Well, I can check my first October goal off the list! Like I said in my goals post, Husband told me that the bare bulb hanging in my craft room was too depressing and that I should cover it in some way. I made a deal with him that I would make a paper lampshade for it by this weekend (his parents are coming to visit, and we want everything to look nice since it will be their first time seeing our house!!), or else I would just go to Lowes and buy a glass shade.
So finally this week, I made this one…
Some background: Over Labor Day weekend, Husband and I drove to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass. I’m not going to talk about the museum here other than to say that it is amazing and enormous and beautiful. You should go. But, the museum itself has nothing to do with the lampshade 🙂 After spending the day in the museum, Husband and I went to downtown Corning to have dinner. It’s a really pretty area, full of artsy shops and places to eat that will make your mouth water. Next-door to the place we ate, a gorgeous lamp was hanging in the window of a shop.
Isn’t it stunning? Anyway, I fell for it, but the store was closed and anyway it was probably WAY more than my budget for a craft room light fixture 🙂 But I got to thinking. I have vellum paper, I have a Silhouette SD (which in my opinion is a little bit of a miracle machine) and I have a hanging light bulb set. Why couldn’t I make something similar?
As I worked on it, I discovered a few things. One: the Artechnica lamp is made from Tyvek. Two: it looks as though the lamp was made by laser-cutting two large sheets of that material and draping them over the light fixture at the middle. Since I don’t have Tyvek sitting around (but I wonder if I could get some…. hmmmm…. maybe later…) and the largest sheets of vellum I had were 8.5″x11″, I improvised. I created the design by welding together circles of various sizes in the (new and fabulous) Silhouette software. I cut 10 pieces from the iridescent vellum sheets I had and then threaded them onto ribbon through punched holes at the top of each piece.
Now listen, people, this is important. The paper CANNOT rest against the lightbulb. Even a compact fluourescent lightbulb generates heat, and I do NOT want to start a fire with a pretty lamp. The light kit I had came with a little protective cage that goes over the lightbulb, and I tied the ribbon around the base of the socket AWAY from the actual connection. So my paper does not ever touch the lightbulb. Even still, I don’t leave the light on when I am out of the room. In the future, I would like to make some sort of protective cone instead, but for now, I think the lamp is pretty safe.
Now that I have had some success with this trial version, I envision lacier versions in the future. Have I said recently how much I love my Silhouette?? 🙂
Natalie – this is absolutely amazing and gorgeous!! I am in love with it!! Your creativity is inspiring!
Beautiful! I told Chad that you made it and he said, “Of course she did.” lol
this looks super fabulous. i love the bubble look. 🙂
Thanks, everyone! 🙂
I saw your lampshade on Silhouette’s Flickr site. I’d like to do something similar. I was concerned about fire hazard, so I did a quick internet search. I found this:
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/flamefree.html
The website says: “Spray Flame Free on paper or fabric used for candle wraps, lampshades, or any other surfaces in close contact with heat or flame.
Essential for candle decor used in public places such as reception halls, and school or community banquet facilities. Treated surfaces exposed to flame will char but not burn.
Flame Free is a professional quality flame retardant. Follow directions completely.”
There are probably other brands/formulas out there for crafts, but this is the first one I came across that was specifically for crafters and mentioned lamp shades.
You are so creative. It looks gorgeous.
thanks, Michelle & Jaime!!
and Michelle, thanks for the tip! I am going to have to look into that 🙂 Right now, I’m 99.99% certain that the protective cage around the bulb is enough to prevent the light catching fire, but I’d like to be 100% sure!
[…] My light sources for the room are here, too– my desk lamp (from Ikea, years ago) and my hanging lamp. I could still do with more light, but since I am usually working in this room during the day, […]
This is so cool, Natalie! I am going to post about it tomorrow on Dollar Store Crafts. http://dollarstorecrafts.com/?p=10849
[…] this project simpler, but if you have a few hours to spare, you can do it with a craft knife, too. [how to make a paper bubble lampshade] […]
Thanks for the awesome project! I featured it at Dollar Store Crafts: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/03/make-a-paper-bubble-lampshade/
LOVE THIS. tell me about your lamp kit? Hardware store? Ikea? Craft store?
I’ve made a hanging lamp for my son’s room, but have not seen any with the protective cage?
many thanks,
mare
Hi Mari,
The lamp kit I used was part of a star lantern that I received as a gift when I was in college. The brand is ArTechnica– I think, ironically enough, the same company that made the awesome lamp that was my inspiration. I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help– although if it is any consolation, I’m pretty sure the lamp kit (including the paper star shade) was frightfully expensive at the store where it was purchased. I guess if I was to look for another light kit now, I would probably start at a hardware store– they might be able to suggest something to use as a protective cage.
I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help! Let me know if you find a light kit with a protector cage/cone. I’d be interested to know where I could find another one, in case I want to make more lamps 🙂
~Natalie
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