How to Make a Ladder DIY Chandelier

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I love this Vintage Ladder DIY Chandelier so much. Today, I am going to show you how to make your own.

Lighting is such a wonderful accent in any room. I love it when it is actually a focal point. The ladder chandelier is wonderful, and I have actually made two of them. Today, I am sharing how you can make your own Ladder DIY Chandelier.

You Made that?

A Ladder Chandelier

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For years, I wanted to change the chandelier in our family room. I always thought I would replace it with another single chandelier until I found these distressed white wood chandeliers online. They were so well-priced that I ordered one. And then it hit me. These were perfect for a ladder family room chandelier! So I ordered two more.

A dining table in a family room with white, brown, and orange plates, copper accents, amber colored glasses, and a faux pinkish orange hydrangea centerpiece. A white couch and assorted pillows and a vintage hanging chandelier are also in the family room.

I found a ten-foot ladder @vintagejunktionla that was old and wonderful and got it to work.

How to Make a Ladder Chandelier

I first realized that my ladder had to have an odd number of sections. The chandelier that hangs from the wall goes through the center section. Then, I needed three more sections on each side. The ladder I bought had eight sections, so I needed to cut one off.

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Next, I painted the ladder with Milk Paint and used one and a half small cans.

Ladder Chandelier DIY
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I painted the ladder with two coats but didn’t try to perfect it because I wanted a shabby look to match the wooden chandeliers.

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I also painted the dark brown chain with milk paint. That looked chippy too. (Don’t worry about painting the wire that comes out of the top of the light, as that gets painted after it is hung.)

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We added two metal rods to the ladder where the two outside dining room chandeliers would hang. That was easy. Then, we put two hooks in the ceiling to hold the chains. It’s essential to try to find studs in the ceiling.

Next, we hung the ladder. This was WAY harder than I thought it would be. I didn’t even think that the ladder might not be straight because it was ancient. And it was not even close to being straight!

So we descended the ladder and tried to bend it, but that didn’t work. I finally added one more chain link to the left side, and it fixed it perfectly. The ladder was finally straight.

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Next, we hung the two side chandeliers at the desired height. (Trust me, you want to hang these first.)

How to Make a Ladder Chandelier

We decided to run the wires from the two outside chandeliers along the inside of the ladder and then up the center wire of the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

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Then we hung the center chandelier.

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First, we adjusted the height so it matched the other two chandeliers. We temporarily placed a metal rod on top of the ladder. Then, we threaded all three wires from the three chandeliers up the center chain and into the ceiling.

New spring home decor in the family room with lavender throws and pillows and sage green jars, a wreath and small decor items.

Finally, I painted all of the wires with milk paint. Note to self: don’t let your dog sit under the ladder unless you don’t mind having a paint-splattered dog.

The project took a full day and a half, but it was worth every second. I can’t even express how much I love our ladder chandelier!

The Ladder Chandelier in the Waco House

I also installed a Ladder Chandelier in our Waco home. This one is a bit different, and I love it.

I shopped at antique shops all around Waco and found a vintage ladder. The good news is that I didn’t even have to paint it!

I love how this chandelier looks in our Waco Airbnb.

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Kitchen with wooden ceiling, rustic white cabinets, and a wooden dining table. Three large, ladder-style chandeliers are hanging from the ceiling. Text at bottom reads "How to Make a Ladder DIY Chandelier.

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12 Comments

  1. I love what you’ve done with this room. The one thing that is bugging me is the lampshade on the side table between sofa and chair. It is way out of scale with the lamp.

  2. While I admire your style, I feel your ladder chandelier is off. The ladder itself, to my eye, (I am a trained professional designer) seems too big in relationship to the table. Maybe if the lamps were simpler and lower. While a clever idea. I think there is too much going on. Also, they are way too high. The lamps should be 30-36 off the table. It feels disconnected, busy and fights the great dinning table and chairs. Too many open lines with the ladder, shape of the chair backs and windows behind the table. I don’t think the ladder is necessary. The lamps on their own would have been enough and the focal point. However, if you love it, that is what counts in the end, just my thoughts.

    1. I do not mean to be rude as you but Leslie is sharing HER style with us. She let’s us know she is not professionally trained. This is why her blog is so great. Seriously, are there rules that are not to be broken in home decor? Look up the word design and creativity. My auntie was a professionally decorator who broke every rule in the books and was very sought after. There is no perfect in any design but Leslies is close and her love of using different hues of pink is just gorgeous.

  3. I truly love your style & decor. I love this unique ladder Chandelier.
    My question did you layer the beautiful window wall collage yourself or did you purchase it like that? I’ve been wanting to create a piece like this but I have no idea how to do it. Is there glass in the windows? Please let me know I really love this piece of eye catching art❤️

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