Nesting.

This is what I have been doing, friends.

I made some lace lamps. And I wanted a crystal chandelier, so I made up how to make one.
(disclaimer: it turned out not to be much cheaper than buying one.)

I bought two wreath rings from hobby lobby and painted them silver. (You can find these in the flower arranging aisle. Roughly $3 each.) I also purchased 30 feet of fishing wire (maximum hold 30 pounds) from Walmart. The most difficult part of this project was finding crystals for a decent price. eBay and etsy are both bad choices for this. After several days of searching, the best-priced chandelier crystals came from this website.
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/

This website was the first I purchased from before I realized I would need more crystals. A lot more. I purchased 15 feet of the clear crystal garland but that was not nearly enough.

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/cr31.html

However, I found a slightly more expensive and prettier option here.

http://www.shabbyelegantdesigns.com/servlet/the-Chandelier-Crystals/Categories

This website was a relief to find. The crystals are fairly priced, and, even better, incredibly sparkly. The site also offers special discounts for crystals that are slightly flawed. I bought large teardrop crystals (25) and another 15 feet of bow-tied crystal rope. It was enough to cover my wreath hangers, but barely. Thus the expense of making your own.

Next, I hung the crystals on the wreath hangers. There are 4 wire slots on each hanger, so I alternated the crystals, being sure to mix up the two different kinds I had. The crystals are linked with bow clasps and wire, so I was able to divide them to achieve the lengths I desired. I hung the short chains on the little wreath and the long chains on the bigger wreath. I then attached the smaller wreath to the bigger one from the inside using fishing wire. This part was tricky as the crystals would slide out of position every time the wreath went off balance, so I recommend asking someone to hold it steady for you as you secure the fishing wire to 4 sides of your wreath so it can hang easily.



Voila! Hang a detachable light inside (ikea) and you've got yourself a super sparkly chandelier for about $55.

The lace lamp tutorial is here.
http://dosfamily.com/2011/01/lace-lamp/

I used an old curtain that I already had. If you want to use a bigger piece of material, be sure to cut it into the shape of small doilies to avoid bunching. My only other dilemma was being unable to find a large round balloon, as Logan does not have a party supply store. So my lamps turned out distinctly more egg-shaped. I would also recommend allowing your lamp to dry for two days before popping the balloon. These lamps were actually quite fun (and cheap!) to make, and could be a lovely party decoration replacement for paper lanterns.