The Bling Branch - Tree Branch Crystal Chandelier

We have spent most of the past few months working on our deck, but it is finally finished and now it is time to decorate! I knew I wanted something that had some sparkle to hang over our outdoor dining table and after numerous ideas I decided to finally turn this branch into something (I had been saving it for something special!)

Here is how we took this sad stick and turned it into a beautiful centerpiece for our deck!

Materials

Miscellaneous:

• Tree Branch
• Glass Votive holders (From Amazon)
• Hanging Crystals (From Amazon)
  • 15 Pack Crystals
  • 10 Pack Crystals

Craft Store:

• Looking Glass Spray Paint
• White spray paint primer
• Split Rings (for jewelry making)
• Jewelry Chain
• Two sets of jewelry pliers

Home Improvement Store:

• (4) large eye bolts (rated for the weight of your branch) - Example
• (20) Small eye bolts/Screw Eyes

• Polyurthane spray paint
• Drill and Drill bit for large eye and small eye bolts
• Fine Wire (for hanging- make sure it is the correct weight rating)
• Swaging Tool (Home Depot)
• (4) Furrell's to match wire (Home Depot)

Steps

1) 

• Step One - Find a lovely branch. It must be Lovely.
• Saw off the ends and any offshoot branches so it is a nice clean shape 
• Use a dry scrub brush to gently work off any dirt of debris 

2)

• Spray branch with several coats of primer and then Looking Glass paint

3)

• Determine where you need the primary hanger hooks to go
• I did this using the incredibly scientific method of lightly holding the branch with my thumb and index finger from each hang until I got a good feel for the center of balance and then played with it until it sat how I wanted it and marked those spots with a Sharpie
• ​Using those marks, I drilled holes for the Eye Hook and screwed those in

4)

• Flipping the branch over I used a ruler to evenly space where I wanted the glass votive holders to go.
  
• I marked those spots with Sharpie and drilled small holes, then screwed the little eyes into the wood
• After I knew where the votives were going I used the ruler to space the eye's for the crystals around them

5)

• Now that that basis of the chandelier was finished I just had to hang the votives and crystals
• I staggered the length of the crystals for the casual look I wanted (and this also allows me to tweek the length so keep the crystals from banging into one another I attached the crystals to the eyes using the split jewelry rings
• Most of the votives I used the split jewelry rings to attach directly to the eyes but a few I used the jewelry chain to let them hang a little lower for that staggered look

6)

• Time for hanging!
• I didn't want to hang this with a standard chandelier chain (though you can if that is the look you want!) I wanted something a little more industrial and a little less "there" so opted to go with a aluminum wire rope swagged together with a furrell
• Unfortunately we didn't get any picts doing that but here is a good video that shows the whole process (except we didn't use the "thimble"). It's really easy but you do have to have the Swaging tool

Here is is hung and complete! I need to get some photos with the candles lit, it is really pretty!!