If the travelers travel through the ceiling boxes, then it's do-able, and you won't need to pull additional cable. Start by opening the ceiling boxes to make sure you have two travelers in both boxes and identify which fixture has a single switchleg connection (and which fixture box has the switchleg traveling though it). It is also common to have the Home-Run power/feeder in the ceiling.
LET'S FORGET ABOUT THE HOME-RUN HOT IN THE CEILING:
Mark the switch with the hot/power as Switch 1. Mark the other switch (with the switchleg) as Switch 2. Identify the travelers A and B.
Switch 1: Disconnect the Hot and Traveler B. Connect the Hot, Traveler B, and a pigtail together with a wirenut. Connect the pigtail to the common screw.
Switch 2: Disconnect Traveler A and cover the end with a wirenut. Exchange Traveler B with the switchleg (in other words, move Traveler B to the common screw terminal and move the switch leg to the traveler terminal).
Now, you need to decide which switch you want to control which fixture. Call Fix 1 the fixture that Switch 1 will control and Fix 2 the fixture that Switch 2 will control.
Identify the ceiling box with "two" switchlegs that connect both fixures; in this ceiling box, there will be two wires connected to the fixture-power-supply via a pigtail, or you may also find two wires connected directly to the fixture-power-supply wire. Disconnect the two switchlegs from the fixture, and identify the side connected to Switch 2. The other side of the leg is connected to the other ceiling fixture. Mark the leg attached to Switch 2 as Leg 2. Mark the other leg as, "Fix Leg"
Identify Travellers A and B. Traveler B is now the Hot for Switch 2. Traveler A will be the switchleg for Switch 1. Disconnect Traveler A. Mark the side connected to Switch 1 as Leg 1, and put a wire nut on the side of Traveller A that is going to switchBOX 2. This side of Traveler A is not being used anymore. Personally I would mark that wire as "dead" or "chicken" or "banana".
Now, it's time to employ your descision making skill. Is this ceiling box for Fixture 1 or Fixture 2?
If you are working in Fix 1, connect Leg 2 and Fix Leg together (so that Switch 2 is powering Fix 2).
OR: If you decided that this ceiling box belongs to Fix 2, then connect Leg 2 to this fixure (and don't connect Leg 2 to Fix Leg).
Now connect Leg 1 (from Switch 1) to either this fixture or Fix Leg (whichever one is left over from the previous step).
Double check your work before closing the boxes: Traveler B is now marked hot for Switch 2. The switchleg for Switch 2 was moved to a traveler terminal and should be identified as, Leg 2. Leg 2 is connected to Fix 2- does it travel through the ceiling box of Fix 1? Traveler A from Switch 1 has been marked Leg 1. Leg 1 is connected to Fix 1. Does Leg 1 travel through the box for Fix 2? The remainder of Traveler A (from which ceiling box to Switchbox 2?) is no longer in use and both ends have a wire nut.
IF YOU HAVE THE HOME-RUN HOT/FEEDER IN THE CEILING:
There are several ways to accomplish rewiring in a more expedient manner (than described in the previous directions). However, describing the intention is perhaps the simplest direction.
Each switch will need power supplied to the common terminal.
Each switch only needs one leg to supply power to one fixture.
The fixtures should not be connected, but since they are on the same circuit they may share a neutral.
Upon changing a light fixture for my gf, light was only controlled by breaker, switches had no effect. There are three pairs of wires (one black, one white) entering the light fixture box. I removed all nuts b/c they were cracked and very old, and replaced with new ones (in hindsight…stupid). The wiring is very old with this stringy stuff wrapped around the core. Probable asbestos aside, on the fully functional old (but not pretty) light, light could be turned on/off at either switch. When new light was installed, I nutted off two sets and connected a third to the light. Realizing that switches weren't working, I nutted off the the pair I had been using (all three pairs now nutted) and tried to close the breaker and test for which pair was hot, but now the breaker keeps tripping. How can I fix this? Note, haven't touched any switches, and wiring is probably consistent with 50s/60s techniques.
Best Answer
One of the pairs, the one that you originally connected to the light, are the hot and neutral from the breaker box. When you connected them together, you created a short circuit. This is why the breaker won't reset.
Probably one of the others is the switch loop, connected to the light switch on the other end. You need to identify this. If you have a ohmmeter or continuity tester, do the following: WITH THE POWER OFF, connect the meter to the wire pairs until you find the one that opens and closes with the switch. This is the switch loop.
Connect one wire of the switch loop to the hot wire from the breaker panel. Connect the other wire to the hot side of the light. Connect the neutral from the breaker box to the neutral side of the light.
The question I cannot answer is what the other pair are used for. If you fix the light but leave the third pair disconnected (put a wire nut on each wire separately), are there any other outlets or light that don't work? If yes, you probably need to connect these wires also to the hot and neutral from the breaker box. This is used to carry the electricity to the other loads.
If everything is working, just leave these wires disconnected.
Tip: next time you disconnect wires, mark them all with tape to note how they were connected. This may save you a bill for an electrician's visit.