How to Repaint a Painted Chandelier

Unscrew and remove all light bulbs. Remove crystals, if any, by using needle-nose pliers to bend their hanging wires open. Lay out any crystals in their existing pattern to make reassembling the chandelier easier.

If the chandelier is dirty or dusty, gently wipe it clean with a damp cloth and allow it to dry. Crinkle up pieces of paper towel and place them inside each light socket to keep paint from settling into the sockets.

Check your chandelier for peeling paint. If the previous paint job did not adhere well, rub off any loose paint with a soft cloth. Place the chandelier on the drop cloth outdoors or in a well-vented garage or workroom, or suspend it from a rafter or a ladder over the drop cloth. Assuming the chandelier is metal, spray it with metal primer from all angles so that the entire chandelier is covered. If your chandelier is made of wood or some other material, use a primer appropriate for its material. No matter what primer you use, spray on a light coat and let it dry about two hours. Repeat with another light coat.

If the existing paint job has adhered well and is in good shape, skip this step.

Apply a light coat of spray enamel in your desired color, keeping the chandelier in its location either on top of or suspended over the drop cloth. Spray on several light coats from all angles, allowing each coat to dry completely before applying another. Dry time typically is around two hours per coat. For best results, follow the paint manufacturer's drying instructions.

Remove the paper towels from the light sockets and replace the light bulbs. Replace any crystals, following the laid-out pattern, using needle-nose pliers to pinch the hanging wires closed.