Have you ever wanted a unique decoration everyone will admire? This floral light fixture is incredibly easy to make. So many decorations like this one cost tons of money, but you can make it from a bunch of materials you have laying around the house. Perfect for people of any age, this light fixture will make a great gift and an even better addition to your own home.

Step 1: Gathering Supplies

For this floral light fixture, you will need:

• A short strand of clear Christmas lights. You can use colored lights for a holiday-style light fixture.
• Two bouquets of fake (fabric) flowers. You can choose any color or any kind of flower. Having an assortment of sizes, colors, or styles always works to make the decoration more interesting. If you use small flowers, you will need to buy more bouquets of them. Pick a color that will not clash too badly with the color of the cord of the Christmas lights (usually green).
• Two pounds of glass beads of any color. Make sure they work well with the color of flowers you choose. Get the medium size.
• A large glass bowl. You can use an old fish bowl or even an old vase, but make sure it is clear.
• Scissors. Make sure they are sharp enough and strong enough to cut through the stems of the fake flowers.

These supplies are available at any craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Joann. Places like Wal-Mart and Target usually stock these items too.

Step 2: Preparing the Flowers

CUT the flowers off of their stems. Usually, they have a short white part that connects them to the stem, and you want to cut on that part, just below the “bulb.” Do not cut too close to the fabric flower or the flower will fall apart. If you want, you can cut the leaves off too and use them in the light fixture. However, do not use too many of them or will they overpower the flowers.

Once you have cut all of the flowers and/or leaves of the stems, mix them together to get a good variety with each handful you will use.

Step 3: Checking the Lights

PLUG in the strand of Christmas lights to make sure it does not have a dead spot in the middle. If it does, you usually only have to tighten the bulbs.

Step 4: Starting the Project

PLACE about a foot of the strand of lights at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure you are using the correct end of the strand (the one without the plug). Fix the strand in a circular pattern so the lights are placed around the edge of the inside of the bowl.

Step 5: Weighing the Lighting Down

POUR two handfuls of the glass beads onto the Christmas light strand. This will weigh the strand down so it does not move or slide when you lift the light fixture. The beads also reflect the light, which gives it a nice extra dazzle.

Step 6: Decorating the Lights

SPRINKLE flowers in over the lights and glass beads. You can use as many as you want; I usually use a couple of handfuls, or enough to cover the cord of the lights.

Step 7: Arranging the Decoration

PLACE the flowers around the cord. Also, fix the flowers so they are facing the outside. Make sure at least some of the small lights are poking through the flowers and resting against the inside of the clear bowl so the lighting is not too dim once you are all finished. Of course, be sure to leave some flowers in the middle of the bowl as well. You want to have even layers of all three materials.

Step 8: Repeating the Process

8A: PLACE the next couple of feet of the strand of lights in the bowl on top on the first layer of flowers, beads, and lights. You will want to use more lights this time because the middle section of the bowl is the widest part. Therefore, it requires more lights and flowers. This time, you can weave the lights in any way you want; they do not all have to touch the outside of the bowl. In the middle of the bowl, the lights will be able to shine through the top of the layers as well, and not just on the sides.

8B: POUR more of the glass beads over the lights. Do not use as many beads this time. If you use too many, they will sink to the bottom, and they will push the lights down too far, thus crushing the flowers.

8C: SPRINKLE flowers over the strand of lights and glass beads once again. Use more than you find necessary, because once you get to the top of the bowl, you will realize that the lights and beads weigh the flowers down. Fix the flowers around the lights the way you want them like you did the first time.

8D: This time, POUR more of the glass beads on the flowers. Now they are mostly for decorative effect, not to set the flowers or lights in place.

Step 9: Repeating the Process... One Last Time

9A: PLACE the next foot of the strand of the lights in the bowl on top of the second layer of flowers, beads, and lights. Make sure you leave enough of the strand out of the bowl so you can easily plug it into an outlet wherever you want. Do not use as long a section of lights as you did the second time; the top of the bowl is the smallest part. As you did with the first layer, fix the lights so they are in a circle around the inside of the bowl. You do not want the cord or the lights visible from the top of the light fixture.

9B: POUR a few more glass beads over the lights (JUST a few).

9C: OVERFLOW the bowl with flowers, and, once more, fix them so they look how you want them to look.

9D: POUR the rest of the beads evenly over the flowers. They will weigh the flowers and lights down so the bowl is no longer overflowing.