DIY: Brass Urchin Light Fixture

I have hacked this light in my head so many times!  

Ever since I first laid eyes on C. Jere's mid-century beauty I knew I would have to figure out how to make one (because there is no way I could afford the real deal).  

I just finished prototype #1.

So here she is on my guest room ceiling:

 This is how I did it.  

I took this fixture from my parent's house when they were swapping out lights.  It is actually really common and this base was hidden by an ugly stain glass bowl.

I liked the simple sputnik like arms and I knew it had hacking potential so it went to the hoard.

After many failed attempts with styrofoam balls I turned to Sculpey clay.

(any clay you can bake to harden will work)

This is also good for making little urchin sculptures.

I rolled out a ball the size of an apple:

 cut it in half:

 jammed a pencil through both sides:

 I took my fixture apart and jammed the center rods through:

UPDATE!!!

Robin gave me a fantastic and much safer option to teh wooden skewers.

'Insulation Supports'

They are 13-14 gauge wire that comes in various lengths. Packs of 100 cost $12.99, and they won't catch on fire if it gets too close to a bulb.  Basically metal skewers.

Paint them up & carry on...

 Then I took wooden kabob skewers insulation supports in various lengths (the kind you find in a grocery store) and jammed them into the lower half portion of the light...

(lots of jamming going on)

 this is the part you will see from the bottom when you will be looking up at the light:

 I pulled all the kabob skewers insulation supports out:

 and started doing the same thing for the upper half.  

Make sure when you do this upper half you leave clearance for the ceiling and light bulbs 

(if they are close).

Once you are done, pull the kabob skewers insulation supports and bake them on the rods for time listed on the package. (If you have a giant oven and can leave the insulation supports in, do so.)

Mine was 45 minutes at 275 degrees.

 I then sprayed the kabob skewers insulation supports gold:

 Let the clay cool, and then spray that too.

Reassemble your fixture.

 You can start reinserting your kabob skewers insulation supports, but I found it easier to do once the fixture was installed.

 I dipped the end of the kabob skewers insulation supports in Liquid Nails before inserting it into the dry clay center.

I slide the lower clay half up the rod closer to the bulbs and affixed with glue.

(Use tape to hold in place and keep from sliding down until dry.

Then BAM!

My cheap Brass Urchin Light.

I will keep you posted on how well it hold together 

and take some better pictures of the room once it's done.  

(remember, this is the junk drawer room- so below this light is pretty horrifying)

Happy Weekend!