Today is the first of a new DIY series. I really love blogging and being creative, so I'm excited to start DIY Wednesday... even if it will make subsequent weeks a bit busier.

Today's DIY is a torn fabric chandelier. This piece looks really cool in person, and I wish I was better at wide angle/lifestyle photography, so you could get a better feel for it. This is a very simple project and doesn't require any special skills nor equipment. Mia even helped for most of it, as you will see in the photos.

So, here is what you need:
-old lamp shade {I bought mine at Goodwill for $1.99}
-1-1.5 yards muslin or fabric of choice
-twine, floral wire or fishing line
-light kit {optional}

tools:
glue gun
scissors

So, here is what I started with. I used muslin because I had a bolt in the studio. However, a stone dupioni silk would be gorgeous or even a pattern would be fun.

First step, tear all the material off of the lap shade, like this:

Next, tear your fabric into 1" strips. Make sure the length is enough to tie to the top of the shade with about 6 inches over hang. Then, start tying away. Also, if you prefer a modern, cleaner look to a shabby chic one, you could cut rather than tear the strips and glue rather than tie them to the top.

Here we are with all the strips tied around the shade:

Mia was my helper through this whole project.

Next you want to fire up that glue gun. Flip the shade so it's upside down and start gluing the strips flat against the shade. When you are all completed it will look like this:

Sorry, I didn't take a photo of this final step, but what you want to do is trim the overhang of fabric strips right to the edge of the shade, so it's nice and even. Also trim any loose threads because they could pose as a fire hazard if you use a light kit. Finally, take your left over strips {which should be about 3-5 inches in length} and glue them to the inside of the shade {the same part where the knots are. Trim the strips to staggered lengths. Hang the shade with either twine or fishing line, and {if desired} finish with a light kit. It would look cute with or without a light and would be charming in pink in a little girls room, maybe with a few little felt flowers attached to it.

And, here you are. Fun and very inexpensive chandelier, which can be made in about an hour!