So I had a different project that I was going to post today, an update version of my Book Pages Pendant Lantern from Project 19, but then I started working on this light idea, and I am so excited by the results I just couldn’t wait to show you guys!
My inspiration and guide was this light from Design*Sponge, that I spotted on Pinterest.
I really liked the idea, and I had a roll of white vellum lying around left over from college that I thought would look beautiful. So I started cutting triangles. And then I started glueing. And cutting more and glueing more. And it was at about the third round of this cycle that I realized, this light was going to take longer than I had anticipated. But honestly, all the work was worth it in the end because I love it!
The roll of vellum that I was using was 24 inches long. I would unroll a manageable size piece maybe 12 inches or so wide, and cut it off the roll. I cut off two pieces roughly the same size and then cut those down to be 9 inches long. Of course if I had just decided to use an 8 inch long triangle, then I could have gotten three pieces out of my 24 inch length instead of just two, but I was tired when I first started this project and I missed that point. But anyway, I then had a bunch of pieces of vellum that were a roughly random width, and all 9 inches long (or tall, however you think about it.) The top and bottom edge of my pieces were the curled sides, so if I had let all my pieces curl back up they would all be cylinders exactly 9 inches tall. The reason I’m obsessing about this detail is because once I cut my triangles (3 inches wide at the top, the full 9 inches long) the curl was side to side along the 3 inch edge, and wasn’t down along the length of the triangle. I think this really helped give each piece strength, and was one of the reasons they stuck straight out from the lantern. Its just a theory, but I think cutting the pieces in this direction is certainly better than having each long triangle be all curly.
I think I glued the pieces on much closer than they did in the Design*Sponge tutorial, but I wanted a really full look. I’d say each new row was approximately 1/2 inch above the layer below, starting at the bottom and working upwards. I would usually leave a bit of space between each piece, but I wasn’t super exact. I did make sure to off center each new row so that the spaces between each piece were covered with the overlap, though eventually each piece was covered by so many compiled rows it didn’t really matter. Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of room for error, and while it was a lot of work, it was also a pretty fool proof concept!
All in all I think the light is pretty awesome, and I can’t wait to post it on Etsy, though I’m a little bit worried about shipping. It will easily fit in a box, but the upper layers will be pushed down to follow the curve of the original paper lantern, and I’m a little worried that they won’t bounce back. I think I’m going to place the light in a box overnight or maybe for a day or two, and then see if the shape is still there, before posting it for sale. I wouldn’t want someone to expect one thing and get another in the mail! And if the shape completely flattens, well I’ll just have to re-photograph it.
So I know I need to get back to my 30x30x3 projects, but this light took me by surprise with its shape and fantastic outcome, and I just couldn’t wait to share! Hopefully I can spend the weekend coming up with my next project and will have something new to show everyone early next week.
For now, have a lovely weekend and hopefully the weather is warmer where you are, since NYC is having a bit of Winter 2.0 at the moment and I am not happy about it!
Ciao, Allison
**UPDATE: This light is going to be featured as the cover of Hannah Nunn’s new book ‘Illuminate’ due in November 2012. Check out the cover in this post!
What a striking lamp, Allison. Kinda looks like someone with a layered, spiky haircut – lol! Punky looking. Glad to hear you enjoyed the process and the result. That’s the most satisfying feeling.
This seriously looks amazing. It makes me want to try it, although I’m sure you’re not joking that it took a long time – you must be very patient! But I think your result is worth it.
It’s amazing! DS just tweeting this – you should get lots of hits/comments/questions. Can’t wait to hear when you post it and how it ships. Oh! And I’d love one!
Yes, I do think it looks like a punky haircut but heck punk is in, right. What I love is the illumination when the light is on. Is it because of the Vellum? I wonder how it would look with cellophane paper? What kind of bulbs did you use? What kind of glue? Just curious.
Allison, you did a great job! You have the patience of a saint. Wouldn’t this look great in a teenager’s room? It has a feeling of a 1970′s Lava lamp. Don’t you think or maybe it’s just me.
A beautiful design. Consider this your SAMPLE. Contact a lamp company. They can reproduce in plastic which will SHIP much better. YOU HAVE SOMETHING very special here! Make it work to the most for YOU. Best! Carol M. Kimball ck8904@comcast.net
gorgeous!
What can I say but WOW! That is fabbo!
WOW! that is so beautiful, the photography is amazing. I do not think I have the patience to complete this as perfectly as you did…kudos!
