How to make a chandelier out of cardboard. DIY paper chandelier. wire mesh

When there is a desire to change the situation in the apartment and add a little originality to it, start with the little things. Try to change the lampshade, and you will be surprised at the transformation of your family nest.

And if you manage to find an original model that differs from analogues, then the changes will impress not only you, but also your guests.

True, unique lampshades cost decent money, because you can’t get piece work by eminent masters for a penny.

But after all, no one bothers you to create your own unique masterpiece from cheap, and sometimes even junk materials, which will look much better than the samples presented in the store.

All you need is simple materials, a little patience and a flight of fancy, and we will tell you how to make a lampshade with your own hands.

materials

You can create a masterpiece from everything that you have at hand: fabric, paper, thread, twine, wire, plastic bottle, beads or beads.

In general, absolutely everything is suitable, even what you usually send in a garbage bag.

Don't believe? Just look at the photo of the lampshade.

frame

If you have a frame from an old lampshade, then this is just wonderful.

However, do not be upset if one is not found, because you can create a frame yourself from ordinary wire.

Copper, aluminum, steel - everything that you can independently combine into a single structure will do.

The metal frame of the classic lampshade consists of three rings and six jumpers between them. The small ring is a holder, which is connected by three jumpers to a ring of a larger diameter.

The same, in turn, is connected by jumpers to the last ring. The following photos will help you understand the design.

From fabric

When a lampshade frame is available, the easiest way to create your own masterpiece is to wrap the base with a cloth. For this you will need:

• paper (newspaper);
• scissors;
• the cloth;
• chalk or pencil;
• threads.

Wrap the frame with newspaper in such a way as to form a pattern out of it. Then transfer the resulting shape to the fabric with chalk, adding 1 cm on each side to the seam.

Make a pattern, chop off the edges and sew the sides, forming a cover for the base of the future lampshade. We bend the upper and lower edges of the "cover" in such a way as to close the rings of the frame and fix it with a seam.

Note!

Voila, your lampshade for the floor lamp is almost ready. It remains to add a few highlights to your taste, giving it originality.

From threads

How to make a lampshade when there is no frame? As easy as pie.

Take a balloon without drawings, glue, thread, marker and start creating.

First you need to inflate the balloon and mark on it the upper and lower borders of your future masterpiece. Then take the threads and wrap them around the ball, trying not to protrude beyond the marked contours.

Apply glue diluted 1:1 with water to each layer of thread. When the density of the wound thread satisfies you, fix the cut edge and hang the ball to dry. After 3-4 hours, the threads will dry. Then pierce the ball and carefully detach it from the walls of the finished lampshade.

Leaves and flower petals woven between the layers of threads can give additional charm to a lampshade made of threads.

Note!

The ball, decorated with sparkling droplets of beads, also looks original. In general, watch and be inspired.

From paper

Ordinary sheets of office paper, glossy magazines, a cheap newspaper, an unnecessary book or an ordinary notebook, a paper towel or a napkin - these are all future lampshades.

It doesn’t matter if there is a frame or not, the main thing is that there are scissors, glue and paper. A thousand and one versions of such lampshades can be described with the words “cut and stick”.

The main thing is not to forget a few simple rules:

• a paper lampshade is safest to use with economy light bulbs, which heat up much less than incandescent bulbs;
• the diameter of the lampshade for lamps should be large so that the paper does not get too hot;
• for a bright room, you can make a lampshade from thick paper, but for a dark one, you need a thin, well-transmitting light;
• be careful with color. For example, red or yellow paper will add warmth to the room, green and blue - cold.

Well, that's all. Charge with new ideas, arm yourself with improvised means and forward to easy changes that bring warmth and comfort to your home.

Note!

DIY lampshade photo

So, having figured out how the chandelier should be arranged correctly, we take up its main lighting and at the same time decorative elements: a lampshade and a ceiling. Reflectors are technologically simpler; their manufacture and fastening to the supporting structure of the chandelier does not cause difficulties.

The Internet is full of pictures with really very beautiful homemade lamps. However, considering them Ask yourself: how do you replace a light bulb? The answer is not always found in the primary sources. Methods for fastening lighting elements in lamps that allow replacing the lamp without using a tool will be discussed in the next article, but the technological methods described later in this article are designed to ensure that the lampshade in this case either moves up or is removed down, or you can simply climb into it hand.

materials

In order of increasing complexity (and durability), do-it-yourself lampshades and ceiling lamps at home can be made from paper, plastics, threads, ready-made tubes of various kinds, twine or yarn, framed with a fabric cover and stained glass. The last 2 are quite complex, but with a skillful approach to work on lighting and decorative qualities, they can surpass expensive purchased ones.

It is easiest to make a paper lampshade: from materials other than paper, you will need threads and PVA glue, and from a tool - a sewing needle, scissors and, possibly, a sharp mounting knife. However, paper lampshades are fragile and therefore suitable mainly for chandeliers. But a damaged paper lampshade is easy to replace with a new one.

You can make a lamp out of paper a little stronger in various ways. The simplest is to collect a balloon-ball from paper strips, gluing them at the poles and among themselves, pos. 1 in fig. However, the design in this case is uniform: sufficient strength of the product is ensured only and only by its spherical shape.

