Polish Pajaki Chandeliers

In this workshop, students build their own pajaki from scratch, learning the layered construction that gives these pieces their unique, decorative form.

Culture Keeper Daniela Mahoney will instruct students in techniques to create their own decorative components, including pom-poms, tassels, and traditional Polish paper decorations and flowers. Working from a wood or brass hoop, students will then be guided through assembling their Pajaki, dividing their base into even sections to construct a top canopy, and threading handmade components alongside paper straws and beads onto waxed linen or cotton cord. From there, students will construct hanging strands and finish with a cascading "spider's web" of trailing threads at the base. Along the way students will practice knotting, threading, and balancing a three-dimensional composition so it hangs true.

Students will leave with a completed pajaki chandelier, ready to hang, along with a working knowledge of the construction techniques needed to build variations on their own. All levels welcome; no prior paper craft or fiber experience required.