YOU WILL NEED

Foundry Cage Light

Light Cord Set

Scallops (approximately 12-15)

Wire cutters

Tape measure

Fine gauge wire

Drill with small drill bit

A piece of timber to drill into

Wall hook or ceiling hook (Atelier Ceiling Hook or Paris Hook)

TIPS & TRICKS

Ask your local fishmonger or seafood retailer if they are able to save scallop shells for you to collect. Don’t be deterred to save your scallop or oyster shells after a feast to be used for a similar light.

STEPS

Step 1.

Measure the shells. When working with the Foundry Cage, I look for shells that are approx. 10-12cm in length. It’ll be best to have some spare in case any break or chip while drilling into them

Step 2. 

Get your drill with a small drill bit and a piece of wood to use as backing to drill into. 

Take your scallop and turn it upside down on the wood so the least decorative side is facing up. At the flat top of the scallop, line up the drill in the centre and about 15-20mm away from the top edge. 

You may need to tilt the scallop to find the right angle to drill at, so that the scallop doesn’t slip and you can get good downwards pressure to drill through the scallop. Gently & carefully drill through until you feel it go through and hit the piece of wood. Be careful not to wiggle the drill bit while drilling, to avoid chipping the scallop or breaking the drill bit. 

Step 3. 

Once you have drilled through all of the scallop shells, it is time to cut some lengths of wire which will be used to attached the shells to the light cage. With your wire cutters, cut a piece of wire approx. 10cm long. You’ll need one piece per scallop shell. 

Step 4. 

Thread the wire through the drilled hole until the shell sits in the middle of the piece of wire. Fold the two ends of the wire up until they meet and twist them around one another to secure the shell in the middle of the wire. 

Step 5. 

When all the shells have their pieces of wire attached, start attaching them to the light cage. I would suggest starting from the bottom of the cage and working your way up. Keep in mind, to hide the bottom of the light cage you will want to let the shell hang over the edge by about 20-30mm. 

Space out the shells in a way that best covers the light cage

To attach the shells, simply twist the wire around the cage until it is tight and well secured. 

Step 6. 

Add the light cord to the cage by unscrewing the top bolts and wing nuts, threading the light cord through the opening and screwing the bolts back on. With the cord attached, you’re ready to hang your scallop light!