Photos by Andy Tullis / The BulletinA redecorated fan covered in fabric spins above the bed in this Bend bedroom. Sprucing up fan blades with fabric or paper is a fun way to add color and pattern to a room.

You either love them, or you hate them — the whirling ceiling fans found in many homes used to circulate air and add light to a room.

If yours are a bit ho-hum, or you’re installing one for the first time, why not add a bit of decorating pizazz to the ordinary woodgrain or painted blades?

Covering the blades with fabric or paper adds color and fun, without affecting the fan’s operation or balance. Using a product called Mod Podge makes the process simple, as it’s a glue, sealer and finish, all in one, and brushes clean up easily with water.

Blades can be any shape, but they need to have a flat surface to allow the fabric or paper to adhere securely.

Retrofitting

If you have an existing fan in place, remove the blades, including the mounting portion of the hardware. Remove the screws holding the metal mounting brackets in place and set both the hardware and the screws somewhere safe as they’ll be reused. Clean the blades thoroughly to remove dust, grease or oils.

New nuances

If you haven’t yet installed the ceiling fan, adding color to the blades can be done before they’re attached to the center fixture or any mounting hardware.

Cover-ups

Choose a solid or patterned fabric (or paper) that coordinates with the room and watch the colors whirl by as the fan operates.

Almost any type of fabric can be used, but flat-surface lightweight fabrics are best, though select according to the mood of the room. Perhaps a tropical print for a sunroom, a printed burlap for a den, or a light, airy voile for a little girls’ room.

You will need enough fabric to fit all of the blades on your fan — some fixtures sport two blades, others eight, so plan accordingly.

What you’ll need:

• Fabric or paper sufficient to cover all blades

• Mod Podge (glossy or matte — your choice)

• 2-inch foam brush

• Scissors

• Sharp pointed embroidery scissors

• Paper for pattern-making

• Screwdriver

• Paper or plastic to cover work surface

Getting started

Trace the fan blade onto paper to create a pattern. Trim just barely inside the drawn line, so the fabric won’t extend beyond the blade edges.

Using the pattern, cut out fabric for the number of blades needed.

With the sponge brush, evenly coat the fan blade with Mod Podge and adhere the precut covering, carefully aligning the cut edges. Smooth the covering onto the blade to remove any air bubbles. Repeat for each blade, working with only one at a time.

Allow the Mod Podge to dry thoroughly. Recoat three or four times to create a finish you like, allowing drying time between each coat and sealing the edges thoroughly.

Trim off any loose threads from fabric edges using the embroidery scissors.

Carefully poke holes in the fabric to align with the existing screw holes in the blade.

Put the blades onto the fan, showcasing the embellished side facing down.

Other blade beautifiers

If you need to spiff up fan blades, but covering them doesn’t appeal, just remove the blades and try one of these ideas:

• Spray-paint blades in a color to coordinate with the room.

•Let kids draw on blades with permanent markers.

•Decoupage a photo collage using Mod Podge.

•Use Washi tape and create matching stripes on each blade.

•Paint alternate blades in different colors.

•Adhere sticker shapes to the blades, either randomly or in a pattern.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com