5 DIY Chandelier Styles to Try Even If You Don’t Own a Glue Gun

One glance at the Scandinavian boho chandelier by Jessica Small (@fromgrittopearl), from Charlotte, North Carolina, and it’s easy to understand why it went viral. Blond wooden slats come together to form an intricate, elegant light fixture that happens to only look expensive. “It all came to me when I was hunting for a statement piece to hang in my newly revamped dining room,” she says. “I came across a website that held all the light fixtures of my dreams. One particular chandelier caught my attention but cost $1,200!”

To stay within budget, she decided to figure out how her dream light fixture was structured and build one herself.  For a full tutorial, check out her blog, From Grit To Pearl.

Small noted, “You could easily substitute and tweak this [DIY chandelier] to suit your needs,” she says. “There are so many different ways, shapes, and forms this chandelier could be made. Get creative and have fun with the process.”

Modern bath mat chandelier

The most unexpected DIY chandelier is hands down the $4 light from @onthecheaptip.

When TikTok creator Rob “DIY Daddy” Rivera realized he needed a chandelier, he headed to the Dollar Tree in search of inspiration. There, he picked up some wire wreaths and clear pebble bath mats—the base for his modern chandelier.

First, Rivera used wire cutters to snip a slit in the top wreath to hang the wreaths on the pendant light. He then measured and cut the bath mat to fit around the rings. To glamp up the wreaths, he spray painted the wreaths gold. Rivera used picture wire to twist tie the bath mat to the wreaths. “I will admit, this did get a little frustrating, and I did have to take a moment to cry in the corner, but I’m glad I didn’t give up.”

Rivera finished the project by adding a leftover golden chain to the wire. The result was even better than expected—and you’d never guess that this modern light fixture began with a bath mat.

Wabi-sabi wrinkle lamps

Mannheim, Germany-based Instagrammer Nell (a.k.a. @creative.by.diy) finds inspiration in Nordic, Japandi, and wabi-sabi aesthetics. She had been thinking about buying a new lamp when it occurred to her: Why not make her own? Her DIY wrinkle lamp perfectly encapsulates her design influences—and it’s surprisingly easy to recreate.

First, gather materials: a suspension lamp (she sourced hers from Ikea); cotton fabric, such as an old bed sheet or tablecloth; textile hardener; and mesh wire to form the shape of the lamp shade. Start by wrapping the wire mesh into a cloud-like shape, leaving a hole in the center (a bit smaller than the base of the suspension lamp). Then, cut your fabric so that it completely covers the wire mesh and cut a hole in the center, where the lamp wires will eventually pass through. Brush one side of the fabric with the textile hardener on the underside and drape it on the wireframe. Allow your lampshade to dry for 24 hours and then it’s ready to hang. The perfectly imperfect wrinkle design adds a dreamy, artful touch to any room.