Beads, Beads, Beads! Lighten the Room!(Under Budget)

Chiyoko Kana
by Chiyoko Kana
2 Materials
One very nice warm spring day at handcraft material shop, I saw lots of acrylic beads on discount sale. So I bought them feeling lucky, then this BBQ net I saw at dollar store made this idea in my mind. So here is how I made the lighting shade.
(Apologies for previous wrong entry as discussion, this is correction)
These are the material I purchased to make this shade.
- BBQ grill net (dollar shop) x 2
- Thick/soft aluminum wire
- Thin/soft aluminum wire
- Acrylic beads,(Lots)
- light socket with plug


And things used to make are;
- Wine bottle(or any bottles that is strong enough to bend the grill net)
- Cutting pliers(for wires)


I used an empty wine bottle to support bend the 2 nets to be semi-circle like this. Then, used the thin wire to connect these 2 together.
And let all beads ready...be careful with cats though. They love flipping plate full of small stuff like balls, beans, and beads.(and chase after scattering thing...)
I used thin wire to attach each bead, but would be better to be careful with sharp edge of wire especially if your kids want to help you. I recommend to wear goggle(for DIY work) or some kinda glasses to protect eyes from unexpected bounce of the wire. Since the shade needs to be strong enough from the heat of light, use of nylon thread or other synthetic fiber are not recommended.
This attaching each bead is featureless long work and honestly got me bored. But it was okay with TV or movies on.
Finally, this is the completed shade. Light component is attached to the bracket fixed on the wall. I have used the thick and soft wire to make top parts of shade for hanging. The reason I chose the thick/soft wire is that easy to make and adjust shape by hand.
Isn't this gorgeous?
Day and night, it shows different light throughout a day.
Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 8 questions
  • Katherine Washedai Katherine Washedai on May 31, 2017

    I Had a pendant light when I was younger that was acrylic and nylon line made like the string art from the 70s. There was a bare bulb inside. The nylon line never got hot.

  • Linda Sullivan Linda Sullivan on Jul 10, 2017

    What is a grill net?

  • Mary Mary on Apr 08, 2020

    It looks great, but. . . . . How did you make that beautiful wall? I love it!

Comments
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2 of 43 comments
  • Janice Janice on Aug 29, 2019

    Beautifully done! So pretty and colorful....amazing that you thought of bending the bbq screen. Keep sharing your ideas, please!

  • Johanne Palange Johanne Palange on May 05, 2020

    Great project, lovely effect from the colors of the beads. I love your exuberant riot of colors in the room.

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