| Complete Lamp Project |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-120 |
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Mary Lyon, host of DIY Crafts, makes a lamp from natural materials, using a flowerpot as a base. Materials:
Flowerpot
Lamp kit
Four mini-flowerpots
Plaster of Paris
Water
Mixing bowl for plaster of Paris
Floral foam
Spanish moss
Heavy paper
Flower petal template from paper
Scissors
Pencil
Clothespins
White glue
Paintbrush
Lampshade
Floral tape
Hot-glue gun and glue
Plastic knife
- Mix plaster of Paris according to package directions. Place the rod from the lamp kit in the hole in the center of the bottom of the flowerpot. Fill the flowerpot approximately one-quarter full of plaster of Paris to hold the rod in place. Let it dry overnight (figure A).
- Hot-glue four mini-flowerpots upside down evenly spaced around the bottom of the flowerpot for feet. This leaves room for the lamp cord to come out the bottom of the pot (figure B).
- Cut slices of floral foam from the block with a serrated plastic knife, and place them around the lamp rod inside the flowerpot (figure C).
- Add silk leaves to the lamp rod by wrapping floral tape around the lamp rod, starting at the bottom of the rod. Place silk leaf stems along the rod, and wrap the floral tape around them, securing them to the lamp rod. It's easier to use short pieces of floral tape rather than one long piece. When you've added the desired number of leaves, continue wrapping just the lamp rod with floral tape (figure D).
- Place moss on top of the floral foam to hide it. If desired, hot-glue in place (figure E).
- Draw a flower-petal template slightly longer than the lampshade. Several petals will be overlapped to cover the shade. Trace around the template onto heavy paper, and cut out the petals. You'll need four or five to go around the shade, depending on its side (figure F).
- Using a paintbrush, apply white glue to the edges on the back of a flower petal. Glue it to the lampshade with a small portion extending above the top of the shade. After the petals dry, the overlap will be folded to the inside of the shade and glued in place. Hold the petal in place with clothespins. Continue adding flower petals around the lampshade, always overlapping the previous petal (figure G).
- Follow the kit's directions for wiring the lamp. Put on the lampshade (figure H).
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