondering how you got so many crystals formed into a perfectly round globe. I love it and you can’t beat the price. I had to forward this to my friend because of the story about how your husband didn’t think a chandelier in a closet was weird now. She is telling her hubby the same thing.
I am SO in total agreement with “Kim A – I don’t know what I love most: the chandelier, getting your husband to think it’s normal for a closet, or the comparison to a tiny super-glam liberace version of a death star.” Your humor just makes me smile – I look forward to your posts each day!! Thanks Kelly!!
I love your whole collection of DIY lamps. This is no exception. I want to RUN out and make lamps every time I see what you come up with. I have even been known to fondle a capiz tealight or two at HomeGoods sending loving thoughts to your office 🙂
I am super duper obsessed with that light….it’s gorgeous!!!
You are so dang resourceful! love it!
You crazy clever, girl!!! It’s fabulous!!!
I have been looking for this type of alternative myself. I just order a crystal ball so I can attempt this project…..Wish me luck.
Such good thinking! And can you tell how popular your “resembling a tiny super-glam liberace version of a Death Star” is for many of us? We love it because it’s true.
Beautiful! Great thinking!
I am still blown away by the tea light pendant and now this!! You have mad skills girl!
You guys are light fixture making geniuses! This is my favorite part: “tiny super-glam liberace version of a death star.” You didn’t even need a photo with that description; I could totally see it in my head already.
Love, love, love this!!! Sadly, I have no closet to bling out, but I’ve been wanting to do something to liven up my laundry closet and little bling light sounds like just the thing! And that site even has them in nickel (I’m not a gold kind of gal)! YAY! Genius DIY – thanks for sharing! 🙂
tea light holders are perfect candidates for turning into ceiling lights!
I have the exact lotus tea light holder that i have been trying to find a room to hang.
haha, my husband thinks it’s normal to have chandeliers all around the house too. We trained them good!
Beautiful! It’s so perfect with the wallpaper! Love!!
You are the QUEEN of light fixture knock offs!! I love this! (and I’m still lusting after that capiz shell one…do you know how many times I’ve been to Home Goods looking for that so I can make one too? Too many times, lol….always leaving empty handed! ) I ADORE it! (oh, and we have a few of those “boob” lights (we call them that too lol) in the hallway and laundry. Soon to be changed in the laundry!
Pinning and sharing!
xo
Nancy
So cool Kelly! I love a good DIY chandelier!
I suspected you tricked out another orb – you don’t seem the stringing crystals type 🙂 Me either. All kinds of awesome, girl!
This is so pretty! I’m impressed at how easy it appears to make!
Also, I love what blogging has done to the husbands. Makes me smile.
I can’t decide if I am more impressed by the DIY project or the spousal brainwashing. Well done, on both accounts! I kind of had a similar reaction recently when I said I wanted to paint gold and white stripes on my son’s wall, and my husband was like, “Yeah. That would be easy.” Whaa?
Special. Kind. Of. Genius. Oh my word! Love it!
Re: Husband’s crystal chandelier curiosity.
A smart man will learn — a brilliant man agrees with his wife and deals with the aftermath later.
“Boob-light.” Really
??
Better said: A smart man will learn — a brilliant man agrees with his wife while they share mutual concerns and together they ignore the aftermath later.
Boob lights… are perfect decor accessories
!!
BAHAHA brainwashed! Love it!
This is just beautiful and so easy you smarties!
i totally thought you hand strung those at first. this is genius. love it.
Hi Kelly: I so enjoy the friendliness of your blog, love your diy projects – everything. Since I have no control at all over one particular reflex left over from my Catholic school education – I can’t be held responsible for “speaking my mind” k? It’s just that I can spot a spelling/synonym/antonym mistake from a mile away. I think you meant to say “taut”. This in no way should be considered a “correction” by me, it’s just that quirky reflex rearing it’s little eye……
Hi Kelly, love the light! I have noticed that your posts have been lighter, funnier, and more creative since you did your Dave Ramsey’s visit/post about paying off your house. We too have paid off our house so I totally understand how your financial freedom spreads to other parts of your relationships/spirit/personality. Guess you could say the chandelier reflects your current state of mind. 🙂
I love it when an idea works out…this is pure genius, girl!! Now I want one too! Pinning! Although my husband will not so easily understand why our boob light is not good enough. 🙂
How do you figure out how to make these lights – it would never have occurred to me. I would just have been sad that my favorite was so so so expensive. Thank you for helping those of us who are not lighting geniuses. 🙂
Awesome with a capital A my friend. Pinning and admiring the genius of it all. 😉
LOVE the chandelier! It looks absolutely amazing!
