The Magic of Spray Paint!

I'm pretty convinced that spray paint is the grown up equivalent of "magic in a can!" For less than $4, you can transform practically any ole object from trash to treasure in like ten minutes. Ok, ok, maybe more like fifteen minutes.

Years ago, like six or seven of them, we were expecting family for our first Easter and I went to dust off the dining room chandelier. I barely touched it and the thing crashed onto the table! Yes, that actually happened. In tears, I convinced my not-so-much-a-fan-of-electrical-projects-husband that he HAD to quickly hang another chandelier before family arrived to our new house for Easter. At the same time, since I am also part pack-rat, I had him save the old chandelier, convinced I would find the perfect something for it someday.

Today, the time had finally come for that old chandelier to serve a new purpose! I cut all of the old electrical wires and lightbulb holders out of that thing, rubbed it down with a little steel wool, and painted it the perfect shade of red. 

Then, I hung it from the magnolia tree in our backyard. I stuck the children's little plastic table underneath it and have visions of the cutest Fancy Nancy-style tea parties and play-doh formation creating taking place there. And there will be candles, oh yes, there will be little candles in that chandelier. Maybe even the faux-candles (you know the little battery-powered ones). I'm really going to have to do something about the old table though...hmm...project!!!

Happy Creating!

--------------------
Tips (aka, what I learned today):

1. Hang the chandelier from something to paint it. I used a ladder so that I could get to it from all sides. Note, you will probably get overspray on to your ladder. I did.

2. Hang the chandelier upside down to paint it first. You sit under a chandelier, and very rarely see it from the top. So, by painting it upside down first, you get better coverage and don't miss the visible spots. (I didn't do this and was a little upset that I hadn't thought about this first.)