SIMPLE LAMPSHADE WITH PERSONALIZED LETTERING
The lamp base I used here has three small legs with a ring of metal that allows a paper shade to sit safely away from the bulb. Look on craft websites to find something similar or buy a light from a store and use the shade provided. You can also use the shade in this project with a votive. Make sure you place the votive in a glass jar for safety.
Excerpted with permission from Letter Crafts: 35 creative projects for stylish home decorations.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Letter Template Plain or Graph Paper Ruler Pencil Tracing Paper Masking Tape Craft Knife Cutting Mat Thin card stock (card) measuring 23¾ in. long by 10½ in. high (58 x 26 cm) Hole Punch Hammer Eraser Craft Glue
Step 1
Choose your letter, or use the template, and enlarge it to the right size, either by using a photocopier or scaling the letter up on graph paper. I made mine approximately 4 in. (10 cm) in height. Protecting your work surface with a cutting mat, use a craft knife to cut out the shape. Trace out the letter and transfer it onto the strip of card stock (card), positioning it in the center and approximately 2½ in. (6 cm) up from the bottom edge.
Step 2
Using a hole punch and hammer, make holes evenly around the outline of the letter. Mine have around 1⁄8 in. (3 mm) between each one. Remember to use a cutting mat to protect your work surface.
Step 3
Use an eraser to remove any pencil lines. Curl the shade into a cylinder shape, glue along one short edge and stick the two ends together.
Step 4
If necessary, cut a small semicircle from the bottom edge (toward the rear of the shade) so that the shade fits neatly over the cord of the lamp base.
Step 5
Light up your world with a letter.
Step 6
Excerpted with permission from Letter Crafts: 35 creative projects for stylish home decorations.
