Crafty Imaginings & Silly Things: October 2017

We finally have a light fixture above the dining room table!!

The previous owner of our house removed the chandelier and patched the ceiling...I was told it was because he put a pool table in the room. I've wanted to replace the fixture since we moved in 6+ years ago but the cost of an electrician, another person to repair the ceiling, and the light fixture itself kept the project on the "to-do" list. I also did not want just any ordinary chandelier. While it hangs over the formal dining table, it is a shared dining/living room. Having a fancy fixture would not really go along with the rest of the decor, but too casual or too small and I wouldn't be happy with the overall look.

If you've followed me for very long, you know I LOVE a good upcycle project and adore the chance to turn something odd into something pretty!

For over a year now, I've seen multiple projects made with old bed springs. I even purchased two antique ones at a show last year...using them as candleholders now. One booth at the Vintage Market Days was entirely dedicated to bed spring crafts...wreaths, candle holders, Christmas trees, etc.

Last Fall's VMD finds!

On Pinterest, I've seen several lighting projects using old crib springs and mattresses. I liked the look of the wires and springs and the thought of such a noticeable fixture in the room! The only problem was where to find an old mattress!?!?!

Then, this Summer, my son's school was cleaning out the gym and someone from the neighborhood threw a few items into the junk pile....one being an old, stripped set of bed springs!! What?!?! It was meant to be....at least that's what I told my son when I asked him to load it up after soccer practice! ;)

Can'y you just see all the projects to be made with this?

I was still recovery from surgery at the time so I wasn't able to get started until this past week. It only took a day to get in up and then I had to wait until my lights arrived from Amazon a couple of days later to complete it. I am so happy with how it turned out!

To start, you'll need a good set of bolt cutters. I broke the tip off of a pair of snips, so just use the bolt cutters upfront and save the hassle of running out to buy a pair like I had to!

Once I cut the mattress down to the size I wanted the fixture to be, I removed all of the clips and extra little stray pieces that were hanging from many of the springs. I had my son hold the piece up and got an idea of how long we needed the chain to be on each side.

The only chain available at Home Depot that I liked was silver, so I purchased some Rustoleum Spray Paint in a rustic metallic color. The chain took the spray paint easily and it was a great match to the bedsprings. I also painted the "s-hooks" that we used to attach the chain.

My son installed a heavy duty hook into the ceiling. I bought one that was rated for 45-lbs just in case. Once the chain and hooks dried, we took the pieces inside and started playing with the right height. This is most definitely a two person job!! My son was the only reason I was able to get this project completed....my upper body strength is not back to normal yet and the overhead work is still tough for me.

Once we figured out the right length for each chain, my son bent the ends of the s-hooks so that the chains would not slip off. Then, we hung the fixture!

I liked it immediately. The size was just right. Earlier in the week, I found these lights at Big Lots for $10/each. Two strings was perfect.

The strings are very small with tiny lights and are battery-operated!! I wound them loosely all around the light fixture and secured the battery packs close to the sides so that I can reach them when needed.

Very cool!

I found some battery-operated, remote-controlled bulbs on Amazon that arrived a couple of days later. They complete the look and now I wish I had a remote for the other two strings!