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Update Your Ceiling Fan

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Category: Home Decor

If your ceiling fan looks drab or neglected, think twice before you get rid of it. Consider it an opportunity to give something in your home a fresh update. Here, Carter Oosterhouse uses paint and other decorative elements to restore the blades of an old fan and give them new life.

Step 1
Remove the blades from your fan. For a kid's room, spray paint the blade silver and the tip red. Then take a stencil and spray paint white letters and numbers on it so it looks like a military airplane propeller.

Step 2
For a college student or adult room, create a gradient effect by spray painting the blade blue (or any other color) and then using white spray paint to give it an ombre treatment.

Step 3
For a modern look, use painters' tape to make a diamond shape. Use an S-hook to hold up the blade while you spray it white. Remove the tape when dry.

Step 4
For an elegant look, paint your blades olive. Once dry, tape a stencil down at the bottom of the blade. Spray the stencil yellow. Let it dry for 3-5 minutes and remove.

Items You'll Need for this GMC Trade Secret

  • Ceiling fan blades
  • Painters' tape
  • Spray paint
  • Stencils

More Trade Secrets

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14 Comments

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Tom

I painted two different ceiling fans and they came out fantastic with no wobble. I am far from a skilled handyperson, but simply took the blades off and reinstalled them after the paint and no issues whatsoever.
I not only painted the blades, but took the housing cover off and painted that as well. Several people thought I bought a new fan!

March 20 2013 at 11:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lynda

Love the propeller look for a boys room or dorm room. All fans are so ugly...........
no matter how much they cost, but sometimes you need them to move the air around a house, especially if you have no AC. This is cute for a kids room.....or game room. In the living room, bedroom or kitchen, I would NOT call attention to a fan. In fact, I'd make sure it was the smalles, sparest, most minimal, and least noticeable fan I could buy to do the job.

March 20 2013 at 11:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
colemaryj

I am a designer and I must say the ceiling fans and the hanging planter are simply awful. The concepts are good, but wow! Not pretty. He's pretty! I could hang him on my wall.

March 20 2013 at 9:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to colemaryj's comment
traceytwo

Completely agree with you!!! Also that would be so darn distracting when rotating!

March 20 2013 at 10:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Linda

After you take the blades down. paint them or whatever, is it difficult to get the blades BALANCED when you put them back up? Something makes me think this could be tricky. They DO have to be balanced or the fan will wobble when running.

March 20 2013 at 7:42 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
4 replies to Linda's comment
GEORGEANN

OUTSTANDING SUGGESTIONS CARTER. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN! - Georgeann ;-)

March 20 2013 at 3:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kristie

Love this idea, also it looks easy to do. I'm not sure where to find stencils, but will start looking.

January 05 2013 at 10:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Kristie's comment
jagwire99

Kristie , you can make your own stencils. Unique and personal. just check out any craft store for knife and stencil paper...

March 20 2013 at 8:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bev

Hi.....
That is such a great idea! We have painted the blades for a lot of years, but have never thought to use stencils or tape..... Thank you for the tip.
Bev

December 05 2012 at 5:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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