Fairy House Lamp Recycling Trash

Intro: Fairy House Lamp Recycling Trash

Hi, in this instructable I show you how I made a fairy house lamp recycling some cardboard from an old box, egg cartons, pizza boxes, toilet paper tubes and two plastic bottles. The only bought materials I used are the colors, the hot glue and the P.V.A. glue. It took me about ten days to finish, including the drying time

STEP 1: Making the Basic Shape

This is the weirdest step because I had a vague idea of what I want to create, I brought all the materials I thought I'll need and just went freestyle with them.

I started by cutting the bottom of one of the bottles. I then made a hole in some piece of cardboard and got the bottle through it. I glued them together and starting from that unusual shape I added pieces of cardboard piece by piece until I had a little house. For the bottom of the house I used some old newspaper to make a big volume that I later covered with pieces of egg cartons. Those are great for rock textures. I added the other plastic bottle on one side of the house as a little tower or balcony.

STEP 2: Making Windows

After I had my shape ready I draw some windows and cut them using a cutter. I glued some pieces of plastic in place using the rest of the plastic bottles. On top of those I glued some window frames made out of some toilet paper tubes. I also glued frames on the plastic bottle balcony.

STEP 3: Making the Paper Clay

I don't know an easier paper clay recipe. Take two 30 eggs cartons and tear them apart in a plastic container. Pour hot water over the broken pieces and using a spoon make sure they are completely under water. Wait for the water to cool down and start tearing the cartons in even smaller pieces. Wait for another half hour or so and break it even more. When you have a homogeneous paste, using a sieve separate the carton from the water and squeeze the water out as much as you can(is better to have less water at this point, you can always add more if needed). Place the material in a different container and add four spoons of P.V.A. glue. Mix it well and after this step you should have a paste that is smooth enough to apply on your projects. I use my knife for that but you can use any modelling tools you have available. As a tip, don't make more than you need so you don't have storage and mold problems later.

STEP 4: Apply the Paper Clay

I applied the paper clay using a knife and a spoon. I can say that it's not the most user friendly clay but it is super strong once it's dry. I was able to cover the whole shape and even made some wooden textures for the door and the porch. It has fibrous texture to it but I really am ok with that as it will help me later with the coloring and the patina. I never want a smooth surface.

STEP 5: Some Details

I made staircases and a handrail for the porch. I also wanted some cool roof texture so I covered the whole roof with tiles made out of the cardboard from the pizza boxes. Those were just the right thickness.

STEP 6: Painting and Done

Remember I told you about the texture? Here's how it works. I cover the house in a dark color first. Then I add a very bright color or even white but only to the surface of the texture. So I get a nice contrast. On top of that bright color you can add other colors. Stones for example have different colors all around.

I placed an LED flashlight under the house to get a cool effect in the dark.

Comments

[Jigzz]

Incredible....

[Handy_Bear]

Very impressive!

[Kink Jarfold]

Wow--just WOW! No wonder you won first prize.

KJ

[AngelaE49]

very nice i love people who can make stuff for low cost to no cost and make it look professional and new like very very smart good for you congradulatios

[gracefulevie]

OMG...girl YOU ARE THE MOST CREATIVE PERSON I've ever come across!!! I have made several things from watching your videos. I'm addicted. I REALLY want to put my stuff outside in the garden. Can I do that? I mean b/c of the clay? Will it be damaged? PLEASE keep posting your creations. I'm very inspired by you. Thanks for sharing.

[toybilbao]

great! it's awesome!

[cookiemoster-wants-cookies]

to make the paper clay, wouldn't it have been simpler to put the entire thing in the blender?

[shazni]

I just saw the video and i'm like OMG! i'm awe stuck on your attention to detail. Amazing work.

[shazni]

Wow! loads of work...congrats on your win. This reminds me of my paper quilled tangled tower. :-D

[Julia J Barton Designs]

I love everything about it ! Great job! Voted

[jessyratfink]

This is so creative! I think I've seen videos of your work floating around on Facebook. It's amazing!

[ronnie fyfe]

I love it! I've seen your other work too and showed my 11 year old daughter who was also in awe. We had a go but used a different clay which didn't work as it shrank when it dried and cracked and fell off. Now I know how to make the clay we'll try again. I'd love to have a little hamlet in our garden that lit up at night. Thank you for inspiring us and no doubt countless others.

[Piercemd]

Wow. I really appreciate your detailed demonstration of this truly admirable piece of work. You showed us how you did it, but there is probably no way you could show us how you imagined it! Your creative vision is remarkable.

[GregS261]

it would be great to see a hole town made by you! Can you make a hobbit house

With the round doors and windows! Then in your town make a railroad and streets!

You are really good keep up the great work!

[mooster]

I LOVE everything about this except PLEASE get yourself a cutting board and stop using that sharp tool in mid air where a slight booboo could cause a bloody mess! We want to see more of your work with all fingers remaining intact. ;0)

[jayedwin98020]

I was thinking the same thing about a cutting mat, when I was watching your video.

I have a "Staedtler" brand, 12" x 18", 1/8" thick, self-healing, cutting mat on my desk at all times. I'm always cutting on it with an Exacto knife, or a rotary knife. It works great.

I looked up this size, and brand, on Amazon.com. It sells for $20.00 plus $5.49 for shipping. Also, take a look at some of the other brands, and types of mats. There's even a 16" x 16" mat, that has a rotating base, that might be quite handy in certain applications.

On Amazon, I also watched a three minute video by "Howcast" called: "How to Use a Rotary Ruler & a Cutting Mat When Quilting". Even though it's about quilting, a lot of the information is appropriate, no matter whether you're cutting cloth, paper, cardboard, etc. The video host also demonstrates the "rotating base" mat mention above.

Regarding your great video, the only other thing I wished you had shown, was your house lit up in a darker room, since it is a light.

[Bresy]

Amazing, Love this

[GaryS70]

I don't know how many things you create but I do hope you realize how talented you are! This is amazing.

[phillb1253]

A great looking project with ideas that can translate to an outdoor weather resistant project. Substitute recycled styrofoam and foam insulation panel scraps for the cardboard and paper then paint with exterior latex paint. A hotwire foam cutting tool would help to get the desired shapes in the foam parts.

[roguefx99]

Really awesome house.

The "making of" video really makes it much easier to see how it was all put together since it is put together free hand.