How to make your own pendants

Jazz up your dining room with these stylish twine light fittings! They are so simple to make!

Step 1

Make a glue-and-starch mixture (2 parts glue: 2 parts corn starch: 1 part water) in a bowl. The measurements don’t have to be exact; you’re aiming for a paintable mixture. Mix with a spoon; you can make a big batch or mix smaller batches as you go.

Step 2

Blow up the balloons.

Step 3

Dip the twine in the mixture then wrap the balloon with it in a crisscross fashion. It’s a bit slippery to begin with but it becomes easier once you get the hang of it.

Step 4

Once the balloon is wrapped to your liking – it can be densely covered or have bigger spaces in-between.

Step 5

Reposition the twine at the base of the balloon to make a gap big enough for a light bulb to fit through.

Step 6

Use a paintbrush to paint some of the mixture over the twine.

Step 7

Hang the balloon up to dry out for 24 hours.

Step 8

Once the twine has dried completely, pierce the balloon with a pin. Remove the balloon from the inside of the pendant and any ‘skin’ that has formed between the twine.

Step 9

Insert the light fitting through the base of your pendant. Screw in the light bulb (use an energy-saving bulb that stays cool, posing no fire risk to the twine cover). Hang up the pendant.