DIY Botanical Chandelier
Level:
Intermediate
How-To:
Home Decor
MATERIALS:
- Dried fruits or fruits for drying
- Blood oranges
- Limes
- Pomegranates
- Cinnamon sticks
- Star of anise
- Eucalyptus
- Twine
- Macrame hoop
- Scissors
- Floral wire
- Wire snips
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Optional if using pomegranates:
- Drill
- 1/8” drill bit
- Tapestry needle
INSTRUCTIONS:
- If you are drying your own fruit, bake for 1½ to 5 hours at 225-degrees on a baking sheet. The time will depend on the fruit and how it’s cut, for instance a whole pomegranate will probably take a full 5 hours to dry out.
- Create the chandelier base. Tie two pieces of twine onto the hoop in a cross. Make sure they are pulled taut, and that the intersection of the cross is centered in the hoop. PRO TIP: The four sections created on the hoop by tying this are the blueprint for the symmetry of your design. Whatever you add on one section, add to the other three.
- Hang the chandelier base so you can work on it. Tie off another piece of twine to the cross-section, secure with hot glue. Hang.
- If using dried pomegranates, drill through the pomegranate about 2/3 of the way to the top so that they sit straight up, they will swing forward if you drill too far down on the fruit. PRO TIP: Make sure the pomegranates weight pretty much the same so the chandelier is balanced. Grab a food scale and use it if you have one!
- String through 4 pomegranates individually with twine and a tapestry needle. PRO TIP: Use red or burgundy twine to mask any stains from juice that may be left in the pomegranate.
- Hang the pomegranates off of the chandelier. Use hot glue to secure the knots in place at each edge of the section, to create a “v” shape with a pomegranate at the bottom point.
- Create the vertical strands. Decide on a pattern of fruit and spices on the strand and glue them on. Repeat three more times to create a total of 4 identical strands.
- Tie a strand off to the meeting point of each of the four sections.
- Cut pieces of eucalyptus and glue to the bottom of each vertical strand.
- Add the large hanging pieces of eucalyptus. Cut large sprigs of eucalyptus and use floral wire to attach to the hoop. Two per section to frame the pomegranate works nicely.
- Use orange and lime slices to cover the attachments to the hoop, the knots and floral wire.
- Hang in place and enjoy!