Elements of paper lampshades

Another way is to strengthen the paper itself. It will require some additional material: copper enameled winding wire with a diameter of 0.25-0.4 mm or threads. In the first case, the lampshade will fit without additional hardening for a floor lamp, and in the second, for overhead decorative elements, you will need a solid supporting base, for example. from a plastic bottle. The paper for the lampshade is strengthened with wire as follows:

• On a sheet with a density of 90-140 g/sq. see deduce the contours of the details.
• With a finely sharpened pencil, or a mechanical one with a 0.6 mm rod, the stiffness grid lines are drawn. If the lampshade will be glued together from several solid or slightly cut sheets, the grid lines should form a seamless pattern.
• Apply a thin layer of PVA glue with a brush.
• When the glue dries to a tack, the veins are applied along the grid - stiffeners - from the wire.
• Lubricate the same PVA sheet with a density of 35-60 g / sq. cm, impose on the first and gently smooth with your fingers.
• A day later, the details are cut out with scissors, glued together and painted. In this way, even imitations of the wings of rare species of butterflies, pos. 2; in this case, Maak's swallowtail.

When using threads, both sheets are taken with a density of up to 60 g / sq. see Then, as said, you will need a carrier base, but it is possible to imitate even the texture of rose petals, pos. 3.

Note: a paper lampshade, durable "almost like a real one" can be made from papier-mâché. The technology, rather laborious, is described below, see lampshades for the kitchen.

Plastics

It is elementary to make a lampshade for a chandelier from disposable plastic cups fastened with a stapler, see fig. Its lighting qualities are very good, but the view is frankly utilitarian. Therefore, it makes sense to use such lampshades in rooms with rather high requirements for the quality of lighting, but not in front rooms. The radiation pattern (DN) of the glass lampshade forms a cardioid.

Lampshade made of plastic glasses

Lampshade made of plastic spoons

A fan-shaped DN with a wide opening, very soft light in the central spot and uniform illumination in the side zone, makes it possible to achieve a lamp with a cone lampshade (or pineapple?) from bitten plastic spoons based on a PET bottle with a cut bottom, see fig. Effective softening of light is achieved by the fact that the spoons work as translucent bowl-shaped reflectors. They are glued to the bottle and glued together with silicone glue, mounting or glue gun. Cyanoacrylate glue is also suitable, but it must be taken thick. Cheap "superglue" is very fluid, the streaks will spread everywhere and spoil the glossy surfaces of the spoons.

From bottles alone, you can also make good lampshades. For example, a sphere from their bottoms fastened with a stapler, like stopar cups (see the figure for a mini-master class) will give a cardioid pattern; however, in comparison with the "ustakanenny" noticeably distorted. But in the country or in the back rooms, a chandelier made of bottoms is quite useful.

Bottle bottom lampshade

Lampshade-hedgehog from plastic bottles

Romantic soft light, somewhat spotty, but within acceptable limits, will give a ceiling-ball from bottle "hedgehogs"; however, they are more like blooming sea anemones - sea anemones, see photo on the right. It is not difficult to make the “hedgehogs” themselves: the bottoms are cut off from the bottles, the side walls are cut to the scar before narrowing into the neck, the strips are wrapped around the neck, glued with droplets of glue and fixed with threads or tape for reliability. However, to assemble the "hedgehogs" into a ceiling, you will need a transparent spherical base. It is obtained similarly to a lampshade made of threads (see below), only the threads are taken from white nylon or propylene no thicker than the 20th number, and instead of PVA - a colorless water-based acrylic varnish.

A very uniform illumination allows you to achieve, and very decorative, a lampshade made of leaves cut from bottles, see fig. It is assembled on a temporary spherical mandrel, see below.

Lampshade made from homemade plastic leaves

The step-by-step master class in this case is also simple, but it requires patience, accuracy, some additional tool and, possibly, material:

• We are preparing a soldering iron with a bronze nickel-plated tip (for dry soldering) at 40 W or with a conventional copper tip at 25 W;
• If the sting is copper, you will also need a Teflon (fluoroplastic) tape 0.06 mm wide 60-80 mm;
• Cut out the leaves from the bottle. From the point of view of lighting technology, pale green or light brown are better suited;
• With a soldering iron tip (copper - through the film), we slightly melt the edges of the leaves, otherwise they will look unnatural;
• With the tip of the sting (copper also through the film), we “draw” the veins;
• With the plane of the sting between the veins, with light touches, we slightly melt the surface so that, like real leaves, it is not quite smooth;
• Again, with the tip of the sting deeper, but without piercing, we bring out the central vein. It is convenient to do this on a soft heat-resistant lining (coarse calico or felt will go in several layers);
• We put a thread in the central vein and melt it by “winding” the side roller onto the hollow;
• Complex leaves, if required, we form by tying the threads of the leaves;
• Having spread the leaves on the film (now any), we impregnate the threads with acrylic varnish from the pipette. After it dries, the foliage is ready for assembly.

The procedure for making Christmas decorations and lamps from threads is described many times in Runet. For example - video:

Video: do-it-yourself twine / thread lampshade

Here it can only be noted that, firstly, it will take at least 100 m of thread for a medium-sized lampshade. Secondly, it makes no sense to use inflatable balls as mandrels: after 10-20 turns, under the pressure of stretched threads, the ball protrudes where it is not necessary, and the result is something unspeakable. Thirdly, it is also not necessary to pre-soak the threads in flour paste: the product will turn out to be fragile and not moisture resistant.