Brilliant! I can’t say enough good things about this genius diy project. We are looking at lights for our new place and they are so expensive! I am totally inspired to try making one now
I’m so in love with this chandy! Would you mind making me one…I’m too lazy these days ;). Super impressive Kelly!
LOOOOVE the chandelier and loooove the wallpaper! Where did you get it?? Thanks! You’re awesome!
I am not the crystal ball type, but my four-year-old daughter sure is. I’m pretty sure she would compare it somehow to Elsa’s ice castle, which is her idea of perfection.
this is so cute! I love your whole closet!
Well you’ve done it again! I love how it turned out. Featuring it on my weekend reflections tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
Love It. It’s So Awesome How You Recreate All Of These Expensive Lights.
It’s amazing and I love it with my whole heart.
That’s brilliant! What a gorgeous find, and I loooove how it turned out!
have I mentioned how brilliant this is?
Okay. Why are you perfect? This is AMAZING. So pretty! I actually really really wanted pendant lights similar to this to hang over our night stands in our bedroom instead of lamps. This is genius. Every light fixture I attempt to make I screw up. (remember Evelyn’s chandy… uhhhh. yuck.) But this is something I *might* be able to do.
So fancy! It looks gorgeous. We only recently got rid of the last boob light in our home. Whoever invented those has a sick mind. (Or, whoever decided they looked like boobs has a sick mind?)
Ugh! YES! I want to make like 5 of these and cluster them. Thank you Kell. You are the friggin best!
While I am way behind in life so glad one of the first blog posts I read trying to get back up to speed was this one. Love it! And so easy.
You are so funny! And this post couldn’t come at a better time for me. I’m about to rewire an old lamp I couldn’t bare to part with. I’ve bought the parts… now to be game enough to try the wire stripping thing!
So I am obviously super behind, but I am still cracking up about the Liberace Death Star reference!
LOVING IT! And I’m so glad I’m not the only one who calls those things boob lights…
KELLY!!!!! Holymoly!!! this chandy is totally off the chain!!! (get it? bcuz it is ON…a chain 😉
seriously though!!! the whole stinkin’ dang closet is awesome, but this blingtastic crystal deliciousness is supersweet icing on the already dreamy cake! I can’t even KNOW how your Google search for this perfect crystal ball went??? But, it IS so perfect. I guess I am not really surprised, because you guys are, after all, the king and queen of fabulous DIY lighting…but I am still WOWed! awesome job, totally copying this for my some room in my house. I want it, I want it, I want it…and you are a true love for sharing your genius with the rest of us slugs.
p.s….I scrolled past 58 other commenters, to tell you how amazeballs y’all are! Again, WOW! apparently everyone else loves this as much as me…I thought this was a glam expensive light til you said it was DIY, in your nursery post – and SHUT! UP! on that nursery!!! too gorgeous, I could not stop looking at THAT!!! (long p.s….sorry)
Hahaha! Thank you SO much! <3 My google search was all: "Round orb of crystally awesomeness that I can love for all my days" and google was all "here you go."
This tutorial is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for! I have been drooling over a few different crystally-shiny-shimmery-globes of amazing lighting for a while but all of them are out of my budget (whomp whomp…) I can’t wait to start looking for my own orb to make into a chandelier! Thanks so much for sharing!
I shared your post over at my blog in my Weekly Frills post – I would love if you checked it out!
http://simplefrills.blogspot.com/
Looks fabulous! Great idea! Brings light and decor into any rooms.
Oh my goodness, this made me gasp out loud!!! Ahmazing!!!! Pinning and hoping to make one for my master bath. I LOVE IT!
I love you. That is all
I don’t care about having a fancy light in my closet, but I’m all about any light that can be called a glitzy, Liberace, Death Star light.
Ha! Amazing! I just cam across this, I might have to look into something like this for me. 😀 I want a supersleek toilet, all grey and cool and modern, BUT with a super blingy chrystally orb flaoting above it. I’m in love with this light. 🙂
How well does it light up a room? What watt light bulb do you use? I love this, just wondering if it would be bright enough to light up a room!