My Crazy Family Circus: Bust Out Your Bandaids. Pinterest is Here.

I found a great project on Pinterest and just knew that I would have to make it.

(I'm known for saying that quite often. I just wish I didn't follow through on every single one. My husband is probably wishing the exact same thing right now. So is our bank account.)

This project worked. It took forever, but it worked.

Source

If you know me at all, you won't be shocked when I tell you I didn't follow directions exactly.

I know. Super smart on my part. I thought I had a better plan. I was sooooooooo wrong. Learn from my mistakes and just follow the original directions.

Ok? Great.

Moving on.

My supplies.

Hit up the dollar store, as it tells you in the directions.

I didn't use the basket shown above. I found the one at dollar store that actually worked better.

The one above didn't have the hole in the bottom that is needed.

And I purchased WAY too many beads.

When checking out, I must have looked like I was going to have one heck of a party.

They come in packages of 8 and I think I grabbed 14 packages.

If I were in New Orleans, I would be quite popular...actually I have no idea if that's actually true or not. I've never been there. I just watch a lot of TV.

Do you see what's going on in the picture above?

I used a metal stick I found in the garage (it's used for painting houses...or it was, before I painted the crap out of it), extended it, put it between our garbage cans, then strategically put each strand of beads on there.

I even took time to make sure they weren't touching.

Let me tell you something about this picture: Do NOT do this.

Just put the chandelier together, then paint it.

I repeat- Do NOT do this.

I wasted soooo much time.

I wasted soooooo much spray paint (4 cans).

I did 2 white, primer, cans of paint.

Then, I did 2 cans of gold.

Even after 4 cans, it didn't cover all of it.

Just don't do it.

(I did, however, redecorate our garbage cans with my out-of-control spraying pattern.

My husband was less than thrilled with me because I did this.)

Most frustrating process ever.

The new basket all sprayed.

The beads halfway covered, but I didn't care anymore.

After 4 cans of paint, I was done.

Cutting up each necklace.

This is where I sat, ignoring my children, while I hot glued each necklace to the next one, forming one large chain. I hated this part, but it was a necessary step for the construction process to go smoothly.

I did the bottom of the basket while sitting on the couch watching Star Wars.

You can kind of see how I started at the top bar, wrapped the wire around the top bead to hold it in place, then folded the chain at the bottom, using wire again to hold it in place.

But to build the top, I needed help holding it up.

Then I did the same thing, just kept a running chain, using wire to hold it all in place.

Lots and lots of pokey, painful wire.