As a mandrel in the manufacture of a lampshade from threads, it is best to use a tightly inflated chamber from a sports ball or a durable silicone beach ball inflated from a pump through a nipple. The mandrel is lubricated several times with petroleum jelly (lanolin), carefully rubbing it with your hands. It won't hurt the ball in any way; on the contrary, it will prolong its life.

Device for making a lampshade from threads

Further, the thread is wound on the mandrel, continuously pulling through the simplest device, see fig. This mini-impregnating bath, so that it does not accidentally crawl, tip over and douse something with glue, is fixed on the table with adhesive tape; Convenient double sided. The glass is first pierced with a needle and thread, then poured with PVA or acrylic varnish and wound, tightening as necessary. Usually the thread goes through the bath itself, because. glue until it dries is a good lubricant.

When winding, do not forget to leave a window for entering the cable and cartridge - the strength of the cut thread ball drops sharply! A day after its completion, air is released from the mandrel and pulled out through the same window. It, “pro-vaselined”, sticks to the threads very rarely and fragilely: you can tear it off by slightly pulling or pressing it with your finger, and the product remains intact.

Note: jute, sisal or propylene twine can be used instead of thread, but there is a better use for it in a lampshade, see below.

And where is it all?

Plafonds-balls, see fig., Suitable for the nursery, because. form an even soft light. The one on the left is made from paper cupcake wrappers on a thread ball base. Threads - propylene or thin nylon colorless; binder - acrylic varnish. White in the coil, after impregnation with varnish, such threads become almost transparent. Lampshade-ball of cups (on the right) is not so interesting, because the dishes are all the same, but it is more difficult to tear it apart.

Lampshades for children's chandeliers

In the hallway, a hemispherical lampshade from the same cups is more suitable, see fig. on right. With a low lamp power (more precisely, its luminous flux), it will give a bright spot below and acceptable illumination of the rest of the room, so you can use low-heating incandescent lamps of 15-30 watts. The fact is that the resource of economy lamps and LEDs is sharply reduced with frequent on / off. And a low-power incandescent lamp, especially in the hallway, where the light is constantly off, will not significantly increase the cost of electricity.

Chandelier lampshade in the hallway

A special case is the kitchen. The requirements for lighting in it are set out in a previous article. But the lampshade in the kitchen quickly gets dirty, and the soot eats in hard. Recall: bright light contributes to the condensation and bituminization of vapors of organic compounds. This is the sedimentation of soot; the lampshade is illuminated most brightly.

The simplest way out is a disposable paper lampshade. "Bump", as in pos. 1 fig. below, will give just the character of lighting needed in the kitchen, but you will have to do it again quite often. It is better to mold a papier-mâché lampshade on a suitable mandrel, pos. 2. After varnishing with acrylic varnish, it can be gently washed with a cloth with dishwashing detergent, and painted with a blacksmith's patina, it will look like handmade forged and certainly not like some old newspapers.

Lampshades for kitchen lamps

But the lampshade on pos. 3 - juice straws glued to the bottle - an example of an unsuccessful solution. Such a lampshade will give an ideal light for the kitchen (straws work partially as light guides), but it gets dirty quickly, you can’t clean it properly in any way, and the product is laborious. Plastic reflectors for local lighting kitchen lamps are best made from reusable plastic dishes, pos. 4, it is quite durable, inexpensive and easy to clean. Cups with handles and saucers, of course, are a matter of design decision, but bowls without a pattern are what you need.

How to make papier-mâché?

Papier-mâché material is useful for many purposes, so let's recall the technology of its preparation and use:

• Old newspapers, or better, the cheapest unglued writing paper, are torn into shreds about the size of a thumbnail. You will need a lot of paper!
• Scraps to the top fill a suitable dish; say, a liter glass jar.
• In boiling water, dilute 1/3-1/5 by volume of PVA.
• While the solution has not cooled down, fill it with paper pulp.
• Stir until the paper completely spreads into fibers.
• After cooling, papier-mâché is poured into consumable dishes or immediately put into action. You can store paper paste for up to 6 months. in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
• Prepare the next batch in the same way.
• If the paper paste immediately goes to work, you can add the next one to the pasted area of ​​​​the mandrel, while the previous one is still wet and wrinkled with your fingers. If you finish it dry, the product, having dried, may fall apart into “cakes”.
• The workpiece is ready for varnishing, painting, etc. after a week of drying at a temperature of at least 22 degrees. The air temperature around the workpiece must be the same on all sides! It is impossible to dry on a battery, convector, under direct sunlight or an infrared emitter!

tubules

Lampshades and plafonds made of pieces of tubes are most often made for night lamps and lamps in the bedroom: due to the round section, they always have a significant refraction of light, which can be very intimate and romantic, but in most cases it is undesirable for permanent and working lighting. Lampshades made of translucent tubes also give a rather spotty light, see fig.; if you use pieces of a thin transparent PVC hose, then the play of light will turn out to be very beautiful, but you don’t need to look at it for a long time, and even more so read or sew in such light.

