Butterfly Chandelier

Once upon a time I saw this beautiful butterfly chandelier on Pintrest.

I don't have a source, because whoever originally pinned it, didn't source it. :(

And I wanted to make it. For my adorable niece, Rachel.

Yeah, buddy. :) That's my girl, mohawk and all.

Ok, back to the chandy...So I did make it....or at least my version of it. Because the pin was broken, there wasn't a tutorial or other close up pictures so I had to figure it out myself.

And Yeah, my version is SPARKILY! (duh!)

Because the pin was broken, there wasn't a tutorial or other close up pictures so I had to figure it out myself. So here is what I came up with.

I started out with a 12" round emboidery hoop and then wrapped a very long strip of white cotton fabric around it. I ended up using a couple of strips to get it to go around. I hot glued the ends down so it would stay.

Then I cut approximately 8"x1.5" strips of white and purple cotton fabric. Then I started tying the stips in double knots around the embroidery hoop. I tied two white stips and then a purple one and repeated the pattern all the way around the hoop. I liked the frayed look that I got with the white strips.

Once the hoop was done, I took some toole that I happened to have lying around, and created a hanger and bow, very similar to the original picture.
Then came the butterflies.

I used a Cricut to cut out the butterflies (I have a program that lets me use any image I want. I got the butterfly pattern from here). I wanted it mostly white with a just a few purple, so I cut more white ones. I used pearlecent paper so the butterflies were sparkily ('cuz that's how I roll). Because I doubled up the butterflies for a 3D effect, I cut twice as many as I needed.

Once the butterflies were cut, I inked the edges for a little more pizzazz. I used pearlecent inks in white and lavender on the opposite paper. When the ink was dry, I used a bit of clear glue on the body of the butterfly to glue them together, leaving the wings free.

I let the glue dry for a few hours and then started stringing the beads and butterflies. I hand sewed the butterflies and then strung the beads, alternating them. I used tiny silver crimp beads to hold the clear beads in place. At the end of each strand, I hung a clear "crystal" bauble. I was looking for chandelier pieces, but none of the stores I went to carried them, then I found (in the wedding section) a box of vase filler baubles that had a hole in them. Perfect!

Once the strands were done, I tied them around the the embroidery hoop. Let's not talk about the "math" I did to figure out how many strands I would need. Let's just say that I was wrong and I made less than I though I would need. :) Then I opened up the butterfly wings for a bit of a 3D effect.

Cait was soooo excited when she saw it when she came over to visit me in my "death bed" (I've had a yucky cold/laryngitis--yeah, I couldn't talk for THREE days! :/ ). She loves it. And Rachel kept looking at it while it was hanging in my room as I was adding strands. I think she loves it too.

Here it is hung up in Rachel's room.

We took it over to Cait's house, re-arranged Rachel's room, again, and then hung it up over the crib. All I have to say is that for a simple looking project, it took a lot longer than I thought (I watched both seasons of Downton Abbey--LOVE!!, and lots of Bones) and so the kid better like it. :)

Once the room is done, I will put up more pictures. Cait and I have ideas.... :) [insert dramatic music here]...