Lights

I was not happy with the commercial 12v lights that I initially installed. They get hot, burn out, malfunction. They also are not very interesting. When installed with adapters to plug directly into copper tape, they look especially ugly and are really likely to malfunction. 

Side note: Since so many people use copper tape systems, why don't the light fixture manufacturers make them available with prongs, ready to install?

So I've been making my own fixtures using tiny 3v LEDs from Evan Designs. After trolling around local bead stores and etsy, I've accumulated enough findings to make enough fixtures to light an entire apartment building. The hardest part is deciding which to use.

I replaced the commercial sconces and chandelier in the dining room with more turn-of the-century, Golden Age era-appropriate fixtures.

For the master bedroom, I copied antique French style fixtures with opaline drops like this one:

I used thin-walled copper tubing because it would be easier to bend and because I planned to thread the wires through the tubing. However, it also crushed easily and I knew the insulation on the wires would never survive getting pulled through such tight turns. Fortunately, this doesn't really impact the finished result. If I were to make another one, I might try using a finer gauge solid brass rod.

I used a jig to bend the tubing.

I strung the tiny LEDs through white glass beads for the candles and used Zap-a-Gap to attach them to the blue glass cup-shaped beads (bought on ebay) and hung them to dry.

I attached the candles to each arm of the chandelier with glue, then wrapped the hair-fine wire around the arm to bring it to the top of the fixture. I painted the wires with gold paint so they would blend in.

I used very fine brass wire to wind around the top and bottom and a brass bead cap for the bottom. I cut a piece of wider diameter tubing for the center support and threaded all the LED wires into it.

Very tiny rosary chain and glass drops were "sewn" on with very fine brass wire, which was much easier than using o rings.

Then I made 4 sconces to match.

Here they are, installed. 

Learning Curve: 

The great thing about LEDs is that they are so long-lasting and the wire is so fine that they can be installed an covered by the wallpaper then fed out the back of the house through a tiny hole. The bad thing about LEDs is that the insulation on the wires is easily nicked, leading to shorting out if they come into contact with metal or each other. Keep checking each LED with a battery at every stage of construction. It is incredibly frustrating to get the piece finished and find that it is shorting out.  If you do nick the insulation, you can repair it with nail polish.  If you are threading them through tubing, apply a bit of liquid soap to help them slide through with less fricton.