She Completely Transforms Old Ceiling Fan Blades Into Rustic Windmill Décor

If you've ever had to replace a ceiling fan in your home, your first instinct was probably to send the old blades straight to the nearest dumpster. After all, ceiling fan blades likely aren't among the first things that come to mind when people think of items that can be upcycled. But what if you could repurpose those old ceiling fan blades into a piece of unique farmhouse-style décor? That's exactly what YouTuber and repurposing pro Sadie Seasongoods did. 

In addition to your old ceiling fan blades, all you'll need are a few pieces of cardboard, a marker, a box cutter, a floral craft ring, a rotary hand cutter, a few bolts, a drill, and spray paint. Even if you don't have a lot of DIY experience under your belt, this project is surprisingly quick and easy. With some precise measurements, you can transform old ceiling fan blades into something you can be proud to put on display in your home.

One of the best things about this DIY project is that it's affordable. According to Sadie Seasongoods, you could get everything you need for around $10. Of course, today's prices are a bit different. If you had to get everything new, including a craft ring, silver spray paint, acrylic accent paint, bolts, and wire, the cost would be closer to $25, but that's still budget-friendly for a new piece of décor. The most expensive item will probably be the craft ring; for example, here's a 10 ½-inch wood wreath form from Michaels for $9.78.

To get started, the first thing you'll want to do is remove the hardware from your ceiling fan blades. For those who want to try this project, but don't have an old ceiling fan lying around, consider looking for old blades in places like thrift stores, online buy nothing groups, or Facebook Marketplace. You can use ceiling fan blades in any shape or color, but wood blades are ideal for this project since you will eventually have to cut them.

Once the hardware has been removed, you'll need to trace the blades onto a piece of cardboard. From there, draw the shape of a windmill blade inside of the tracing and cut out your newly drawn shape. After cutting out your windmill blade template, trace that shape onto your old ceiling fan blades and cut it out. Spray paint each blade.

Sadie Seasongoods recommends using weathered silver to really give your windmill that rustic look. Keep in mind that the spray paint is what's going to give your windmill its aged appearance, so if you'd prefer a different kind of aesthetic, you can switch up the paint color. Lastly, cut the floral craft ring into quarters, and bolt your windmill blades to one of the quartered sections.

Even though the original project uses three fan blades, you can customize your windmill by using fewer blades or adding more. The blades can be personalized even further by adding something like a monogram, your family name, or an important date. If you'd prefer your windmill to be more of a statement piece, you can also make yours into a full circle by using the entire craft ring as opposed to just a quarter. Additionally, if your home doesn't have a mantel, you can mount your windmill on a wall instead.

Please note that this DIY project works best as indoor décor. Ceiling fan blades can be made out of composite woods like plywood, MDF, and particle board, which can swell and/or split when they come in contact with moisture. So if you were hoping to use this DIY to make a decorative windmill for your garden, it may not be the best fit. However, if you do want to use your DIY windmill as an outdoor decoration, you'll want to make sure you use paint that's suitable for exteriors and seal the surface to help protect it from the elements.