How to Make an Easy and Colorful DIY Wooden Bead Chandelier

Chances are you have dyed something in your life: t-shirts, Easter eggs, maybe your hair. This colorful wooden bead chandelier is going to have you wanting to try dying plain craft store beads. Yup! With the same dye you use to tie-dye T-shirts you can turn raw wooden beads almost any color your crafty little heart desires.

DIY Chandelier made with colorful dyed wooden beads.

Photo by: Evi Abeler

Creative Ways to Use Wooden Craft Store Beads

I am endlessly finding ways to upgrade plain wooden craft store beads. They are like blank canvases of the jewelry aisle just waiting to be transformed into something. You can paint them, burn them, dye them and more!

TIP: When choosing your beads make sure they are raw and unfinished wood so that they’ll take the dye. Varnished (shiny) wood beads won’t work for this.

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I may receive a small commission.

Creative Crafts For Teens

This wooden bead chandelier originally appeared in my 5th book Creative Crafts for Teens. As with most projects in this book they are great for adults too. Age is only a number and most projects in any book can be tweaked for different ages and skill levels. Grab a copy over on Amazon if you are so inclined and here are some projects from this book and others to give you an idea of what you can find inside.

Enough babbling let’s get on with making this dang wooden bead chandelier.

Supplies To Make a Wooden Bead Chandelier

Disposable cups
Raw wooden beads (one bulk bag)
Different colors of tie-dye
Plastic gloves
12-inch floral craft ring
Craft paint
Paintbrush
Large-eyed needle
Thin yarn
Decorative beads (optional)
Scissors
Small metal craft ring

How to Make a Wooden Bead Chandelier to Dye For

Step 1 – Prepare Your Beads

Fill the disposable cups with raw wood beads. You’ll need one cup for every color of dye you would like to use. A jumbo bag of different-size wooden beads works perfectly with this craft, but use whatever you have available, as long as they’re raw and varnish free.

Step 2 – Whip Up the Tie-Dye

Mix your dye according to package instructions. Fill the cups containing the beads with dye. Make sure all the beads are completely submerged in the dye bath. You may need to do this in several batches depending on the size of your cups.

Step 3 – Dye Your Beads

Most beads will finish dying after about 30 minutes. The longer they sit in the dye, the more vibrant the color will be. Drain and discard the excess and allow the beads to dry completely.

Step 4 – Paint the Wooden Rings

These wooden rings are actually floral wreath rings and can be found in the floral department of most craft stores. Paint your ring on both sides, this might take two coats of paint. Be sure not to let the paint pool in the holes that came in the wreath base. This is where you will string the beads. . Allow the paint to dry completely.

Step 5 – Create the First Strand of Beads

You will be stringing beads starting at what will be the top of your chandelier. String 10ish beads onto the yarn and then thread the needle down through one of the holes in the floral craft ring. The strand of beads you just did will eventually become the top portion/hanger of the chandelier. At this point if you were to set the craft ring on the floor you would have a tail of beads coming only out of the top.

Step 6 – Choose Your Wooden Bead Pattern and Chandelier Style

Now that your needle and yarn are below the craft ring string about 20 beads onto the yarn. You will then bring the beaded strand up to NOT the next hole, but the one after that. You want to use every other hole. Once you’re happy with the length of the drape, tie the yarn securely around the top of the ring and trim away the excess.

TIP: Try mixing in decorative beads that you didn’t dye, heck they don’t even have to be wood.

Step 7 – Continue Around the Ring

Continue this same process (steps 5 & 6) until all the holes are full. Be sure to use the same number and same size beads for the strands on top especially so that your wood bead chandelier will hang correctly.

Tip: As you near the end, it will become a bit trickier because you’ll be threading yarn through holes that already have neighboring strands attached.

Step 8 – Finish and Hang Your Chandelier

When you are finished beading, gather all the yarn tails at the top of the chandelier. Tie into a knot or loop through a large bead. Attach a metal ring for hanging.

All that is left to do is install a metal ceiling hook and hang your new fancy wooden bead chandelier that as I promised really is to die for! I dare you to try and make one that is two or three tiered inspired by traditional Polish Pajaki chandeliers!

Wooden Bead Chandelier FAQ

Will any wood bead work for dying? No. As mentioned only raw wood without the shiny top coat will take dye.
How heavy is the chandelier? This really depends on how large you make it. This one is surprisingly lightweight.
Do I have to use tie-dye? No. RIT dye works fine. I also have a feeling these wooden beads would easily dye with liquid watercolor, food coloring or even natural dye baths from beets or turmeric.
Can I put a light inside of my chandelier? I don’t see why you couldn’t buy a hanging lamp kit with a low watt bulb to place inside your new chandelier. Just make sure the bulb is not touching anything, especially if you mix in things like plastic beads.
Do I have to dye my beads? No. You could paint them crazy patterns like I did on the necklaces above. These plain wood beads can be painted, wrapped in embroidery floss, decoupaged and more.