Tube lampshade

Paper and other fibrous materials do not refract light much, but the tubes made of them are fragile in themselves. For example, it is better to make a lampshade from newspaper tubes on a frame, see below: precisely because they wrinkle easily, thin paper tubes are an excellent material for weaving. As for the lighting properties, paper, especially pure paper, is excellent.

Lampshade on the frame

Now let's get down to the lampshades, which are suitable for anywhere, incl. and for a table lamp, which can be pushed to the floor with an elbow. In addition, we will set the condition that the lampshade trim can be washed, cleaned, changed at will. Therefore, we do not touch glass or solid hard plastic lampshades; Also, you can't make them at home. That is, let's deal with lampshades on a frame with soft lining.

About lampshade fabrics

The decorative light cover of the lampshade is preferably sewn from fabric with fleecy threads, i.e. natural. Due to diffraction on smooth synthetic filaments, the light penetrating through such a lampshade may turn out to be hard. It is not difficult to choose a fabric for a lampshade by eye: through the sample, turning it smoothly, they look at some compact bright light source; preferably LED, because it gives the most coherent, i.e. orderly, light. The selection criterion is simple: the less moiré fringes observed from different angles of view, the better the fabric.

About lampshade restoration

The frame of the lampshade is quite laborious and technologically complicated, so first you need to look around at the farm: is there a lampshade from an old lamp lying around somewhere. Straightening it, repairing and updating the lampshade with a new cover will be easier than making a frame from scratch.

Homemade tool for measuring large diameters

The discovered “basket” may turn out to be a very fanciful shape, and in order to build patterns (see below), it will be necessary to accurately measure its diameters in several places. In this case, a home-made caliper from 3 wooden slats and a pair of drawing squares will help out. Of course, he will not give the accuracy of the factory gauge, but achievable (+/-1 mm) is enough for cutting and sewing work. An idea of ​​the possibilities of such a tool is given in Fig.

The measurement procedure is 2-stage: on the sponges in the places where they touch the object, marks are made with a pencil, and then the size is taken between the marks with a tape measure. In order for the movable sponge to slide more smoothly, and, accordingly, to measure more accurately, a fluoroplastic film must be placed under the rubber bands holding it. To measure small diameters, the sponges are turned over with squares outward.

Building a pattern

Now we remove the necessary diameters: the lower and upper hoops (D1 and D11 in pos. 1 in the figure), the largest and smallest on the belts (D2, D6, D10), at the bends, i.e. where the curvature of the generatrix changes sign (D4, D8) and at breaks (D5). Others we take more or less evenly between the mandatory ones.

Building a lampshade pattern

The diameters of the pattern of 6 wedges will be, taking into account the tightening of the fabric, equal to half of the measured diameters (pos. 2). If the wedges of the finished sleeve are supposed to be more or less, proportionally change the proportion of the diameter in the corresponding cross section of the pattern. But it's too early to cut and sew.

There, at pos. 2 shows that the stitching allowance is geometrically not completely similar to the template. In knot I (inward kink), this is not so bad: you can sew on a backsleeve and tighten the seam with a cord. If the decor of the lampshade involves ruffles, frills, scallops, etc., then perhaps this is how it should be: small folds will fall into place, and the cord will not be visible in the break of the contour.

However, on the contour shelf (node ​​II), whatever one may say, it is not possible to give an allowance so that the seam does not “leave”. In higher geometry, it is proved why, but we don’t need to climb into this jungle: we will simply cut the paper template along “capricious” diameters at breaks and shelves (pos. 3).

Cover tailoring

Now, how to sew a lampshade according to our patterns? First, separate parts of the sleeve are sewn; in this case bottom, middle and top. Then, the widest adjacent part (here, the middle) is sewn to the widest belt (bottom). Then, in the same way, 2 parts following the width are sewn together, etc. The bottom line is that the shortest transverse seam (we have Seam 2) is sewn last. In this sample, after sewing the bottom with the middle, the top is sewn to them. The tailoring of the cover is completed by trimming the excess allowances, except for the lower and upper collars. The edges must be hemmed.

Frame cover

The next stage is the landing of the cover on the frame. Here the machine can be sent to the closet: the work is exclusively manual. Step by step, the covering of the frame of the lampshade with a cover is carried out as follows:

• The cover is turned inside out (that it was sewn from the inside, probably, and so it is clear) and put on the frame;
• Wrap inward and stitch the top lapel;
• Tighten and trim the fabric to the first fold (here - D8). If there was no hoop in the original sample, it must be placed in advance, see below;
• The fabric is basted to the ribs of the frame from top to bottom alternately, and to the hoop at the inflection;
• Repeat paragraphs. 3 and 4 to the next bend (now D5), and so on to the bottom hoop;
• Wrap and stitch the bottom lapel.

How the simplest lampshade frame of a table lamp or floor lamp is arranged can be seen in pos. 1 fig. Hanging for a chandelier is different in that the ring will be at the top, the extensions from it will go to the upper hoop, and then additional holes are needed in the ring for attaching the suspension.

