Introduction: Expensive Looking Lamp

About: I'm a musician, crafter, dessert lover and proud grandma.

The ability to transform common items into something amazing isn't something exclusive of MacGyver. After all, if you are member of this amazing community of instructables you have what it takes to be just like MacGyver. You have knowledge, creative thinking and "the eye". While other people spend hours in social media, tv or video games; you are reading instructables, learning new techniques and making your own projects.

Now with this method you'll be able to make something impressive. This instructable will show you the closest thing to alchemy. We'll transform bubble wrap into mother of pearl.

I love upcycling, it´s fun, budget friendly and good for our beautiful world. But upcycling plastics could really help our environment. Did you know there’s literally a ton of plastic garbage for every person on Earth?

According to The Washington Post, plastic becomes near-indestructible mountains of garbage on land and swirling vortexes of trash on the high seas. And unless it’s burned (which emits gases and damages our environent), plastic has nowhere to go but in the ground or the water (which is also harming).

So let´s help the environment, decorate on a budget, and use the inventive MacGyver style, all by making this lamp!

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Bubble wrap plastic (I used 3m2 but depending on the size of your lampshade you could need even more)

Wire

Pliers

Paper

Pen

Scissors

Chain

Old lamp shade

Glass beads

Jump rings

Iron

Step 2: This Is the Fun Part

First of all, we are going to pop all the bubbles. If you've had a stressful day you could relax by popping the bubbles. I bet everyone around will volunteer to help you with this step.

If popping bubbles isn't something you enjoy, you can pop them with a rolling pin.

Step 3: Iron

Now here's where the magic happens, cut the bubble wrap smaller than the size of your paper. Place two pieces of bubble plastic in between two white papers.

Wait until the iron is very hot and iron the paper. Move the iron in circles, to iron the entire surface. Turn it and iron the other side.

Take a peek between the papers, you'll see that the plastic melts and transforms into a beautiful white shimmery plastic, it looks like mother of pear.

As it's too thin and flexible, put another piece of bubble wrap on top of the fused bubble wrap, and another at the bottom, cover again with paper and iron. The layers of plastic will fuse together with the heat of the iron.

Repeat this until you have the desired thickness. Mine has six layers of bubble wrap.

Step 4: ​Make a Template

Now use the paper and pen to draw a shape, it could be anything, a circle, diamond, square, even hearts or other shapes. I wanted an oval.

Cut the template and use it to trace and cut many pieces of the pearled plastic.

Step 5: Assemble the Lamp

Make holes into your beads with the wire. I tired making the holes with a paper hole punch but the plastic is too thick for it. So the wire works better.

Use these holes to join two pieces with a jump ring.

Rip the fabric of the old lamp shade, we'll only use the metallic structure. Use more jump rings at the top of the beads to attach them to the structure of the lamp shade.

I added the faceted glass beads to the bottom the make it look fancier.

Remember to use a led light, after all, it´s plastic.

Good job Mr. Alchemist, now just hang it up!

If you liked this instructable, you can vote for it at the contests below. It´ll be greatly appreciated.

MacGyver Challenge

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MacGyver Challenge

Plastics Contest

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Plastics Contest

Makerspace Contest 2017

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Makerspace Contest 2017