Butterfly Chandelier

I found an awesome pin and pinned it myself... for a gorgeous paper chandelier that I really wanted to make.  You can find the original post here.

Well, I did it!  I made my own!  I changed it a bit (of course), but the basics are the same.  For one, I didn't use ribbon like the original post, but strips of fabric in coordinating colors.  I also made the top butterfly on each string a larger one.  Here, a picture speaks a thousand words, after all!

I am so glad I was able to finish!  I wish I had tule for the tie ups, but I do not.  Maybe one day I'll get some (soon?).  Anyway, do you want to make one yourself?  The one I made isn't exactly like the one in the link, but I'll tell you what I did to make it!

What do you need?
One hoop.  I clipped the top circle from a tomato vine holder.
17 pieces of fishing line, 20 inches long (if I could change something, I'd make the one for the center at least 22 inches)
17 larger butterflies in paper of various colors, and another 17 of the same size in vellum (the paper I used... I'm not sure what it is called.  I got it years and years ago, as a teenager.  It seems to be some kind of plastic iridescent tissue paper of sorts... that holds up to hot glue!)
52 smaller butterflies in paper of colors, and another 52 in the same size of the vellum.
fabric of matching colors, cut into strips.
wire
beads
hot glue and glue gun

First, put your stiff wire on the hoop to 'quarter' it, so it crosses in the center for hanging more strings.  Then, wrap and tie your pieces of fabric all around the hoop until it is completely covered.  The tighter together you make them, the fuller it will be (and prettier, in my opinion).  Then glue your beads to the end of each strand using a hot glue gun.  Place a dot of glue in the center of a small butterfly, and place the string near the bead on the butterfly through this dot of glue.  Sandwich the vellum butterfly on top.  Place three small butterflies per string, with one larger one at the top, each butterfly about 3-4 inches apart.  For the longest string (for the center of the chandelier) place one more small butterfly above the large one. 
Tie the fishing lines to the wire.  The longest one in the middle where the two wires intersect.  Then, do four more on the wires going to the hoop (in the center of each 'quarter'.  You may need some glue to keep them in place).  Now on the hoop itself you will place one strand at each intersection with the wires, plus two more between each of those (12 around the entire hoop).  Tie these a bit higher than the strands on the wire (you'll need to cut off the excess strings when done).
Take the tule (or the extra pieces of fabric) and tie them where the wire joins the hoop.  Tie a bow at the top, and hang.

Voila!

Note:  I used the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die from Stampin Up to make these butterflies.  There are many punches out there that I'm sure would be simple to use (probably simpler than running many butterflies through the bigshot), but I loved that I had options in terms of size.  And if you have embossing folders, those are awesome as well!  I used two... the polka dots one, and a lacy brocade. 

Have fun crafting!