Illuminated Wall Sconce

Readily available low cost materials and your personalized palette of colors combine to create this unique wall hanging fixture.

Step 1: Tools & Materials List

What you'll need:

1. Aluminum Downspout Bands approximately 13.25" L x 2" W, Average Cost $1.00 each @ any major home improvement or hardware store, Available in 20+ colors, Can be painted or left aluminum. I used white bands and lightly sanded them.
2. Pop Rivets and Pop Rivet Gun
3. Hand Punch for Rivet Holes or Drill and appropriate size Drill Bit
4. Tin Shears
5. Ruler, Tape Measure
6. Marking Pencils
7. Wire Strippers
8. Scissors
9. Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
10. Small Length of Wire for Hanger
11. Small Base (Candelabra) wired socket
12. Inline Switch
13. Modular Plug
14. Appropriate Length of Lamp Wire (8')
15. 2 small wire nuts or crimp connectors
16. Small Piece of Lamp All Thread
17. 2 Nuts & 2 Locking Washers for above All Thread
18. Night light bulb 7.5 watt
19. Panel Coverings - Hand Made Papers (I have found the Lokta Papers work well) There are countless other materials one could use...
20. Clothes Pins to Aid in Assembly (Useful but not required)

Step 2: Start to Create Central Strap

Start by marking all straps directly down the middle length wise on the reverse side -set aside all straps except one.

1. Measure in from each end 3.25" & mark (dashed line in photo)
2. Measure in from each end 1" & mark
   1. At each mark made above measure .375" or 3/8" from each side of center line and mark again (the 2 "+'s" at each end of strap)
3. Measure in from each end at 3.75" & at 5.5" & mark
   1. At each mark made above measure .25" or 1/4" from each side of center line and mark again (the 4 "+'s" located inside the dashed lines in photo)

You'll end up with a strap with 2 dashed lines at 3.25" from ends for bending and 6 pair of marks for punching rivet holes, 2 sets of them at .75" apart at each end & 4 sets of them .50" apart placed inside the dashed bending lines.

Step 3: Punch Holes and Form Central Strap

1. Punch holes into strap or use a drill & bit to achieve the same result
2. Finish punching all holes into strap
3. Bend 90 degrees at the 2 dashed lines creating a "U" shape (see photo below)
4. Gently curve the section between the 2 90 degree bends into a half circle
5. Overlap & Align the ends using a twist tie or wire to temporarily secure them together firmly

Step 4: Split Straps in Half

1. Shear 3 of the straps carefully down the middle length wise, creating 6 thinner straps

Step 5: Create Outer Vertical Straps

1. Using the curved center strap as a guide, align one of the straps along the outside edge at approx 6" from the bottom and mark using the 2 holes on the center strap as a guide, repeat on opposite side with another strap
2. Punch the 2 holes on each strap 

You should have 2 half straps with 2 holes punched in each one at this point

Step 6: Basic Exploded View of Fixture

This diagram helps to explain how the fixture is assembled, the dimensions are not exact in the diagram but will give you a general ideal as to how it all works.

Step 7: Pop Rivet Straps to Each Side of Central Strap

1. Load Pop Rivet Gun
2. Align one strap at a time to each side of central strap and rivet into place in both holes
3. Repeat on other side of central strap

At this stage you should have a half circle with a flat back side central strap and 2 vertical outside straps riveted into place. (See last picture below)

Step 8: Create & Extend Second Set of Vertical Straps

1. Measure from bottom of 2 remaining half straps 3.5" and lightly mark
2. Align half strap to central strap on 2 of the 4 remaining holes, using mark made above as a loose guide, mark both holes
3. Punch holes into half strap, repeat for other strap, You should have 2 half straps approx 10" L  with 2 holes a one end 
4. Take another strap that you have not cut length wise & measure from one end 3.25" & mark across strap, make another mark from same end at 2" across strap
5. Shear off at 3.25" mark - KEEP THIS CUT-OFF PIECE ! You'll use it later on
6. With remaining strap shear down the center line
7. Take the first set of straps with 2 holes in each and align this set of straps to each one, overlapping and marking using the holes as your guides
8. Trim any excess off these straps and punch the marked holes in each strap
9. Realign the two strap pieces matching up the holes

Step 9: Attach Second Set of Vertical Straps to Central Strap

1. Keeping the 2 straps aligned match the holes up to the central strap holes
2. Load rivet gun and pop rivet all 3 pieces together
3. Repeat with other strap

You should have 4 vertical half straps crossing the main central strap, see the image below.

