I've been trying to make a lampshade but couldn't come up with any idea. A friend posted pictures of a crochet and yarn lampshades on my facebook wall which instantly inspired me to make this shade! I was afraid at first, what if it doesn't work out the way I thought but thank goodness it did. This instructable will show you how to make this paper lampshade.

The moment I switched the lamp on the light effects seemed like bursting out of the shade! so I wanted to name it 'something' light-burst lampshade!

Take a look, I hope you like it :)

Please vote for me in the Make it Glow contest if you like this paper lampshade, I'd really appreciate your vote :)

Step 1: Things You Need

To make this lampshade you'll need:

1) Paper
2) Scissor,
3) Pen or pencil,
4) Balloon (round shape),
5) White glue,
6) Paint and paint brush,
7) Lighting system.
8) Cardboard.

Step 2: Making the Lamp

To make the lamp and the base for the shade you'll need a lighting system and cardboard.

Connect wire with the bulb holder and plug. Don't use more than 40 watt.

You'll need to cut out 6 round pieces and a stripe out of cardboard to make the base.

Cut 4 round pieces of the same size out of cardboard smaller than the shade (this is for the bulb holder),
As you can see that I've numbered the small round cardboard pieces in the picture.
Place 1 at the bottom and glue 2,3 on the top of it.
Take the plug (along with the wire) through the 4th piece and then glue the 4th piece of cardboard with the rest.

Now, cut 2 round pieces out of the cardboard (larger than the previous ones),
Glue them together at the bottom of the small ones.

Also cut a long stripe out of cardboard and glue it around the base (see picture).

You can color the base if you want to.

Step 3: Cutting Snowflakes (or Any Pattern)

I wanted to make a round shade so balloon was my first choice. Sticking yarns with white glue around balloon to make lampshades is quite popular so I thought of using paper instead. But light won't reflect through the paper so I had to come up with something (but I still wanted to use paper.
Cutting snowflakes and sticking them around the balloon with white glue seemed perfect.

I didn't use any specific pattern for the snowflakes, just went with whatever pattern came into mind. You can search the internet for snowflake patterns.

All you need to do is cut a round piece of paper, fold it 2 or 3 times (see picture), use pencil or pen to draw a pattern on it and cut them out using a scissor.

Cut snowflakes of different sizes (large, medium, small). First glue the large and medium ones. You'll need the small ones for filling the empty spaces.

Cut out 3-4 snowflakes of the same pattern and size, because you have to glue at least 3 layers of paper to make shade as sturdy as possible.

To make sure the snowflakes are identical, place a folded cutout snowflake over another similarly folded paper and trace around the cutout pattern with a pen or pencil and then cut them out.

Step 4: Making the Shade

After you're done cutting snowflakes it's time to make the shade.

Mix two parts glue and one part water. Stir the mixture of white glue and water until it is thoroughly mixed. Use a brush for applying the mixture on snowflake (paper).

Blow up a balloon and start gluing the snowflakes on the balloon.

Apply white glue mixture on the snowflake with a paint brush and stick it on the balloon. Make sure all the snowflakes intersect one another while gluing.

After you complete the first layer glue the second layer of snowflakes and then the third.

After gluing all the layers, the main design might seem a little messed up but don't worry it won't effect the shade. Besides you can use a scissor to cut out small pieces to reveal the design after the shade is dried.

When you're done gluing all the snowflakes (including layers) apply another coat of white glue mixture over the whole shade with a paint brush.

Don't cover the whole balloon, keep the lower part of the balloon empty.

Now wait until the shade is completely dry. Allow the shade to dry overnight.

Step 5: Coloring

After the shade is completely dry pop the balloon and carefully take it of from the inner part of the shade. The popped balloon might squeeze the shade so be careful and gently take the balloon off.

Apply a coat or 2 of paint on the shade and wait until it is completely dry. I painted the shade in black. Paint can make the shade a little more sturdy.

I applied golden fabric paint around the edges of the cutout patterns, it looks great!

After the shade dries simply place it over the lamp and switch it on to see the magic light effect! I was happy to see the final result.

Enjoy!

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21 Comments

arvindhimalayan

6 years ago

waaw nice

Vrushali Kumbhar

7 years ago

its simply amazing 'n as simple as that....

i'll suerly try it... :)

Vrushali Kumbhar

7 years ago

its amazing n as simple as that....!!!!!

i'll suerly try it....oswm :)

absmz

8 years ago

goooooooooooooooooooooooood idea

CraftLvr145

8 years ago

I love all of your lampshade ideas! I go over my grandparents every weekend to interact with my cousins. I'm thinking about using the ideas to make their own lampshade and interact together. This is a fun idea for kids to interact together!