Thursday, March 24, 2011

Ceiling Fan Makeover

So here is my nasty brassy ceiling fan.  It came with the house and I never liked it.  When we were painting the ceilings, some paint got on the blades and I couldn't get it off.  I couldn't flip the blades over either because there were weights adhered to the other sides...
  
 Not so awesome.
 7 years after inheriting this classy fan, it was time to do something about it!  
First I removed the blades.
 I traced one for each blade on the wrong side of this wicker-like fabric.
 I alternated the direction of the blade each time to save on yardage.
 To center the fabric I lined up the pattern with the center of the blade, like this.
 You can see the center line in the fabric just above my pen.
 I cut right on the line.
 Then I grabbed the Costco pizza box from dinner the night before to protect my faux finished kitchen counter tops...don't get jealous!
 Use spray adhesive.
 I lined up the fabric on one of the blades.  I pulled back one side, sprayed and quickly re-laid the fabric back down to insure a good bond.
 Then I lifted up the other side.
 And sprayed the heck out of it.  
 Oh, I forgot to mention that I numbered the blades and marked each blades placement on the motor to make sure that it wouldn't wobble when I reassembled it.
 Enter the best color spray paint ever!  It's called Antique Bronze and it's beautiful!
 Isn't it purdy glinting in the sunlight? (Not that the sun will ever shine on the fan inside, but ya' know...)
 Now is the part where I get frustrated.  I couldn't detach the wires, so I left it dangling and taped the heck out of all the sockets.  Make sure you don't get any paint on those parts.
 While the bronze was drying, I finished the blades by using my crafter's piercing tool to poke holes in the fabric for the screws to go through.  (and don't get too jealous of my hardwood contact paper kitchen floor either!)
 I reassembled everything once it was dry, making sure to put the correct blade in the correct position. And ta-da!  I still didn't like it.  
Those stupid frilly globes were laughing at me, mocking my attempt to change the look of the fan...
So I took those suckers down and replaced them with smooth white glass globes that were on sale at Lamps Plus.
 Ahh, much better! Don't cha think?

 Now I just need to replace the 2 super bright bulbs for 4 softer ones and it'll be perfect.
Now that's my kind of makeover!

8 comments:

  1. Love the step-by-step pictures! It looks even better in real life- fabulous!

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  2. I love this makeover. I also have a 1980's brass fan that came with the house. Okay, I have 4 of them. I replaced the 2 in my living room, but still need ideas for my kitchen and bedroom. And your spray paint is exactly the color I want. I bought some ORB and it is too dark.
    Thanks,
    Heidi

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  3. That surely is one way to give your ceiling fan a much needed twist! Good job, Megan! I definitely love the patterns and the prints. It kinda gives you that jungle/ethnic vibe. Maybe, it will be good to change the pattern monthly and the varieties of patterns of colors for your ceiling fan.

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  4. Your kind of makeover is superb! It’s so amazing how a simple transformation can turn a simple thing into a fabulous one. It’s a balance of fashion and functionality! If I were to grade your work, I would grade it 101%. =)

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