Easy French Country Chandelier with Boho Flair

Written byStephanie Hofer Updated

With a few simple materials like paint and beads, discover how to breathe new life into an old and dated light fixture, creating a unique and eye-catching chandelier that will become the centerpiece of any room.

Trying to find beautiful and affordable light fixtures on a budget can be challenging!

I was looking for the perfect chandelier for Ellies bedroom makeover that fit in my budget.

With a $5 thrift store find that was in storage in my basement and a little paint, this dated chandelier was given new life.

Join us today as we share how you can transform an old brass fixture into a beautiful french country chandelier with boho flair under $30.

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Supplies Needed

To see more highlights from this bedroom makeover click any link below.

Thrift Store Chandelier

$5 thrift store dated shiny brass chandelier against a navy blue wall.

You know we love to frequent thrift stores and yard sales looking for tired worn out pieces that can be refinished.

We came across this brass chandelier for only $5 a couple years ago. Of course we snagged it not knowing when or where we’d eventually use it, but knew the deal was too good to pass up!

While planning Ellie’s bedroom makeover we decided to incorporate this fixture into our design.

Even though we’re bringing gold elements into the room, and I love the pop of gold with the navy wall, this fixture was just a bit too brassy for me.

We’re excited to share how we transformed this fixture into a french country chandelier using paint and wooden beads.

Before we got started we ran to Home Depot and got our all supplies.

Don’t you just hate running to the store in the middle of a project?

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Prep For Paint

Brass chandelier hanging in the garage with painters tape protecting the light sockets as a coat of white primer is sprayed on the light fixture.

To prepare the light fixture for paint, we first cleaned it with a damp washcloth to remove any dirt or grime.

Then we removed the white candelabra sleeves and covered the electrical fittings with frog tape.

We attached the chandelier to a bungee cord and then hung it from the garage door opener.

Our first step was to apply Rust-oleum Primer to the entire chandelier.

PRO TIP: To minimize cleanup from over spray, lay a large tarp under your working area.

Two coats of French cream spray paint are applied to the thrift store chandelier.

Once the primer had dried for 30 minutes, we then applied 2 coats of Rust-Oleum French Cream in a matte finish.

Using spray paint for the initial layer of paint not only made it easy,  but it would’ve been a bit tricky getting a brush into all of the small crevices of the chandelier.

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Creating The Faux Wood Finish

4 dollops of craft paint on a paper plate with a chip brush.

To create the faux wood finish for this french country chandelier, we used four different colors, two dark brown, one slightly darker than the other, a grey and a cream color.

I know I just said it would be tricky to use a brush, but we’re not going for a full coverage with this step, so it works.

Using a small chip brush which has uneven bristle lengths, we dry brushed on each of our for colors one at a time. However, as we started painting, we soon realized that the chip brush was too big to fit in some of the areas of the chandelier. With this in mind, we pulled out our artist brushes and they worked great!

To dry brush dab the brush in a paint color. Then brush back and forth several times on a paper plate or palate removing most of the paint. Next, lightly brush onto the chandelier with short stroke. The brush leaves very defined stroke marks which mimics the appearance of wood grain.

Dry Brush Layer one

To make our French country chandelier look like wood we first applied a dark brown craft paint with a chip brush, applying it with streaks of paint.

The medium brown color was applied first.

Use a dry brush method to apply the paint.

To make our French country chandelier look like wood we first applied a medium brown craft paint with a chip brush, applying it with streaks of paint.

First dip the chip brush in the paint wipe on a paper towel and then streaking the paint in a horizontal motion around the chandelier.

The paint should look wispy leaving a portion of the creamy white exposed.

Dry Brush Layer Two

Second coat of dry brushing the chandelier with a darker brown craft paint.

Once dry to the touch, we repeated this process with the dark brown color. This is a look at the chandelier with both shades of brown applied. 

Dry Brush Layer Three

Dry brushing a light grey paint to the chandelier for the third coat.
DIY French country chandelier after grey paint is applied with chip brush.

At this time, we are ready to apply the grey paint. Using this same dry brush process over the entire chandelier.

It’s now starting to look like the French country chandelier look that we were going for, but it still felt a little dark and heavy. 

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Dry Brush Layer Four

The final dry brush layer of paint is applied in a cream color to the chandelier.

Because it was feeling a little heavy, we decided to add the light cream color. Once again using the dry brush technique, lightly adding highlights over the entire chandelier.

As you can see paint can really transform any light fixture.

Adding Boho Flair To French Country Chandelier

Easy DIY French country chandelier hanging in a girls bedroom with a navy blue accent wall and built-in shelves.

Here’s a look at the finished chandelier. Adding wood beads really adds a bit of whimsy and helps make it feel a little less formal.

We purchased a mixed package of wood beads from Amazon. It was a little hard to know exactly how many we’d need, so we erred on the side of caution and ordered a large variety pack.

We ended up using 4 different sizes of beads on this chandelier.

On the strands of beads that swagged from arm to arm, we used 10 of the (16mm) size beads, and 11 of the (8mm) size beads.

For the strands of beads that swagged vertically above each arm  we used 10 (20mm) size beads and 11 (10mm) size beads.

We have plenty of leftover for more projects!

Create Holes for the Bead Swags

Woman marks where to drill holes for string of beads on the French Country Chandelier.
A woman drills holes for string of beads on the chandelier.
A woman tying strands of beads to the chandelier.

First we strung the beads on fishing line.

Then we marked where each strand would be secured.  

Using a ruler as a straight edge, we then placed the ruler on two candelabra cups at a time.

Marks were made just inside each candelabra cup.

We repeated this around the entire chandelier.

Then we also used the ruler to help us eyeball a straight line vertically up each arm.

A mark was placed just inside the upper “cup” piece of the chandelier.

Using a drill with a small bit, all holes were then made in the chandelier.

Next we attached each strand of beads onto the french country chandelier, securing them into place with a square knot.

*TIP: After each knot had been made, we added a drop of clear nail polish to “glue” the knot together.

Completed French Country Chandelier

Close up view of the completed French country chandelier with Boho flair.

The beads really do add just that bit of boho flair to this fixture. It looks stunning with the navy wall as the backdrop. I can’t wait until all of the elements in this bedroom makeover come together.

French country inspired daybed with a bed crown with white and gold polka dot canopy against a navy wall, navy and white rug, small side table and lamp and a French country/Boho chandelier.
Completed French country chandelier in a girls bedroom with a navy accent wall, daybed with French lines, bed crown and built-in bookshelves.

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I’m a DIY enthusiast at heart—after all it’s in my DNA, thanks to my parents and grandparents who are avid DIYers. I’m also a devoted wife and mother of three amazing kids who keep me on my toes. My DIY journey began after my husband, Dan and I bought our first home. With high-end taste and a tight budget, I was determined to transform our builder-grade space with creativity and minimal cost. There’s nothing more satisfying than taking something unwanted and making it into a cherished piece, whether I’m restoring a vintage dresser or upcycling everyday finds.

I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learned along the way and helping others create beautiful spaces without breaking the bank! When I’m not hunting for new DIY projects, I love spending time outdoors with my family, hiking, snowshoeing, and traveling.

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