Ombre Fabric Chandelier
Designer: Elizabeth Stumbo
Materials
- Hanging wire plant basket
- Green satin-finish spray paint (such as Krylon Indoor/Outdoor paint in Jade)
- Green fabric dye (such as Rit Dye in Kelly Green)
- Wide bucket
- Broomstick
- White, twin-size, 100% cotton flat sheet
- Disposable gloves
- Rotary cutter and acrylic ruler
- Fabric glue
- Battery-operated light strand
Assemble the Chandelier
1. Spray-paint hanging wire plant basket in a well-ventilated area; let dry.
2. Add hot water to a wide bucket and add dye powder. Stir mixture to dissolve powder.
3. Fold sheet in half and drape over broomstick. Quickly dip as much sheet as possible into dye water to get light color coverage. Dip a smaller portion of sheet into dye water and hold for 10 minutes at that height for a slightly darker color; remove sheet.
Tip: Prop stick up at each end with a chair or stool for necessary soaking time. Continue dipping sheet at lower height for each color gradation until you have four shades of color.
4. Wearing gloves, remove sheet from water and wring fabric to squeeze dye water back into bucket. Holding sheet with lightest color on top, rinse under warm water, then cool water until the water runs clear. Wash sheet with mild detergent in washing machine set to warm water wash/cool water rinse. Machine-dry.
5. Cut sheet into four sections with one section for each color gradation. Cut pieces into 1"-wide strips (strips will be long at this point). Hang basket. Wrap one of the darkest strip ends around bottom center rung of basket; glue. Add strips to same rung until a circle of strips is formed. Trim strips to 28″ long.
6. Add three more rings of strips to wire basket, with the lightest strips on the top ring. Trim third tier to 20" long, second tier to 15" long, and top tier to 13" long.
7. Place battery-operated light strand inside basket.