How to Make a Linear Chandelier

Choose a place for your linear chandelier. They look charming over tables, kitchen islands and dangling from porch roofs.

Measure the length of your wire planting basket. Available at gardening stores, you can get rectangular, filigree baskets in a number of sizes. Any rectangle longer than it is wide works for a linear chandelier.

Mark your ceiling over the ceiling joists with two dots spaced the length of your basket. For instance, if your basket is 2 feet long, your dots must be 2 feet apart. Drill into both dots with a 1/8-inch-diameter drill bit. Find joists by knocking on the ceiling; the joists will make a solid thud, not a hollow sound.

Twist one 1/4-inch-diameter eye hook into each hole. Eye hooks are thick, metal hooks meant to hold heavy objects. Twist until the hook of each eye is flush with the ceiling. Seating hooks in ceiling joists prevents the hooks from falling.

Cut two pieces of chain with bull cutters to about 2 1/2 times the length you want the chandelier to be from the ceiling. For instance, if you want your chandelier to hang 3 feet from the ceiling, cut your chains 6 1/2 feet long.

Slip a black S hook onto either end of each chain. Slip the S hooks onto the corners of your wire basket.

Fill the wire basket with white or cream pillar candles. You may use battery-powered candles to avoid mess or use real candles for a natural ambience.

Grip each chain in the center and loop the center link of each over an eye hook. The chains should form triangles at either end of the chandelier.