Lampshade frame device

The ring is cut out of a well-soldered and sufficiently strong sheet metal (bronze, brass, galvanized steel 0.4-2 mm thick) or durable plastic from 1 mm. A computer disk is suitable, under the E10 cartridge it will only need to drill holes for extensions and fasteners. The main dimensions of the ring for the E27 cartridge with fastening with union shaped nuts (pos. 3) are given in pos. 2. But it is unacceptable to make a ring for fastening in the gap between the body and the chuck collar with a skirt (pos. 4)! Such cartridges are fastened only with a threaded fitting in the cover!

How stretch marks are attached to the ring is shown in pos. 5: their blanks are not completely bent with a hook, inserted into the mounting holes and gently squeezed with pliers. Then, if the ring is metal, solder (see below). If plastic - fix with drops of superglue or silicone.

solder assembly

Frame parts are made of plastic steel wire with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm or bicycle spokes. The latter are much stronger, do not rust and do not require painting, but they must be bent carefully and they are soldered worse. To solder the frame you will need:

• Soldering iron of at least 65 W (preferably 100-150 W).
• 6% orthophosphoric acid solution. Sold, for soldering, in radio shops and construction. Orthophosphoric acid is also available as food additive E338 in the form of needle-like colorless hygroscopic crystals.
• Flux paste (gel for soldering), always with borax.
• Thin, 0.15-0.35 mm bare copper wire. You can take the veins from the electrical wire.
• Solder POS-30 or POS-40. They are refractory (which is why you need a powerful soldering iron), but much stronger than POS-61 and other fusible ones.

Note: phosphoric acid of medium strength, highly toxic and / or caustic fumes does not exude. But still, when working with it, you need to take precautions - wear goggles and gloves (household latex will do).

The key procedures for assembling the frame on soldering are shown in fig.

Soldering of steel parts

The phased brazed steel frame is assembled as follows:

• The ends of the linear blanks are kept for 3-4 minutes in acid (pos. 1), and then rinsed in water (pos. 2). Water needs at least 1 liter, and after 4-5 washes it must be changed.
• If the soldering is in the middle or the part is bent, soak a clean white rag in acid and wrap the place of soldering with it. They hold for about half a minute, then rinse the rags in acid, wrap the place of soldering with it again, and so on until the total time the acid acts on the metal reaches the same 3-4 minutes. After acid treatment, the part in this case is washed under running water for 1-2 minutes.
• Without touching the treated areas with bare fingers, the frame is completely assembled without soldering: the butt joints are tight, but not tight, i.e. with intervals between turns of 1.5-2 mm, wrapped with copper wire, pos. 3 and 4, and apply 2-3 drops of flux paste to each joint. Places of rations at the crosshairs of parts are wrapped with 2-3 turns of copper wire crosswise and fluxed with 1-2 drops.
• Semi-dry, i.e. without a hanging drop of solder, the rations are heated with a soldering iron tip until the flux spreads through all the cracks, pos. 5. It is not necessary to heat the flux to a boil and the appearance of vapors is not necessary. Also, the final result will be better if you heat the flux with a separate soldering iron with a dry bronze nickel-plated tip.
• They collect a drop of solder, apply it to the place of soldering (pos. 6) and heat it until it flows everywhere, as before the flux. The excess solder hanging below is carefully removed with a soldering iron tip. It is impossible to apply unmelted solder in the form of a flexible wire, and refractory solders are produced mainly in rods.

Fabric or twine?

Propylene packaging twine and paper tubes have good lighting properties. If the lampshade is made of woven twine or newspaper tubes, it will give an even soft light, and complex cutting and sewing work will disappear. But in the frame for a wicker lampshade, firstly, there must be at least 10-12 ribs evenly spaced around the circumference.

Note: if the frame is of a simple shape, then only 3-4 ribs can be load-bearing (steel) in it. Let the rest be at least made of straw, they are glued to the upper and lower hoops.

Secondly, to get the rims at the top and bottom, respectively. the training is either doubled in height, with a gap of 2-3 cm, or strips of thin metal or hard plastic of the same width are attached to them. Headbands are needed for decorative reasons: a solid one is wrapped with twine or a tube, and if the headband is double, weaving can be started with a figure eight. The entire side surface is braided like a basket.

Stained glass lampshade

Stained glass lampshades form the luminous flux mainly by refraction, so they are more suitable for the living room.

stained glass lampshades and plafonds

Fragments of stained glass are made of rhinestones, faceted or cabochons. A stained-glass lampshade is assembled on a heat-resistant mandrel (for example, a steel bucket) using the Tiffany technique. But compared to a stained-glass window for a window or door, here, since the connections of the elements are not continuous, but point-like, there are significant differences:

• Solder is used only durable refractory, the same as for the lampshade frame, as well as flux with borax.
• The framing of rhinestones before soldering is made only from a special copper foil - folia - 3-15 mm wide, depending on the width of the crystal rim.
• The protective film is removed from the foil immediately before applying it to the crystal; do not touch the outer (soldered) surface of the foil with bare hands!
• Also, you can not postpone the soldering of rhinestones wrapped in foil for tomorrow: copper will have time to oxidize, and the joints will turn out to be fragile.
• Upon completion of the soldering and thorough washing of the flux residues (with a rag with alcohol; then with distilled water), the soldering is copper-plated, applying a thick blue solution of copper sulfate with a brush.
• The remains of vitriol are washed off under running water. You can’t rub with a brush or even with cotton wool, because. the copper film on the solder is very thin.

