DIY Your Own Ostrich Egg Pendant Lights Readymade

One of our favorite ways to deck out a small space is with grouped pendant lighting. Normally overhead lighting isn't our favorite and we prefer the warm glow of a few lamps, but with space at a premium, not having one on your nightstand or side table can be a huge benefit, especially when your alternative is a sweet DIY from Ostrich Eggs (after making one hell of an omelette).

These Ostrich Egg Pendant lights were installed to help showcase the tooth side table from artist Matt Austin. He's one to keep an eye on for sure and you can read more about him over at Readymade, along with a set of instructions for making a set of lighting like the ones pictured above.

It's really as simple as cutting a hole, running the cable and securing it all together, though we highly suggest cutting a smaller hole first to remove the egg (the directions don't include this, but we thought we might, or else the yolk will be on you... um... literally) before starting. We also suggest placing your eggs on a non-slip mat while working to help reduce the chances of them flying off the table.

If your local grocer doesn't carry Ostrich eggs, try contacting local farms for ostrich or emu and see if you can wrangle up a few for yourself! Good luck!

(via: Readymade)
(Image: Bryan McCay)

Comments (15)

*if* your local grocer doesn't carry them?

ROFL.. yeah right..

Eee I'm completely distracted by that table -- it looks like a tooth mated with a squid, ick

Emu eggs are almost black... that would be cool, but definately a differnet look than the one here.

I've seen them at Whole Foods. I remember that they weren't that expensive!

This idea grosses me out... and wouldn't they be super super fragile?

HeatherC - Whole Foods often has them and if yours doesn't, you can ask for them to be shipped in if you so desire.

ShopgirlCA - Even though the word egg in general sounds fragile, ostrich eggs are actually quite tough. Not rugged by any means, but they would survive being bumped for sure... a trip down a flight of stairs on the other hand...

I agree with sarahrae. I once helped a friend cook an ostrich egg - omelettes for 8 people! - and the shell was so thick we could barely crack it. It would definitely withstand some light abuse.

This is a good cross post for the Kitchn! I saw ostrich eggs at Whole Foods but I think they're about $20 each. Do ostrich eggs taste much different from chicken eggs?

Ostrich eggs don't lend any extra flavor... they just taste like chickens eggs. Some people can tell the difference, but we've never been one of them!

I absolutely love this look and I can't imagine they're any more fragile than porceline (which I'm sure I just mispelled). I might have to do this for my kitchen. I was thinking some sort of glass chandelier but these would be easier and cheaper.

It really does look beautiful and I wish the directions told me where to find exactly that brass vase cap and fabric covered electrical cord. But, yeah, something about a giant egg shell hanging in the living room... it's too much like taxidermy. I'm grossed out.

What a great idea! I'm looking for ages for three pendant lights in egg form made of white, matte porcelain. It never came to my mind to go for the real thing. And I'm owning one empty ostrich egg already ...

You can probably also do the neat wax-dye treatments like a lot of European Easter Eggs - paint on in wax, dip in dye, melt off wax type thing.

Ostrich eggs are actually remarkably thick and sturdy. My sister has had one for years, carried it through two moves, and never even a scratch. I think this is a great use of them, and I love the look. But as a few people mentioned, I have never EVER seen an ostrich egg in the supermarket.