While flipping through the pages of Lonny a few weeks ago, I came across an image of a pendant light with its cord wrapped in jute. The jute was just tied with repeating side knots so that the jute appeared to spiral around the cord. I immediately thought, I can do that! So I did:
I added a pretty clear bulb, but I never hung it up. It still looked a little bare.
I've already made jute pendant shades, so I wanted this shade to look a little different. Then one day, while digging through my craft supplies for some liquid leaf, look what I found:
So I wondered: could I make a shade out of wire? Maybe something like this:
Maybe.
So I gathered up some materials and tried my best to build a pendant light sculpture out of wire.
My guesses on supplies were: an exercise ball, all the different types of wire I could find around my house, and some pliers that also cut wire.
I started out making some giant loops out of wire, using the size of the exercise ball as a guide. Then I tried to assemble the loops into a globe, tying them together with more wire anywhere they intersected.
It was too floppy, and the wire was bent in all directions, so it looked like a mess. I stuffed it in the trash and ate some Oreos to make myself feel better.
Then I had a thought. I went back to my inspiration photos, and I noticed something about that Young House Love light. This one:
I love this light. And doesn't it look like two halves of a wire globe put together? Do I have anything like that?
Do those look a little like wire plant hangers, maybe?
I dug a couple of plant hangers out of my garage, and I removed that bird nest looking stuff from inside them and the chains they were hanging from. I put the two halves together with some wire, stuck my light inside (I switched back to a frosted bulb, because the clear one was blinding with just the wire!), and I ended up with this:
Hmm. I like it! I don't love it, though. It's a lot smaller than what I wanted. But it was free, since I used things I already had around my house, and it provides more light in the dressing room, which I needed. And I really do like it. The wire is sturdy and the pattern is a lot fancier than anything I could have made. It's really a perfect smaller version of what I wanted. I just wish it was bigger.
But, if you're looking for the easiest possible way to get a cheap wire pendant, and you don't mind it being a little smaller than the YHL light, the plant hanger plan works pretty well. I've thought about taking the light out and spray painting the wire part a fun color, or maybe black, so all the wire would match.
So what do you think? Have you made anything for your home lately?
I just adore your blog. It's so inspirational! I'm nominated you for a Liebster Award! Visit http://www.a-single-frame.com/liebster-award/ to find out more! Happy Blogging!!!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, thank you so much! I love your blog, too! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the nomination!
DeleteI LIKE IT!!!!!!!!! Creative and resourceful!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! You just have to use what you have!
DeleteI really like it! I've been looking for a good tutorial so I think I might try this too, thanks!
ReplyDeleteEmily
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