Use Chicken Wire And Coffee Filters To Give A Basic Ceiling Dome Light A Funky Upgrade

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The personal touches that you add to your home can truly transform it. But sometimes that feels impossible, especially if you move into a space with built-in features you don't like. If your home has a style of lighting that may leave your house looking outdated, you don't have to tolerate it or stretch your budget to change it. In fact, you may already have the materials needed to DIY a fun 1960s-style lampshade. Bend chicken wire into a cylinder, cover it with dyed coffee filters and fringe, and use it to obscure bare bulbs or fixtures. Your houseguests will be so impressed, they won't even notice the unattractive light hiding underneath.

In her quest to cover a dome light, Instagrammer @angiecreated made a funky lampshade by repurposing leftover chicken wire and using other materials she already owned like coffee filters, paint, Mod Podge, and mason line. Chicken wire like the Laapee 23 Gauge Steel Hardware Cloth with a ½ inch mesh is a good option. The higher the gauge, the thinner the wire, so any option with a gauge of 16 and up will be easier to bend. If you're not a coffee drinker, or if you only want to use your filters for your morning brew, a simple pack like these Amazon Basics Basket Coffee Filters will only cost you a few dollars. For paint, choose an acrylic like Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint, an affordable, easy-to-clean-up option that dries quickly and comes in many colors. 

First, dye the coffee filters by dipping them into bowls of watered-down acrylic paint. Gently swirl the filters around, allowing them to absorb the liquid. Use chopsticks or small tongs to keep your fingers clean, and then lay the filters in a single layer to dry completely. In the meantime, measure the height and diameter for your lampshade, considering factors like the size of the light you're trying to cover and the length of the shade. If you have a low ceiling, make sure your project won't hang too low.

When working with chicken wire, always wear protective gear like thick gloves, goggles, and long-sleeved shirts, and use proper tools, like wire cutters. Bend the chicken wire into a cylinder, with the two edges slightly overlapping, and use needle-nose pliers to twist the wire ends together to secure the cylinder shape. Cut the dried coffee filters into strips and use Mod Podge to layer them onto the chicken wire frame.

The lampshade can be complete as it is, but you can glue on embellishments for more pizzazz and to add bold color to your home. Most craft stores sell trim and fringe by the yard, like feathery boas, lace, thick ribbon, sparkles, or tassels, in case you don't want to DIY your own. To hang up the shade, attach adhesive hooks, like these Command Clear Indoor Mini Wall Hooks, to the top row of the chicken wire, with the flat sticky side facing upward to adhere to the ceiling.