I had the same experience as other reviewers--a bit of a challenge to put together due to little ridges inside the pipes that make it difficult to pull the wires through. Flatten out a wire hanger and find a friend with small fingers to help thread the wires through if you have big hands. The connections for the bulbs are a little loose, and the glass covers don't tightly sit in the pipes, so if you move the lamp around, you'll likely have to jostle things back into place to get them to work. Small prices to pay for an inexpensive lamp that doubles as art!