Wow, thank you for all the wonderful comments! What a great way to wake up in the morning. Let’s see, there were some questions…
Glue. I used Sobo glue, though I could have just as easily used Elmer’s. I started using the Sobo instead because the bottle I have happens to be a bit thicker than usual, which I thought was good for the vellum which didn’t stick quite as well as normal paper might. I also liked that the Sobo had a flat top to the nozzle, so I could really smear the glue around on the top edge of each triangle piece. However, next time I might just use Elmer’s, since I recently inherited about 4 bottles from a friend.
Light bulb. I took the photos using a standard 25 watt incandescent bulb. It was the lowest wattage I had on hand. However, I just swapped out that bulb for an 11 watt CFL from Ikea (equivalent to 50 watts) and it looks pretty much the same. This Ikea bulb has a round exterior shape, and a slightly softer light than most CFLs, which looks great with the vellum. I think the lower the wattage of the bulb, the softer the light quality.
The vellum really glows in such a nice way. Would regular paper look similar? I honestly have no idea. But there is something fantastic about the way the vellum just glows. I think that would probably be lost with regular paper.
Carol that’s an amazing idea, I would love to get this manufactured by a lighting company, if only I knew how to get started with that process! I think it would look great in a harder plastic, but I wouldn’t have the first clue of who to contact about that. Oh well. I do plan on packing it away in a box later today, to see how the vellum holds up. I may have an updated shape to show everyone in a few days, who knows?!
Thanks again for everyone’s thoughts, I’m sure other DIYers feel the same way, but sometimes when you make a project like this you just love it so much that putting it out into the world is a bit scary because, what if other people don’t love it as much as you do? So its always nice to have some validation.
Ciao! Allison
Hey girl, I am LOVING your lamp. It is super cool, and I HAVE to check out the rest of your blog now, because I’m loving what you are doing here. How fun, and I bet I will get TONS of great inspiration. This is just the kind of blog, I am always searching for, since I am always obsessing with how I can turn trash into awesome projects.
I am featuring your beautiful lamp on my facebook page.
Stop by anytime to say hello!!!
**AMAZE ME AUGUST** @ Bella Before and After AND while you are there, make sure you enter my giveaway for a BEAUTIFUL ROSE pendant necklace. I appreciate the support girl!
Hugs,
Bella
beautiful * You can ship in a box that actually hangs it in the box with a big “this end up “sigh on it check with a shipping company
I am simply drooling here! You have a new fan too! Stunning work, simply stunning!
Wow! Absolutely FANTASTIC! Well done you!
This is amazing! I have 2 or 3 paper lanterns that have small tears in them since I moved and I wasn’t sure if I could save them so I was just gonna toss them, but this has definitely inspired me and given me a fun new way to save them and refresh their look! Thanks so much and awesome work!
**SHIPPING UPDATE:
So I carefully slid the lantern down into a box, and left it there for a day. Then I just turned the box over and slid it out from the bottom, so that I was always pulling it along in the direction from top to bottom, the same way the paper falls.
And… it popped right back out as full as ever! I don’t know if its the vellum or what, but this light just won’t lie flat even when I force it that way! Needless to say, I’m thrilled because now I don’t have to worry too much about shipping. I’m still a little nervous about the bottom part, but I’m hoping some big “THIS SIDE UP” signs will help.
At least that’s one big worry satisfied. Now I can hopefully get it posted on Etsy some day soon.
A
absolutely incredible! I love it
Love it, when will it be for sale?
As soon as I get my act together and get it posted on Etsy! Hopefully in the next day or two, fingers crossed!
An unbelievable lamp – thank you for the tutorial – the lamp is beautiful!
i want one lol
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Swoon….I’m inspired!! Going to try this! Thanks for sharing!
This is totally awesome, but I’m just wondering, how close is the paper to the bulb b/c I’m just thinking putting a lightbulb inside of paper=fire hazard.
The paper is all glued to a pre-existing chinese paper lantern, just like in the original Design*Sponge tutorial, so none of the paper is any closer to the light bulb than the existing paper lantern. My feeling is, since those don’t seem to be fire hazards then my light wouldn’t be either. The size of the light bulb is important though, I used a 12″ paper lantern and the maximum recommended wattage is 60 watts, so I think as long as you don’t use a bulb higher than 60 watts you should be just fine.
