What to do with old ceiling fan blades
Our girl’s bedroom ceiling fans were getting along in years and we were ready for a change. As per usual, I had modified the fan blades when our kids were infants/toddlers and hand-painted lovely little flowers and butterflies on them. These small maternal touches now lay hidden on the backside of the fan blades which now serve a much more mature purpose…holding our iced tea glasses. Yes, I realize this is technically called a wine glass rack which is the ideal organizational device for wine drinkers. But, seeing we prefer southern sweet tea in this house, it proudly holds our official stemmed ice tea glasses.
Disassembling the fan to make a wine glass rack from ceiling fan blades
I began by unscrewing the fan blades and gently removing all the hardware. Next, a thorough cleaning was in order. Nothing a little liquid dish soap, vinegar, and water can’t handle. Once all cleaned up, two hard decisions were upon me. Number one…What in the world will become of these blades? Number two…Can I bring myself to remove and or paint over the lovingly applied wildlife so tenderly crafted while my babies slept?
Inspiration to make a wine glass rack from ceiling fan blades
The answers come many weeks later. My beautiful iced tea glasses were far too fine a thing to stuff inside a kitchen shelf. No, these delightful beauties deserved a place of honor. A place where a shuffling of coffee mugs or overturned bowl would not threaten to strike out a dozen gleaming southern nectar vessels. A place fit for cups intended to hold a priceless commodity, like a carefully curated vintage wine, or better yet a golden brewed, sugary, liquid of the gods, gingerly poured over an abundance of ice cubes. Yes! A wine or iced tea glass rack was born.
As to question 2, nope! The cuteness was left in place but hidden away as ou little secret. Shhhh. Don’t tell. We wouldn’t want people to think we are sentimental or something 🙂
How I assembled the fan blades for a wine glass rack
Using five ceiling blades with space between each, I can comfortably accommodate 8 glasses. My tea glasses are rather large in diameter like these. I’m sure smaller glasses would hang safely in sets of three per row. Next, I needed something to add a little space between the bottom of the cabinet and the blades. I bought a thin piece of traditionally patterned trim from our local hardware store and went to work. Each blade was to have a piece of the trim at the front and back. I cut a straight edge at each end of the blades to make them flush with the wall and cabinet. Next, I simply screwed and wood glued everything in and gave it a nice coat of primer. I added two coats of paint to match the cabinets and viola, a rack fit for a tea..glass…set…?
Has the wine glass rack made from ceiling fan blades stood the test of time
We have used and used that rack for some ten or more years now. It looks as good now as it did when I first put it together. I wish I could say the same for all of the tea glasses. A few of those beauties were dropped on the hardwood floor. Such is life. Of course, the color of the rack has changed a few times with each kitchen update. It has held strong through it all. I even had an artist friend comment on how this upcycled piece is his favorite. Not too shabby for an old cutesy ceiling fan!
Hidden Gems
I enjoy having little secrets such as the hand-painted flowers and butterflies hidden on our fancy wine rack. I’m sure to uncover more of these hidden gems in future blogs. They’re things only we see, or know about that give us warm and fuzzies. I guess someday, once we leave this earth, it will make another family scratch their heads and giggle. Oh well. Life is too short to be serious all the time! Until next time, keep a little goofy in your life 🙂
~Lora Lea
