PAINTING the metal will really give it an update. Depending on the finish of the metal think about what it might look like if you were to spray paint the core of the chandelier. Look at all the pretty metallic finishes by rustoleum. If it is fake brass, go silver or antiqued bronze. Or even chalk paint. If it has crystals, think about reducing the number of crystals on it or painting some of the glass crystals with a glass paint. Or take off the crystals completely and replace with beads or wooden beads. Look at what type of chandeliers you like and see what you can do to mimic the look. Make sure it is cheaper glass or plastic before you do this. I would not take a REAL BRASS or REAL SILVER chandelier and paint that. NOR would I take real crystals and paint them. ha. You don't want to completely de-value something if it is worth a lot of money of course. So... know what you are working with first! AND....if you are unsure whether a metal is real brass, look at this:
Is it real brass?
If they are brass and look like real brass chances are they have a lacquer on it. The reason I say this is that brass will tarnish fairly quickly and can turn black. What keeps the brass from tarnishing so fast(and keeps it shiny and gold-ish) is the lacquer which keeps the air from tarnishing. Eventually (takes years), that brass shine will tarnish even underneath the lacquer though. The way to deal with that is stripping the lacquer... then shine up with a brass cleaner once that lacquer is off, and then re-lacquer. Sometimes something will look like it is solid brass but is actually brass plated. I think you could still try the above method though, and you will eventually figure out what metal is all the way through. In either case, you could try shining it up with a brass cleaner, if nothing happens to make them look better, you will need to strip it. That means there is lacquer that needs to be stripped to get to the brass. Then try to brass cleaner it again. (TRY BRASSO cleaner) If still nothing looks better, then the metal is probably a cheap metal that has been painted to look like brass and can just be repainted and finished off with another lacquer or polycrilic finisher.
I have two 6' patio doors, and I want to add blackout curtains to keep the sun/cold out. What is the best way to hang them, and what can I use to push the curtains ba...
See more
I make many paper flowers that are used in hospitals and nursing homes where allergies may come into play, but I would like to show off my creations outside my home a...
See more
The track light cans, or heads, in our "temporary" housing are very dated and ugly. Right now they are white, the same color as the ceilings and tracks. Any suggesti...
See more
I have this lighting in the soon to be man cave. It used to be a tax office hence the lighting. Can I put dimmers on the light switch? Stained glass spray paint the o...
See more
Spray paint it and glue on oyster shells or beads or whatever. I live at the beach, hence, oyster shells
Hello there,
Make it over to what? Do you have any pictures you can up load?
PAINTING the metal will really give it an update. Depending on the finish of the metal think about what it might look like if you were to spray paint the core of the chandelier. Look at all the pretty metallic finishes by rustoleum. If it is fake brass, go silver or antiqued bronze. Or even chalk paint. If it has crystals, think about reducing the number of crystals on it or painting some of the glass crystals with a glass paint. Or take off the crystals completely and replace with beads or wooden beads. Look at what type of chandeliers you like and see what you can do to mimic the look. Make sure it is cheaper glass or plastic before you do this. I would not take a REAL BRASS or REAL SILVER chandelier and paint that. NOR would I take real crystals and paint them. ha. You don't want to completely de-value something if it is worth a lot of money of course. So... know what you are working with first! AND....if you are unsure whether a metal is real brass, look at this:
Is it real brass?
If they are brass and look like real brass chances are they have a lacquer on it. The reason I say this is that brass will tarnish fairly quickly and can turn black. What keeps the brass from tarnishing so fast(and keeps it shiny and gold-ish) is the lacquer which keeps the air from tarnishing. Eventually (takes years), that brass shine will tarnish even underneath the lacquer though. The way to deal with that is stripping the lacquer... then shine up with a brass cleaner once that lacquer is off, and then re-lacquer. Sometimes something will look like it is solid brass but is actually brass plated. I think you could still try the above method though, and you will eventually figure out what metal is all the way through. In either case, you could try shining it up with a brass cleaner, if nothing happens to make them look better, you will need to strip it. That means there is lacquer that needs to be stripped to get to the brass. Then try to brass cleaner it again. (TRY BRASSO cleaner) If still nothing looks better, then the metal is probably a cheap metal that has been painted to look like brass and can just be repainted and finished off with another lacquer or polycrilic finisher.
Hi Carol! Chalk paint is great for painting chandeliers. I have painted a couple with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint. :)