Pottery Barn-inspired Butterfly Chandelier

A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards."

~ A A Milne, Winnie the Pooh

 

Back in November I was corresponding with Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam about budget ideas for decorating girls' rooms, and she kindly featured one of my ideas.  As I read all the kind words that people posted in the comments, I gained confidence that perhaps I could one day write a blog.  Perhaps people would like my ideas.  Perhaps they weren't as corny as I feared.  (As a "professional" woman, I have often been teased - good naturedly, of course - by my friends for my "Martha Stewart" side.  I think it has made me a little shy about admitting my love for crafts.)  Now, two months later, I have started Pink Tea.  I'm excited and nervous, but worst thing that happens is that no one reads this.  So, let me say thank you, Jen, for giving me a chance on her blog.  And thank you to everyone who commented on that post.  It was the encouragement I needed.

Now on to the Chandelier.  I LOVE Pottery Barn Kids.  I'm sure if anyone saw me getting the mail, they would wonder why I get so giddy the day the PBK catalogue arrives.  I eagerly read it two or three times, marking all the pages and ideas that inspire me.  I knew I had a problem when I walked into a friend's bathroom and could name all the items that were from PBK (and yes, the bathroom was adorable).  If there is ever a support network, I may need to join.  So, when it was time to re-do my daughter's room this past summer, it was finally my opportunity to re-create one of my favorite pieces... the Butterfly Chandelier.

 

Source:  Pottery Barn Kids

Isn't it gorgeous!  I love the whimsy of it.  However, the $79 price tag wasn't in my budget.  Refusing to give up on my dream of having this in my room, I kept mulling over how to make it myself.  Thus, this version was born.

PBK Chandelier:  $79

Supplies from Craft Store:  Less than $10

Satisfaction for making it myself:  Priceless

Here's how I did it....

Supplies:

• Embroidery Hoop (only the solid hoop is needed; the hoop I used is about 14in in diameter)
• Twine / String
• Ribbon, 1/2 inch or so width  [the same ribbon I used here]
• Ribbon, thin
• Beads
• Cardstock Paper (I used three colors.  I originally planned on all white, but I couldn't resist adding a little pink.)
• Butterfly Template or punch (I wanted my butterflies to be about 3 inches wide - larger than any of my punches - so I used a template from Martha Stewart)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Ribbon Punch (optional - this is a tool I use for scrapbooking that punches out two slits for ribbons to feed through)

Instructions:

1. Take the embroidery hoop and tie a grid across it with the strings. I chose to do three strings in each direction. Make sure to tie the strings tights.

2. Using the hot glue gun, wrap the ribbon around the hoop until it is completely covered, periodically gluing it so that the ribbon stays put. Once the hoop is covered, add two ribbons criss-crossing for hanging. 
3. Cut out your butterflies. I opted for 36 butterflies in dark pink, pale pink, and white. Cut slits in the middle of the butterflies just wide enough for the thin ribbon to feed through. You want a tight fit so that the butterflies stay put on the ribbon. I used a ribbon punch, but you cut also just use scissors. You could also try using an adhesive if you have trouble getting the butterflies to stay, though you might want to wait until the end and the butterflies are exactly where you want them.

4. Start assembling the butterflies on the thin ribbon, threading a few beads on the bottom to help weight each strand. You can add as many butterflies on each strand as you like for your design. For the chandelier effect, have a longer string in the middle and gradually have shorter strand toward the outside. Based on the size of my butterflies, I opted for four butterflies on my center strand (tied to the middle point of the grid). Then I had 4 strands of three butterflies, 4 strands of two butterflies, and 12 strands of one butterfly. I then used to three beads at the end of each strand. As a hint, find someplace to balance the hoop so you can look at the strands as you attach them to the grid. That way, you can play with the length you want. Since I tend to do crafts on my living room floor while watching TV, I brought in two of my kitchen chairs and balanced the hoop between the seats. That let me keep shifting things until I achieved the look I wanted.
5. After you have attached all the strands to the grid and have everything set, clip any excess ribbon from where you tied the strands and go hang your chandelier.

I hope you enjoyed this craft.  It makes me smile every time I walk into my daughter's room.

This project is linked with...
The Inspired Room

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