Crafty Woman: Flight Chandelier

Lighting is such an important aspect of interior design and décor that I wonder how so many people manage to neglect it so. The right light bulb(s), the perfect fixture and an ideal location make for a happier and more productive environment.

I usually use a bunch of lamps around my room but I also have a standard ceiling fixture that I wanted to make the most of. I really do love the classic crystal chandeliers out there but I was hoping to make something a bit more in line with the whimsical and crafty character of my room. So, voilà!

I had been seeing some gorgeous paper plane mobiles around Pinterest and Etsy but it was only when my friend suggested it, did I realize this could be translated into a chandelier! And it was actually really simple to create:

1. Cut out a whole lot of different sized rectangles from parchment paper (I think I used almost 100 to cover a 12" wide fixture! But it didn't take more than a couple hours of folding in front of New Girl to get to this.). I wanted two different styles and sizes so I cut about half my pieces at 10cm x 10 cm and the others at 15cm x 10cm.

2. Then I folded the smaller pieces according to this basic style, for narrow planes. And the wider ones were done according to this tutorial.

4. I used Weldbond to put a dot of glue on on the main fold of each plane to just help hold it together.

5. I strung each plane by alternating styles with about 4 planes on each string. You can use white string (like I did) or fishing line—either should be fine! Just double knot the end of each string and thread through the planes with a needle.

6. Lastly, I just hung all these strings from the frame of my standard ceiling fixture, adjusting the height of each string by eyeballing it before tying the knot at the top to secure each string.

And there! An easy and fun little chandelier-thing to brighten up your room. I used parchment paper planes because I love travel and the translucent paper worked best for my room. But you could use pastel tissue paper flowers, origami boats and cranes or maps folded into planes—anything really! It's such a versatile craft so…no excuse for a desolate standard light fixture!

—Sabbie