Hey friends,
I cannot begin to describe how excited I am that I finally have light in my living room. Ok, that makes me sound like a cave woman, let me explain. I bought an older home (over 100 years old, actually) which means it has it’s special quirks. One of those quirks is that there are no light fixtures anywhere in the space. I’ve made do with floor and table lamps, but I wanted something a bit more permanent. I have great built ins on both sides of my fireplace and knew it was the perfect placement for some pendants.
I began by researching what I wanted it to look like. I loved this gem shape but wanted the bulb to be exposed. I thought the second option was headed in the right direction, but felt that an “inner gem” may be too overwhelming. Melding the two? Perfect.
Paper straws are awesome for a number of reasons and I love the colors and patterns that are available, but for this project I wanted an easy work surface. I picked up these packages of 25 plain cardboard colored straws at Hobby Lobby.
The straws are roughly 8″ in length and you will need eighteen of them. Take six of them and set aside, these are your B pieces. Take another six and cut off 1 1/2″, this will create pieces A and C. Take the remaining six and cut off 3″, creating pieces D and E.
To create the sides of your light, take some jewelry wire and string together in this order: D, E, C, B, A, B, back through C, E and tie together. Once you have three finished sides, string together the remaining pieces: D, C, and A with the finished sides.
To create my “canopy” I had random pieces of wood lying around that I used. Measure accordingly to create a box.
On two of your side pieces, attach an L bracket. This is how I mounted it to my ceiling.
Assemble your box and drill a hole in the base and the back for the wire to go through.
I’ve been on a gold kick lately (which is surprising because I used to loathe it) so naturally I painted the canopy and shade gold. I think it really compliments my color scheme.
I used the Make-A-Lamp Kit to wire my light. The instructions are super simple.
To be honest I’m not crazy about the canopy up close, but from a distance it looks good. I do plan to (a long way down the line) hardwire some pendants and cans in my living room, but I really do love how they turned out.
The parties I’m linking to are Pin Junkie Pin Party, Crafty Friday, Simple and Sweet Fridays, I’m Lovin’ It, Work It Wednesday, The Inspiration Gallery, Show and Tell, The Creative Collection, Show Me Saturday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, That DIY Party, Monday Funday, Inspiration Monday, Mad Skills, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Plucky’s Second Thought, Pretty Preppy Party, Making Monday, Tutorials & Tips, Do Tell Tuesday, Merry Monday, The Makers, The Inspiration Board, Inspire Me Monday, Tip Me Tuesday, Fabulous Party, Wow Us Wednesday , Totally Terrific Tuesday, Whimsy Wednesdays, and Best of the Nest.
dude, that is awesome. saw your project featured on work it weds and had to give you some kudos.
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the cape on the corner recently posted…The Art of the Brick
Thank you so much, friend! Glad you stopped by!
XO, Chelc
This is fantastic!! What a neat idea! LOVE it!
Thanks for joining the Link Up this week and please don’t forget to enter to win a $5 Starbucks Giftcard!
Jess recently posted…Link Up #75 and a $5 Starbucks Giftcard Giveaway!
Oh, thanks a lot, Jess!
XO, Chelc
Standing ovation–this is absolutely amazing! Thanks for linking it up to the Pretty Preppy Party. Pinned for the world to know! :)
Christy @ 11 Magnolia Lane recently posted…How to Put an “11ML” App Icon on Your iPhone
Wow, thanks so much, Christy!
XO, Chelc
Woah this is amazingly awesome!!
Agy recently posted…Fix It Friday – How I Fixed My Birks
Thanks so much, Agy!
XO, Chelc
this is fabulous! love the look and i love the modern lines and more rustic base!
Thank you so much, Cassie!
XO, Chelc
This is such a cool idea! You got such a beautiful shape out of the simple materials. Nice job!
Naomi @ Plaster & Disaster recently posted…What NOT To Do When Painting Doors and Hardware
Thank you so much, Naomi! I’m so happy with how it turned out.
XO, Chelc
Wow Chelc, this is so impressive!! What a clever idea, you’d never know it was made from straws! Thanks for sharing at Best of the Nest!
Pam @ Simple Details recently posted…Best of the Nest Link Party ~ March
Thanks so much, Pam! I’m so happy with how it turned out!
XO, Chelc
I think this is so neat, but I don’t think I have enough patience for this…lol. Great job! Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday, you’re one of my features this week. Hope to see you again.
Erlene recently posted…Merry Monday Link Party #47
Wow, thanks so much, Erlene! The most time consuming part was creating the box for the canopy, but it seemed to fly by!
XO, Chelc
What a great project, I love it. #TTTParty
Thank you so much, Fabiola!
XO, Chelc
Love this! We have a plethora of flush-mounts that we need to replace and I love this idea! Just stopped over from the link up! Love your blog!
Oh, thank you so much, Annie! You’re too sweet! They’re so simple to create but they make a HUGE impact!
XO, Chelc
Oh, I love this idea! Such a great way to make a statement :) Inviting you to share some posts with our Link Up Party – Idea Box:
http://milaslittlethings.com/2015/07/idea-box-thursday-link-party-21.html
xx
Mila
Mila recently posted…Summer in the garden – roundup
Thanks so much, I will be sure to check it out!
XO, Chelc
WOW that is so cool that you made that! You’re a DIY BADASS! I’ve been in the “older house no light” situation before too, but it never occurred to me to craft my own solution…. *inspired*
Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom recently posted…FREE and FUN Friday Linky Blog Hop Party! Link-Up Humor, Smile-Worthy Posts, Giveaways, Free Stuff, and more!
Haha, thanks, Sarah! Never been called a “badass” before. :) I knew I had to do something when I moved in and I love the look it gives. Glad you found some inspiration!
XO, Chelc
How freakin cool it this project?? Waaay cool and I’m taking notes. This is a great DIY project that won’t break the bank and give you a plush looking lighting fixture. I’m all over this one!