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Rustic Glam Foyer Light

A couple of weeks ago Adam and I made this light fixture for our front porch…

DIY porch light

We actually made two that day, the second was left plain (no frosted glass or metal) and was for the entryway. I wanted the two fixtures to be the same, but different. Like fraternal light fixture twins. I was hoping that my second born light would be a little less like a tomboy, and a little more like a chandelier.

If you want a full tutorial on how to make this light, GO HERE. Here’s is the CliffsNotes version…

outdoor light fixture collage

 The first step to making my chandelier was to decide where to drill holes for the beads.

the plan

The plan was to add a bunch of dangly crystal strands and make it glamorous and amazing, but instead of looking something like this…

drum chandelier

(source)

It looked like this…

no

Weird…. and awkward…and a little like a sea creature. Like a four-sided jellyfish.

New plan – swag the beads to make it look a little more substantial (and a little less like an aquatic invertebrate).

the new plan

I skipped over the inside holes and just used the corners, swagging the short strands toward the outside and long ones in the center.

DIY chandelier attempt

It looked better, for sure…good enough to hang this time. I didn’t really like that it looked all tangled and unplanned though, and the different kinds of beads were bothering me.  I told myself “Ashley, do NOT be crazy and re-bead that thing again. It’s fine. Go finish one of the many projects in your boy’s room. “

But then I caught Adam giving it a disapproving side-eye and down it came. I’m just trying to be a good wife y’all, that’s all.

So the boys and I got to beading, again.

beading collage

Funny story – as we were working, Levi (2 years) asked me “Mommy, what are we making?”

“We’re making strands of beads to go in a light fixture.”

“A light fixture?” He asked (except it came out “a wight fisher?”). He paused for a moment and then added “for holding bugs?”

For a split second I was confused by this, then I looked up at the lights in our room. The kid was right…light fixtures in our house are for holding bugs. He’s definitely more observant than I give him credit for.

Here’s the top of the light, I used really thin wire and tied the ends together on the top (it’s all hidden so it doesn’t need to be pretty. Also, it would be a good idea to drill the hole for the bulb the correct size the first time.)

messy top

So here is round three of the foyer light adventure. This time I used all the same beads and put the longer strands on the outside.

rustic glam light

This one is the best of the three. It’s rustic, yet glamorous. It fits in at our house and still manages to add a little sparkle, which is seriously lacking around here.

DIY hall chandlier

That above photo makes it glaringly obvious that I have an abundance of right angles in my house.  That photo is a like a kids puzzle in Highlights magazine – How many squares can you find? A lot, is the answer.

beaded hall light fixture

So that is my rustic/glam foyer light. I have to admit though, I think it would look best with the all the same beads (like this version) and the strands getting longer in the center (like the second version.) I kinda want to re-do it again, but I refuse to be that crazy.

I will not take it down, I will not take it down…

Design

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19 Comments

  1. You crack me up’ because I am the same way! I think it looks great, but it know you won’t stop until you love it (as it should be…lol). I loved the story about the bugs in the light fixtures, kids keep us honest don’t they? BTW, he better not come here cause I am afraid of what he will notice ;-)

  2. Ashley – I really like your chandy-light but if i could offer one suggestion? Change out the frosted light bulb for a clear one . I’m thinking it would add that finishing touch and make the beads sparkle even more!
    PS: I luv, luv , luv, your blog ! Have gotten many ideas and inspiration from it and esp. appreciate your sensible approach to decorating and DIY projects. My husband and I are in our 50″s and have always approached our renovations/ DIY projects with the same attitude. save where we can and splurge occasionally on what matters most to us ”
    Keep insipiring:)

    1. You are right, a clear light would make a world of difference. I’ll pick one up next time I’m at the store…thanks for the suggestion!

    2. That came out darling! If you’re switching to a clear bulb (as Connie suggested), I think going with an Edison-style bulb would look amazing. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas with us!

  3. Oh how I enjoyed reading this. It cracked me up. The light fixture isn’t exactly my style, but I love your perserverence in getting it to where you want it. My favorite part was the “disapproving side-ways glance” from Adam. I could see my Bob doing the same thing. That’s some funny stuff. Thanks for sharing!

  4. Men are funny, right? Adam is a really opinionated guy (and isn’t shy about it), but when present a finished project that he hates he’ll say things like “so how do YOU like it?” That’s nice guy speak for “that thing is hideous, get it out of my house.”

  5. Your chandy is getting better with each iteration. I agree with others that an Edispn bulb would be the cherry on top.

  6. Third time lucky. That looks great, the combination works really well. I also like the way it looks old fashioned and modern at the same time. :)

  7. Oh how kids make us laugh, love it!! I really like both of those lights! The uniqueness is what draws me in and gives me inspiration for my kitchen lights. Thanks! Right now we have these horrible, halogen lights. I am not a fan of having spot lights casting shadows on my plate at the dinner table and besides, they give off a lot of heat that we sure don’t need here in the summer. Good idea you two!

  8. The light fixture is beautiful! And I love that it was a ‘family’ project, even 2 year olds can help make a house a home.

  9. I think it turned out really nice, love the touch of sparkle with the wood. But my first thought was to add a clear bulb, just as others suggested.
    My youngest is 21 and he has never lost that “telling it like it is” mentality. When at my Mom’s for dinner one night, he casually mentioned the cobwebs on her dining room chandelier.

    I just discovered your blog and have enjoyed reading through many of your DIY projects

  10. I came across this post when I did a search for DIY lights. I love the light and thought the same thing about it needing a bulb change. Would love to see it with the new bulb. Please update!

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