The woman wanted a stylish chandelier for the covered patio in her yard, but every time she visited lighting stores, she ran into the same problem.
The affordable fixtures looked flimsy and cheaply made, while the truly beautiful ones came with shocking price tags. Some rustic-style chandeliers she liked cost over $10,000, and she simply couldn’t justify spending that much.
Then one day, while browsing through a lighting store, she spotted an idea that instantly inspired her.
The display featured rustic wooden chandeliers with unusual lampshades hanging from lacquered boards. That’s when she realized:
—I can make this myself.
Instead of buying an expensive designer light fixture, she went behind the shed in her yard and found an old wooden board that looked perfect for the project. Then she grabbed several large glass jars with lids and decided to turn them into stylish hanging lamp shades.
Best of all, most of the electrical parts were already lying around at home, meaning the project would cost almost nothing.
To start, she cut the board down to about 70 centimeters in length.
Next came the transformation.
Using a blowtorch, she carefully burned the surface of the wood until the top layer became charred and dark. In some places, the board even started smoking slightly.
Afterward, she brushed away the burnt layer using a metal brush. The process revealed the natural grain of the wood, leaving behind a rough rustic texture with beautiful deep brown tones.
Her husband then drilled three holes through the board for the electrical wires.
They also drilled holes into the jar lids — not only for the wiring, but also small ventilation openings.
Next, the sockets and wires were assembled and connected inside the lids. Everything was carefully insulated before the lids were attached to the jars.
To hang the chandelier, metal screw hooks were installed into the corners of the wooden board. Four matching chains were then attached to suspend the entire structure from the patio ceiling.
Finally, the large glass jars were screwed directly into the mounted lids, creating unique industrial-style lamp shades with plenty of room for the bulbs inside.
When the finished chandelier was finally hung beneath the patio roof, it looked like something straight out of a trendy rustic café or designer farmhouse.
And the best part?
She created the entire thing almost for free.
