My New Ceiling Fan: I did it myself!

Four years ago we bought our home. It was a complete fixer upper. Though we’ve fixed the major stuff, we still have plenty of little projects to keep us busy for the next 20 years.

One of the projects I’ve wanted to tackle from Day One is the ceiling fan in the dining room. It’s old. It’s outdated. It’s ugly. And it’s filthy…the kind of filth that just won’t come off, no matter how hard you scrub. See what I mean?

Like most work-from-home, homeschooling moms, I don’t have a lot of extra cash laying around, so I try to do projects on my own as much as possible. Installing a ceiling fan was no exception. I wasn’t about to pay someone to do the job, but I must admit, working with electricity freaks me out.

But, a Walmart Projects Made Simple video came to my rescue. This guy makes installing a ceiling fan look like a piece of cake!

Is it really that easy? I decided to purchase a ceiling fan, follow the instructions from the Projects Made Simple video, and give it a try. Here’s what I thought, when it was all said and done.

Email readers: Click through to see videos.

It really wasn’t that hard at all! I loved the visual assistance I received from the video. You’ve all seen standard assembly instructions. They look like this.

Even though everything is labeled, it’s still hard to tell which wire goes where, when the instructions are tiny and in black and white. After watching the video, I was confident in my DIY wiring job. And several times I found I didn’t quite understand the written instructions that came with the fan, so I watched the corresponding instructions in the video to clarify things.

And the video did clarify things! When I flipped the power back on at the breaker box, I held my breath, hoping nothing would explode or catch on fire. I nervously flipped the light switch to the on position, and my ceiling fan light came on, and the blades started to turn. Ceiling fan success!

So, if you need to install a ceiling fan, don’t assume that you can’t do it. Watch the Projects Made Simple video and give it a try. If I can do it, anyone can.

As for me, I LOVE my new ceiling fan! It really makes our dining area look up to date. And I think I’m addicted to Projects Made Simple videos. Besides this project, I’ve used the Walmart videos to teach me how to paint a whiteboard door and install a water filter.

And I’m already thinking ahead to my next projects. All of my light fixtures are outdated, so I’d love to replace them. And we have a floodlight outside that I’d really like to replace with a motion sensor light. Look at me! After one ceiling fan replacement, I’m ready to rewire my entire house! Watch out, Tim the Tool Man. There’s a new handywoman in town!