A small surprise - about New Year's chandeliers and lampshades

New Year is coming soon, it's time to make Christmas decorations and holiday decorations. And a Christmas chandelier. Chandelier? Yes. Remember how the festive mood falls if the overhead light is turned on in the room with the Christmas tree. For some, no, but New Year's lighting should correspond to the spirit of the holiday. Let's postpone lighting engineering until serious days, nothing from the festive light will happen to us in a few evenings. Cause, it's time, but it's also an hour of fun.

Christmas chandeliers

Usually a New Year's chandelier is a Christmas wreath attached to the chandelier in the living room with light bulbs woven into it. But even an experienced electrician would not need to engage in electrical work at height in the pre-holiday turmoil. And what if the tree is in the nursery, where is the paper chandelier? Then you can at least buy inexpensive plastic blanks for Christmas balls, a garland with colorless light bulbs, stick them into balls, and hang such a pile (on the left in the figure) where it is more convenient.

If the design of the “everyday” chandelier is suitable, you can screw candle lamps into it and decorate it with the same balls or, for example, painted cones, right there. Or you can try a little and make a New Year's jasmine chandelier with your own hands, as in the video below. New Year is New Year, whatever you say.

You probably already noticed that I love cardboard, and my favorite products are.

Making this lamp, I again combined these two things, making a few mistakes, and learning something new!

The lamp itself is a dodecahedron, or dodecahedron in the common people, which consists of pentagons connected together. The assembly itself is not as difficult as it may seem, but it will definitely require a lot of time and patience from you. But I guarantee you, you will be satisfied with the result!

Step 1: What we need

Cardboard. I used thin cardboard as it is easier to cut. You will also need a knife, hot glue, PVA, and an LED lamp.

Step 2: Security Measures

Pay special attention to the fact that we use LED lamps. Such lamps will not heat the cardboard, which means they are fireproof. This is especially true if there are cats, dogs or small children in the house who can drop the lamp.

Step 3: Draw the Pentagons

I started by drawing 11 pentagons of the same size. Just in case you forgot the geometry, all sides of a pentagon are the same.

Each side of the pentagon is 6 cm, but of course it depends on what size lamp you need. The most important part, again, is that all pentagons are the same.

The easiest way to draw them is to make one layout, which you can then simply outline.

Step 4: Cut out the details

Now you need to draw in each of the 11 pentagons 5 more small pentagons. The distance between them is approximately 6 mm.

When everything is drawn, it remains to cut out each pentagon with a clerical knife.

This is the longest stage, but not so difficult;)

Step 5: Lampshade Assembly

I think from the photo you have already understood in what order the pentagons are attached (or rather glued) to each other. The final shape is very reminiscent of a star, isn't it? :)

You can glue on PVA or hot glue, I used PVA, but there is not much difference.

Step 6: Lampshade Assembly

Now that all the parts are ready, you can start assembling the lampshade.

First of all, I put one pentagon in front of me, applied hot glue to two adjacent sides, and glued two other pentagons to them so that they were connected to each other on one side (see first photo). This side, on which they are connected, must also be glued.

Then it remains to glue the remaining sides. Hot glue is very convenient to use at this stage, because it sets immediately.

Well, that's all, the lampshade is ready!

Step 7: Making the Lamp Base

To make the base, you need to cut pentagons again, the same size as for the lampshade. Their number depends on how large the cartridge of your light bulb is. The larger the cartridge, the higher the base should be, the more details will need to be cut.

The width of each side of the pentagon this time should be slightly wider, that is, about 1 cm.

When all the pentagons are ready, just glue them together.

Almost all owners of apartments and private houses periodically update the interior of their homes. This process is different for everyone, but the common thing is certain changes and adjustments made to the design of the premises. One of the first places in the interior is rightfully occupied by lighting devices, especially with lampshades in the original design. A truly exclusive solution can be a do-it-yourself paper chandelier. Made in a variety of options, it will decorate the interior, occupying a central place in it. For the manufacture of paper chandeliers, any materials at hand are used, so the finished product comes out not only original, but also inexpensive.

How to make a paper chandelier with your own hands

Compared to mass-produced items, handmade items have always been valued much higher. This statement fully applies to homemade chandeliers, which become not only a decoration of the premises, but also an excellent souvenir for a gift to friends, relatives and acquaintances.

What is needed in order to make a lampshade with your own hands for a paper chandelier? First of all, you need to decide on the basic concept of the future lamp and choose the material for its manufacture. Depending on your own imagination, you can use wire, thread, lace, glass jars, balloons and many other suitable items.

Especially popular is paper, which is best suited for construction. Lamps and chandeliers made of paper look light and airy. They soften and smooth out all sharp corners, create subdued diffused light, an unusual, romantic and mysterious atmosphere. Paper lamps can be made in any style that is most suitable for a particular room.

DIY paper chandelier: step by step instructions

Currently, when decorating rooms, oriental style is becoming more and more popular. Such trends have not bypassed the chandeliers made by hand. Their original design adds lively colors, brightness, and festive sensations to the interior. To obtain such results, examples of Chinese chandeliers and lamps, recreated using paper and other improvised materials, are most often used.