Step 10: Shape the Vertical Straps

Gently curve all straps upward and outward to create the desired effect, see images below.

Step 11: Start Attaching Cross Straps

For this step you'll need to cut these straps: 2 @ 4.5", 2 @ 2.5", 2 @ 3", 2 @ 3.5" for the sides and cut 1 @ 7.5", 1 @ 4.5", 1 @ 3", 1 @ 3.5", 1 @ 5" for the center section (refer to step 6 if needed)

1. Starting on one side of fixture make 2 marks, 1 on the first strap and the 2nd one on the second strap
2. Punch holes into vertical straps
3. Use another piece of strapping and gently curve it to fit between the 2 holes just punched
4. After you have formed piece use punched holes to mark on this piece, mark & punch holes
5. Load rivet gun and line up straps, rivet together at both holes
6. Continue adding straps equally per side until you have 4 cross straps in place, see image below

Step 12: Continue Attaching Cross Straps

1. Punch holes into vertical straps
2. Use another piece of strapping and gently curve it to fit between the 2 holes just punched
3. After you have formed piece use punched holes to mark on this piece, mark & punch holes
4. Load rivet gun and line up straps, rivet together at both holes
5. Repeat above steps

Step 13: Add Even More Cross Straps

1. Punch holes into vertical straps
2. Use another piece of strapping and gently curve it to fit between the 2 holes just punched
3. After you have formed piece use punched holes to mark on this piece, mark & punch holes
4. Load rivet gun and line up straps, rivet together at both holes
5. Repeat steps until all straps are in place see image below or refer to step six as a guide

Step 14: Assemble Light Socket

Use the piece you kept from step 8 to complete this step

1. Measure 1 1/4" from cut end of piece from step 8 and mark
2. Divide the same piece in half from end to end and mark
3. At 3/8" & 7/8" along center line make 2 marks punch holes a each mark
4. Measure 1" from pointed end on center line of piece and mark
5. Draw a 3/8" circle at mark you just made, drill or punch hole on mark that allows all thread to fit thru
6. Use 1 nut & 1 lock washer thread onto piece of all thread and slip thru hole you made
7. Take lock 1 lock washer and 1 nut and thread onto opposite side of all thread
8. Bend 90 degrees at 1 1/4" mark you made earlier
9. Feed wire tails thru all thread & screw onto all thread firmly
10. Take lamp wire & split end, then strip each side
11. Knot together 1 socket wire & 1 lamp wire, twist tails together & firm twist on a wire nut, repeat on other wires

Step 15: Attach Socket and Hanging Wire to Main Frame

1. Align holes on socket piece with central strap holes and rivet together in both holes
2. Take a small piece of wire approx. 4-5" and feed thru 2 hole at top of central strap
3. Bend up tails leaving a small gap for hanging in wire
4. Twist tails around wire hanger on both sides

Step 16: Install Plug and Switch

1. Follow directions that came with your plug and install
2. Follow directions that came with your inline switch and install, here I placed my switch slightly under the frame so it would be hidden when it was hung on the wall

Step 17: Begin Covering Panels

Starting for the middle work your way out in both directions

1. Using clothes pins to hold your paper in place roughly trace the center line for each panel onto the paper
2. Trim outline with scissors
3. Flip frame over and align paper to area you traced, i use clothes pins to help hold the paper panel in place
4. Lift up on side of paper and apply a bead of hot glue to the metal frame and press down paper, continue process on all for sides of paper
5. Repeat above covering the center panels first from middle to end in both directions

Step 18: Continue Covering Panels

Repeat steps from prior step, filling in the outside panels this time from middle to end

1. Using clothes pins to hold your paper in place roughly trace the center line for each panel onto the paper
2. Trim outline with scissors
3. Flip frame over and align paper to area you traced, i use clothes pins to help hold the paper panel in place
4. Lift up on side of paper and apply a bead of hot glue to the metal frame and press down paper, continue process on all for sides of paper
5. Repeat above covering all panels until complete

Step 19: Hang and Enjoy

Insert a 7.5 watt night light bulb, Hang and Enjoy.

I have included images of several other variations of the same concept using different materials, including aluminum, copper, galvanized steel for the forms and various papers and high density plastic sheeting for the panels. Use your imagination in creation, my instructions are only meant to be a jumping off point for your work!