How to Make a Suspended Chandelier

Cut a section of the existing wire that emerges from the top of the fixture, and take the sample to the home improvement store to purchase the correct size of wire for your fixture. Buy enough wire to reach from the suspended height of the chandelier to the ceiling plus another 18 inches.

Unscrew the chandelier to locate the junction area where the arm or bulb wires connect to a single main wire. Uncap or unscrew the wire connector and separate the fixture's small wires from the main wire. Typically the small bulb wires are twisted together with the main wire, and a wire connector cap is used to join all the wires into a circuit. The cap may be covered with electrical tape.

Twist your new wire to the existing main wire tightly. Wrap the joint with electrical tape. Pull on the outside section of the existing main wire to pull it through the central pipe. As you pull the existing wire out, you will be pulling the new wire into place. When you reach the end of the new wire, use a wire stripping tool to remove the insulation 3/4 inch from the end of the wire. Twist the live wires of the fixture with the live wire of the new main wire. Secure them with a wire connector cap. If the existing wire was grounded inside the same area, attach the new wire in the same manner.

Screw the fixture back together. Add a finial loop cap to the threaded end of the lamp core pipe. The wires will emerge from the pipe and through a hole in the finial. Attach a chandelier chain the same length as your suspension wire to the loop of the finial. Weave the wire through the chain.

Turn off the electricity at the circuit breaker box to the room where you want to hang the fixture. Check the ceiling electrical box to make sure it is designed to support a suspended chandelier. The electrical box should be screwed to studs or blocking. A threaded bolt that passes through a mounting strap attaches to the electrical box to support the weight of the light fixture. Check the height of your hanging fixture. Cut your electrical wire to a length 6 inches longer than your chain.

Thread the wire through the hole in the ceiling finial and canopy. Strip the insulation off 3/4 inch of your wire ends. Twist your live wires together and secure them with a wire connector cap. Twist your ground wires together and secure them with a wire connector cap. Wrap electrical wire over the caps and the wire on either side. Tuck the wires up into the electrical box.

Press the canopy to the ceiling and screw the finial nut to the threaded pipe emerging from the electrical box. Connect the end of the chain to the loop end of the finial. The chain supports the fixture, not the electrical wires.