First of all, it is necessary to think over the design and design of the paper chandelier, and only after that all components and components should be selected. To make a chandelier, you can use plain or rice paper. It is recommended to choose translucent, white or colored sheets. To give the future product the maximum resemblance to the Chinese original, you should still take rice paper for work.

It is best to purchase a new cartridge. Old cartridges can be used after careful inspection, in the absence of visible defects and damage. Light bulbs used in paper chandeliers should not get hot. Therefore, the best option would be. Additionally, you will need wooden planks for the frame, a ruler and a pencil, a stationery knife, an awl and threads.

The assembly procedure is performed in the following sequence:

• A scheme is preliminarily drawn up according to which the markup will be made. Use the reverse side of the paper for marking.
• The paper is then carefully folded along the marked lines. This is an important stage of the whole operation, on which the appearance of the future chandelier depends.
• Next, the cartridge and the light bulb are assembled into a single whole.
• At the next stage, the frame is assembled, in accordance with the dimensions of the paper lampshade.
• The last step is to attach the paper elements to the frame. Paper can be glued or simply inserted into wooden frames. In the future, this will greatly facilitate the replacement of light bulbs and avoid damage to the lampshade.

The main difficulty lies in the correct assembly of the frame, which is the basis of the entire chandelier. If all actions are performed correctly, you will get an even and beautiful product. It remains only to apply the painting to your taste, and the chandelier is ready for use.

Lampshade for a chandelier made of paper tubes

One of the original and unusual options for paper chandeliers is a lampshade, for the manufacture of which paper tubes are used. This design, in addition to ceiling lamps, is perfect for table lamps, floor lamps and wall sconces, thanks to a soft, subdued light.

Paper tubes are used as the main elements of this structure. For their manufacture, you can take a newspaper or colored paper. The most important thing is that the resulting lampshade fits organically into the interior. The required number of tubes is made in accordance with the dimensions of the lamp, but not less than 100 units. Their fastening is carried out with PVA glue, as a result of which the desired shape is gradually formed, which can be square, round, oval or arbitrary. Most often, a do-it-yourself paper ball chandelier is obtained, which fits into the interiors of most rooms.

Laying out the tubes begins with the first row, and then all other elements are built up on it. It is necessary to pay attention to the correct construction of the walls. At first, they should gradually expand towards the center, that is, the diameter of the entire structure increases, and after passing through the middle of the lampshade, it also gradually decreases. After drying, the finished lampshade can be painted in the desired color by applying paint from a spray can. As a result, the product is solid and even, without any defects.

Chandelier with butterflies

There are other options for making such lampshades. For example, do-it-yourself butterflies applied to a paper chandelier will be a rather original solution.

The finished product is most often used. In addition to traditional materials, you will additionally need thick cardboard used for the base of the lampshade. Silhouettes of butterflies are cut out on this cardboard in advance according to the template. When you turn on the light, they cast beautiful original shadows on the walls.

There are many other options for homemade chandeliers made not only from paper. They can be made from any inexpensive materials that are most suitable for your interior.

Master Class

To make something with your own hands and then decorate your house - why not be especially proud? Homemade things allow you to unleash your creative potential and at the same time save a lot. And the independent production of lamps is no exception. Today you can find various ways to make a lighting fixture with your own hands. To do this, it is enough to drive into the search line "a paper lamp how to make it yourself." But you no longer need to do this, because in this article we will try to give the most complete answer to this question. Here we will touch on the most malleable material for a lamp - paper.

Our article will also help you understand whether you can handle such a job and whether a paper lamp is suitable for your interior.

Paper - what could be easier?

Light from a paper lamp

Lightness and airiness - this is what many people associate with paper. Therefore, the paper lamp will also take on these properties, bringing with it to various interiors:

• unusual;
• softening and smoothing angularity;
• creating a diffused and subdued light, giving an atmosphere of romance and mystery.

Today, paper lighting fixtures are associated with Asia and the East. It was here that not only paper appeared for the first time, but also products made from it: umbrellas, lanterns, etc. The East, as they say, is a delicate matter. This statement is beautifully brought to life with the help of paper and creativity, which is reborn into unique and unique lamps.
Despite the fact that China is considered the birthplace of paper, paper lighting fixtures can be safely made in a different style:

• Japanese
• Chinese;
• pop art;
• eclecticism;
• country;
• vintage, etc.

Note! Only by making a lamp with your own hands, you can perfectly match it with the rest of the interior, emphasizing or connecting together all the directions of the design used.

Since it is quite easy to work with paper, and you can find it in the house in almost unlimited quantities, today there are the most diverse options for assembling paper lamps. Consider the simplest and most popular of them.

Since paper was first made in China, it is logical to start by creating a Chinese-style lighting fixture.

Chinese style lamp

Many people prefer to make paper lamps in the Chinese style, as in this case it turns out to bring brightness, lively colors and a sense of celebration into the interior. All this can be achieved with a Chinese lamp.
From the materials you will need:

• paper. It can be rice or regular. It is desirable that the sheets of paper be translucent, colored or white;

Note! For the closest possible resemblance to the original Chinese folk lamps, you should work with rice paper.

• cartridge. It can be bought on the market or taken from an old chandelier;
• bulb. Since the lamp will be made of paper, non-heated light bulbs should be chosen as the light source. It is best to opt for LED bulbs.

