DIY Network

Metal-Wrapped Lights Jazz up decorative lights with your metal mesh scraps. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-401

Glam up your lights with this easy how-to.

Don’t throw out those metal mesh scraps; use them to freshen up decorative lights with this how-to from Michele Beschen. If you’ve been working on her metal mesh projects, you probably have a pile of odd-shaped metal mesh scraps just waiting for you to B. Original and put them to good use.

Scroll down to see how Michele Beschen wraps decorative lights in metal mesh for a sophisticated look any time of the year.

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Metal-Wrapped Lights

Materials:

mesh scraps – aluminum or wire fabric
heavy gloves
decorative lights
tin snips
acrylic, metal or outdoor paints

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

• Choose a scrap of mesh and fold it in two so you can cut two shapes at once.

• Wearing heavy gloves, use tin snips to cut a flower shape. Don’t bother with a template; the shape doesn’t have to be perfect.

  Safety Alert: Always wear gloves when cutting or handling metal mesh: The cut edges are extremely sharp.

• Rotate the top piece of mesh to offset the flower petals. Form the flower by squishing and wrinkling the mesh into the desired shape (figure A).

• Cut a small hole at the bottom of the mesh flower to slip the light through.

• To make a larger flower, fold a piece of mesh double and use a bowl or other circular object as a template to draw and cut out a pair of mesh circles. Fold and wrinkle the pieces to resemble a flower, and cut a small hole to accommodate the light (figure B).

• If you want to paint your posey, spread one or two colors of acrylic, metal or outdoor paint in a tray or dish. Dip the petals in the paint and work them around the tray to blend the colors, then set the flower aside to dry (figure C).

• When the paint is dry, slip the flower wrap over the bulb. Work your way down the entire strand to give new life to boring lights.