she’s crafty: ugly ceiling fan

So, when we purchased our condo last July, my husband and I thought the finishings were amazing. We got really lucky with a bunch of things. There was just one thing I couldn’t stand: the ugly ceiling fan.

Maybe I over reacted a bit. It’s not hideous, it was just so plain. So, I did some research, and found a super easy way to improve on my bland fixture.

Here’s the original (BORING!):

Harbor Breeze Ceiling Fan

While I could have used contact paper, which already has an adhesive back, I opted for a slightly more labor intensive option, and purchased some really beautiful paper from Paper Source with images of antique postcards on it called the Cavallini Paris Postcards Wrapping Paper.

I removed the blades from the fan, which was surprisingly easy. A small ladder and a screwdriver did the trick in just a few minutes.

Once I removed the blades, I measured the blades on the paper, turned them back-side up, and traced the blade shape on the page.

After cutting the shape around the blade, I coated the back of the paper with Mod Podge to get it to stick.

After letting the backing dry a bit, I placed heavy books on top of the blade, and then repeated the process for all of the fan blades.

The drying process took about a day. Placing heavy objects on top of the blades was super important, otherwise the paper bubbled a bit. After they all dried, I applied Mod Podge over the top of the paper, and let it dry for another day.

Then I got back on the ladder and screwed them back into the fan itself. It was a fairly simple, fairly inexpensive project, and it made all the difference!

6 months later, and the paper hasn’t come loose or shown any signs of wear.

Doing DIY projects around the house makes me so happy, because every time I sit on the couch to relax, I look up or across the room and smile because I’m proud of what I did.