If I had some duct tape, I could fix that

So here's my dining room in its stripped down before holiday decorating state.

Now the reason that I'm showing you this is because I want you to see how low the chandelier hangs. Which is perfectly fine when there's a table directly under it, but not so fine when I move the table out from under it to make room for a second table during--say--a major holiday like Thanksgiving.  By 'not so fine' I mean that a person who is trying to set these two tables (me) will hit her head on said chandelier many, many times. (15. At least) Or, she will until she comes up with a brilliant, inspired plan that would bring MacGyver to tears.

First I got some extra large, heavy book rings like the big ones here:

Then I got my handyman (Drew) to climb up on a ladder to carry out my instructions.  I'd have climbed up on the ladder myself, but while my brain power might rival MacGyver's, my balance most certainly does not. Plus, I'm way better at the bossing around part than the actual doing part.

Anyway, I had Drew thread a book ring first through a link on the hanging chain and then through the fixture's loop. Then I had him repeat the process two more times just in case one of those little suckers decided to spring open in the middle of the dessert course. I made sure that he used the same link for all three rings so that if one did break, the force from the fall wouldn't spring the others open. Does that make sense? I also had him turn the openings to different points--one on top, one on bottom and one in the middle to distribute the tension or uh something. (Two semesters of Physics people) Now if one opened, it would be ok because the other two would hold it in place. And if all three decided to spring open--well then darn Newton and all of his stinkin' laws.

Voila!

And for the visually discriminating--note the difference in hanging height. No more bonked heads! And bonus, none of the rings opened or even cracked a nanometer in the 3 days they held the chandelier up to a head clearing height.

 And oh so much simpler than pulling out the pliers, prying those links open and then squeezing them closed again only to have to undo the process a few days later. Sometimes I just hate it when I'm right. But not today, folks. Not today.