In addition to the materials themselves, you will need some tools:

Diagram of a Chinese lantern

• pencil and ruler;
• stationery knife;
• awl;
• a thread.

The assembly of the lamp will take place as follows:

• make markings on the back of the paper. Thus, it will turn out to create a relief. To make a Chinese lantern, you need a scheme according to which markings are made;
• we bend the paper according to the markings in order to get an accordion in the right places. Do not rush in this matter, since how smooth and beautiful the flashlight will turn out will depend on the accuracy of execution;
• we collect the cartridge and the light bulb together;
• make holes in the lower part with an awl and thread a thread through it;
• we wrap our paper lampshade around the cartridge. The edges of the paper sheet can be glued or simply laid on top of each other. The last option will help you quickly change light bulbs without damaging the lampshade.

Finished lanterns

The difficulty here can arise only in the correct folding of the base of the lampshade. As a result, you will get a beautiful and almost authentic Chinese lantern. To give it a more beautiful appearance, you can paint the lampshade with paint, applying Chinese characters or stylized drawings to it.

lamp frame

In Japan, paper products are also very popular and widespread. Therefore, you can safely use Japanese motifs when creating a paper lamp. Paper (preferably rice paper) is also the main element here. But now it will be supplemented with bamboo sticks. Note! Bamboo grows in Japan, so this element will look great in the overall exposure of the lamp.
Here for work you will need the following list of materials:

• paper tracing paper (for lack of rice sheets);
• ceramic cartridge with a small base;
• thread, preferably thick;
• stain;
• piece of MDF. Can be replaced with plywood;
• wire with switch and plug.

Of the tools you need to have on hand:

• PVA glue;
• sandpaper;

Finished Japanese paper lamp

• scissors;
• file;
• square;
• brush.

For the base, we take plastic corners, bamboo / wooden slats or wire. We collect the base of the lamp according to the following scheme:

• we clean the rails with sandpaper and cut them to the height we need. This will be the height of the entire lamp;
• on the rails we make markings in the places of gluing. They will help to make an even and beautiful frame;
• we coat the joints with glue and assemble the slats into a single structure. For strength, corner joints should be knitted with a thick thread. This will help to strengthen the base, as well as give it a decorative look. The frame itself can be round or square;
• MDF sheet will be used as a cover. In the sheet we make a hole for the cartridge;
• after that, all wooden structural elements are stained. Lacquer can be applied over it. Such protection will make the tree resistant to the negative effects of moisture and protect it from tree insects;
• now it remains to attach paper sheets to the frame. They can be left clean, but it is better to pre-apply a Japanese pattern or character here. Sheets are simply glued to the frame.

This is a slightly more complex version of the lamp in terms of implementation. But on the other hand, it turns out to be more durable and of high quality, which will positively affect the life of the lighting device.

Glass and paper

The easiest to make with your own hands will be a glass lamp. This is a portable table lamp that is very quick and easy to make. To make such a lighting fixture, you will need:

• a thin sheet of paper (you can print a specific pattern on it);
• round and tall glasses;
• wire with a thickness of 1-2 mm;
• tablet candles.

Of the tools you will need:

• scissors;
• PVA glue;
• pliers;
• stationery knife;
• scotch.

The algorithm of actions here is as follows:

curved wire

• bend the wire with pliers so that it takes on the form shown in the photo. A candle-tablet will be placed on its lower part. The length of the wire should ultimately be slightly longer than the height of the glass. So it will be much more convenient to remove the candle from the container;

• the glass itself should be decorated with a sheet of paper on which the pattern you like is applied. The sheet is carefully glued to the glass. The top of the container can be decorated with gypsum or polymer clay.

Ready glass

As you can see, here you need a minimum of effort and time, and as a result you will get a beautiful lamp, perfect for a romantic dinner or just a quiet, relaxing evening of relaxation.

Paper straws

Probably the most original and unusual lighting device in our “paper” history will be a lamp made of paper tubes. This lampshade can decorate any lamp:

• chandelier;
• table lamp;
• floor lamp;
• wall sconce.

Tube lampshade

Such a lampshade will give a soft and subdued light, which will become a real highlight of any interior, made in any style. Here, as you might guess, the main and only elements of the entire structure will be paper tubes. They can be wound both from newspapers and from colored paper. The main thing to remember is that the appearance of the lampshade should complement the interior in the room.
The number of tubes depends on the size of the lamp on which it will be worn. The “pipe minimum” to be screwed on is 100 pieces. Between themselves, the tubes are attached using the same PVA glue, thus forming the necessary shape:

• round;
• oval;
• square;
• arbitrary.

First, the first row is laid out, and then the entire structure is built up on it.

Note! The walls here need to be built in such a way that the lampshade expands towards the center. To do this, the diameter of the mold must be gradually increased, and after the middle - gradually reduced.

If desired, the resulting lampshade, after it dries, can be painted with spray paint. The result is a one-piece product without flaws.
This is not a complete list of possible options for making a paper lamp. But these are the most popular methods that are implemented easily and quickly.

Conclusion

As you can see, making a paper lamp with your own hands is quite simple. It does not require expensive materials or a lot of time. If you follow the instructions exactly, you will be able to quickly cope with the task, and a new, beautiful and, without undue modesty, original lighting fixture will appear in your house.