Crafty Birdcage Light from Hell

Originally inspired by Restoration Hardware’s chandeliers inside gigantic birdcages, oh my goodness, I began to see the birdcage light as a must try. And try I did. And try again. This is my step by step story.

1. Found the birdcage at antiques mall for $5. Then I dug the shade and lamp kit out of closet/box/drawer.
2. Put together. Something’s up.
3. Fix loose rocker switch on cord.
4. Light’s too bright. Take it all apart to put 40 watt appliance light bulb in. Still too white/bright.
5. Fashion paper sleeve to go up inside in a parchment color to filter light. Take slightly apart to shove that inside.
6. Muster courage to hang it from ceiling in corner where I’d been eying it to go.
7. Set up ladder. Stand on ladder. Feel ladder begin to fall forward. Jump off ladder and watch ladder knock down cage and plant and guitars in corner. Curse myself for not checking those pesky metal sidearms were locked.
8. Retrieved the dust pan, cleaned the dirt up, apologized to the plant, and reassembled the bird’s nest and even more broken robin’s eggs.
9. Hung it back up and turned it back on and the light bulb did a strobe thing before it blew again.
10. Went to the store to buy another 40 watt appliance light bulb. Came back, said a prayer, screwed it in, and it worked.

With a clear conscience I can say don’t try this at home. Or give up before the ladder incident. I’d like to say it was all worth it but really it wasn’t. The lamp is a way cool project. Love the concept, hate the application. But I’ll also give myself the perseverance award. The old me would a let that thing fester in a closet somewhere for all eternity after step number four. So yay me.