{create} capiz shell pendant (chandelier)

Have you guys heard about the Pinterest Challenge that Sherry from Young House Love and Katie from Bower Power are hosting today? 

I've been so excited for this party. You see, these ladies had the brilliant idea to challenge people to actually MAKE one of the many projects they've tagged in their Pinterest account. I, for one, have sooooo many projects in my *to make* file, that I didn't even know where to begin (are you following me on Pinterest? I'm here!) But this weekend I settled on a capiz pendant.

A little history: Chris and I have eyed the gorgeous capiz shell pendant at West Elm more times than I can count. Because, it's gorgeous, no?

So, when I saw a knock off one day on Pinterest, of course I repinned it. The knock off, friends, came from the Freshly Picked blog, and she constructed a capiz shell chandelier solely out of wax paper, thread and a lamp shade. Oh. YES. And friends when those three materials come together, gorgeousness such as this ensues:

And, a close up:

It's current home is in our eating area/nook:

 

I love that it adds a touch of glamour to the space. Especially next to the rustic farm table. The juxtaposition is awesome.

Previously, there was ceiling fan in the space. Chris was crazy ambitious yesterday and got the fan down before pictures, but trust me when I say, there was nothing to look like. In fact, here's a before:

It doesn't even matter that the fan isn't in the photo, because you couldn't see it when you were looking at the nook. The door way to the nook completely hid the fan from view. Not bad. Just boring. 

Now, from the kitchen, and even the living room, you can clearly see the light in all it's glory.

I'll be posting a tutorial next time. It's not hard, just a little involved, and I want to make sure I get all the steps down correctly for you. 

Updated 8/4/11: I've written a tutorial for creating your own capiz shell pendant (chandelier), and you can find it here.

In the meantime, head over to Young House Love, Bower Power, and Making A House A Home to check out all the other awesome Pinterest projects! And start pinning for your own inspiration boards :).