Introduction: Lamp Shade, Paper, Modular

This instructable is how to make the Ed Chew lamp shade from new card stock instead of the recycled material.
Photos and article of the original can be found here:
http://www.igreenspot.com/recycled-drink-carton-p...

These shades are based on the work of Designer Heinz Strobl.

This shade is put together with out any glue, just cut and folded card stock. Use any color you like, I used an off white because that was what I had on hand.

This shade will take between 30 and 40 hours to make, and I would not recommend this for someone who is easily bored.

Step 1: Matierels and Tools Needed

MATERIALS

You will need a 100 sheet pack of 8.5 inch by 11 inch, card stock.

TOOLS

Some type of paper cutter..

Step 2: The Modules

The entire shade is made from two modules.

A triangle and a connector.

The size of the triangle I chose was 1 inch on each side and 1 inch deep.

The connectors are 7/8 inch wide and 4 inches long.

Step 3: Making a Template for the Triangles

All of the triangle modules have to be the same size.

Each triangle is made from a piece of card stock 5.5 inch by 1 inch

In order to accomplish this I made a scoring template.

You will need a piece of card stock 4 1/2 inches by 3 1/8 inches.

Draw a line 1 inch from each 4 1/2 inch long side, this should make the center division 1 1/8 inch wide.

Draw lines across this center division 1 inch apart. This will leave a half inch at the end.

Next cut slits about 1/32 inch wide centered on these lines. I used a craft knife and a cutting mat.

Now fold along the long lines, the easiest way to do this is with a straight edge and score with the back of the point of a knife before folding.

Fold one side down put a little glue on it and fold the other side down and hold for a few seconds until the glue holds it.

Put a small piece of tape around the end with the 1/2 inch showing.

To use the template slide the card stock into the open end as far as it will go. Then using the back of the point of a knife score the card stock through each of the four slits. The card stock should not be cut, just compressed when scoring.

Step 4: Cutting the Card Stock and Folding the Modules.

The strips for the triangles are made by cutting the card stock sheet into two 5 1/2 inch by 8 1/2 inch pieces.

Then cut these into 1 inch wide strips that are 5 1/2 inch long.

The strips for the connectors are made by cutting the card stock sheet into two 4 inch by 11 1/2 inch pieces.

Then cut these into 7/8 inch wide strips that are 4 inches long.

To fold the triangles, after scoring the card stock, fold the 1/2 inch piece first, then fold on the other score lines.

It should look like the first picture. Now hold the triangle and fold the remaining piece down to form the completed triangle as in the middle picture.

The connectors are just folded in half.

The last picture shows several triangles and connectors ready for assembly.

Step 5: How to Conect Modules

Slide one side of a connector through a triangle as in the first picture.

Keeping the fold of the connector held tightly against the triangle fold the end of the connector down against the triangle, as in the second picture.

Now add a second triangle to the other side of the connector and fold it down as well.

It should look like the third picture.

This is how all connections are made. No glue is needed, when the triangles are held against each other they hold the connector folds down.

Step 6: Making More Conections

By connecting 6 triangles you will make a hexagon.

The hexagon in the first picture is shown from the back .

Now add 3 more triangles, as in the second picture, and you have a larger triangle with 3 modules on a side.

Step 7: Making the Large Triangle With 6 Modules Per Side

The shade is made from triangles with 6 modules per side.

For each triangle with 6 modules per side you will have to make 4 triangles with 3 modules per side.

The first picture shows the way these 4 triangles will be connected.

The easiest way I found to connect them is to turn them front down and insert three connectors at a time, as in the second picture.

Then turn this over and push the connectors all the way through, as in the third picture

When the connectors are folded down it should look like the fourth picture.

Connect the other 2 triangles and you will have your first 6 module per side triangle, as in the last picture.

Step 8: Making the Top

You will need 5 of the 6 module per side triangles to make the top section.

The first picture shows the 5 triangles ready to be connected.

The second picture shows the 5 triangles connected with the last side ready to be connected.

The last picture shows all of the triangles connected forming a domed up pentagon.

Step 9: Making the Center Section.

To make the center section you will need 10 of the 6 module per side triangles.

The first picture shows these stacked up ready for connection.

The second and third pictures show how I put six connectors through from the back and then turn it over and push the connectors all the way through.

The forth picture shows what you will have when all ten triangles are put together into a long strip.

The last picture shows this strip connected into a ring.

Step 10: Add Top to Midle Section

The first picture shows the top section sitting on the middle section.

The connectors have to be inserted from the inside and then folded down between the triangle modules

This can be a little tricky, but it can be done.

The last picture shows the top and middle sections connected.

Step 11: The Bottom Pieces

For the bottom 5 triangles I made a modified 6 module per side triangle.

I left 3 of the module triangles off of one of the points.

When finished this gives you an opening in the bottom large enough to change the light bulb.

Before I put the bottom pieces in place I inserted the light cord and socket.

I used a clear DVD spacer that comes with a spindle of DVDs or CDs on top of the socket to help spread the weight of the shade over a larger area.

With the shade hanging you can now add the last five modified triangles to the bottom.

Step 12: FinIshed

This is what it will look like with out the light on and with it on.

In order to get the strong shadows you will need as close to a point light source as possible.

A Compact Florescent Light will not give you any shadows at all.

I found a clear incandescent 200 watt special purpose bulb at my local HomeDepot that works fairly well.

When you have completed this shade you will have made over 700 of the triangle modules and over 1000 connections.