Doubled wax paper rounds mimic capiz shells.
Capiz shells, which are round and translucent white, add glamor and elegance to a chandelier. You can replicate a capiz shell with surprising accuracy using wax paper, which imitates the translucent nature of the shell. Sew the doubled wax paper rounds together in long columns, mimicking the columns of capiz shells that hang from genuine capiz shell chandeliers. Making a wax-paper shell chandelier, which incorporates a recycled lampshade, costs a tiny fraction of the price of a capiz shell chandelier, which retails for several thousand dollars.
Instructions
1. Remove all fabric from the old lampshade by cutting it with the scissors, leaving just the wire form.
2. Cut two 12-inch squares of waxed paper with the scissors. Sandwich the waxed paper pieces, waxy sides facing each other, between two pieces of parchment paper. Press over the papers with the iron gently to fuse the two pieces of waxed paper together.
3. Cut the waxed paper into 2-inch diameter circles with the circle cutter. Repeat the last two steps to make 240 wax-paper circles.
4. Sew through one circle of waxed paper on the sewing machine, from edge to edge through the center of the circle. Without removing the circle from the sewing machine, place another wax paper circle under the first circle, with their edges touching, and sew through it. Repeat, adding eight more circles to make a length of 10 connected wax paper circles.
5. Cut the machine bobbin and top threads to a length of 4 inches at the end of the connected length of circles.
6. Repeat the last two steps 23 more times to make 24 ten-circle lengths.
7. Tie the 10 lengths of connected wax paper circles to the small circle of the wire lampshade from the bobbin and top thread lengths. The lampshade will be attached upside down from the ceiling.
8. Tie 14 lengths of connected wax paper circles to the large circle of the wire lampshade.
9. Screw three cup hooks in the ceiling, evenly spaced around the existing light fixture, and corresponding with the size of the large circle of the lampshade frame. Hook the large circle over the cup hooks to hang the completed chandelier.
Tags: waxed paper, capiz shell, connected paper, connected paper circles, large circle, paper circles