Allison
I’m not sure this is the best reasoning. I’d worry that the extra stuff around the original lamp might act as an insulator, increasing the average temperature and hence the fire risk. It might be wise to check whether the interior temp differs from that of the plain Chinese lantern. It’s a beautiful lamp, though!
When look close its seems to be very shart, but fom the few metres it’s fluffy and pretty
Absolutely amazing. And I was just looking for an easy lamp project for my drawing room. Found it. Thanks for posting!
Love it! I want one please
uuuuuuum….I can’t…stop…looking…at it….MUST HAVE ONE!! u sellin it? lol i would totally buy this from u
Aw, that’s so nice! Unfortunately I found these lights absolutely can not ship without getting pretty badly damaged.
But maybe you can just make your own! If you do, I’d love to see the results!
Really, really inspiring! May I ask how long it took u to do this amazing project?
I was curious as to what the lamp looks like upside down. Like, It has a lot more volume than the lamps I’ve seen on design sponge (ingenious to use vellum BTW). And I was wondering what the lamp would look like if it had even more volume and was put upside down… Any way you could take a picture of it? I am absolutely on tenterhooks.
Unfortunately this light sold and was shipped off, so I can’t take a photo of it upside down. (And actually got damaged during shipping, which is why I no longer sell it.) But, I can tell you that it looked pretty much the same. See each triangle of vellum was slightly curved, so it really held its shape, so the same strength that made them stand straight out, meant they also didn’t fall open all that much more than they already were.
As for how long it took, its hard to say because I worked on it over a few different sessions, but I’d estimate at least 10-15 hours. Because I had to cut out all the triangles, and then glue them on, it was a really time consuming project. I also really packed them in there, if I did a second one I’d probably have each layer a bit more spaced out.
Allison
sooo inspiring! such a great idea. would it be possible for you to post the link to the design sponge tutorial? i searched the d*s site & can’t seem to find it. i’m dying to make one for my dining room. thanks!
If you click on the words Design*Sponge (they are in blue) that is the link to the tutorial. And I just checked, it still works.
- Allison
Dang, your light is just gorgeous! I’ve got this linked to my post today on pendant lights – for inspiration!!!
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I can say only one thing after read this post… It’s awesome design… I am also selling pendant light on my retail store… But, it’s really undue design for pendant and come to know by Decor Hacks… Thanks for sharing your project…
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I love this! So unique and such a conversation starter when guests come over.
What did it look like before you glued it all on? Just trying to picture it from the beginning. Love it! Thanks!
I don’t have any before pictures, but if you look at the original Design*Sponge tutorial, they have some process photos that might help.
Allison
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AAAaand now I know what to do with my roll of vellum..
AWESOME lamp!!
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Fabulous light designs! Nice work! Thanks for doing this blog.
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what kind of vellum have you used? how many gram per square meter?
Oh gosh, I have no idea… I was using a roll of left over vellum from Architecture school, so the label was long gone, though I’m not sure I ever knew the answer to that question, sorry!!
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I wonder what it would look like using colored Vellum….trying this next week! Awesome idea!
This is so lovley! any changes about selling? Shipping in a better box or so? I want to buy one!
Sorry, no. I’m sure with a lot of effort and some trial and error it could be done, but I just don’t have the interest. Plus honestly the light was so much work I don’t really want to have to make a bunch to sell… Sorry!
Allison
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I just love your lamp!!! could you tell me what weight vellum you used? and for the light did you use a lamp kit?
thank you
kay nevels
Hi, You know people keep asking me what weight vellum and I just don’t know. It was a left over roll from college, so the packaging was long gone, and honestly I’m not sure I even knew originally what weight it was. It wasn’t super thick though, more like regular paper than anything else. And for the light I usually use the Hemma light bulb cords from Ikea, they are cheap and easy. But you can buy a cord anywhere, any hardware or lighting store will probably have one.
Good luck! Allison
Do you know how many triangle strips you used over all? I’m planning on making a BIG one, so I trying to determine how many rolls of vellum I should buy.
I’m sorry but I have no idea… It also depends on how closely you space the triangles. I’d start with only one roll, because it can be pricey, and then go from there. Good luck, and I’d love to see the end result!
Allison
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ok but there isn’t an actual tutorial here? steps, indications. thanx for a ton of pics that don’t show you what to do.
I’m sorry if you were looking for clearer instructions, did you try looking at the Design*Sponge post that I used as a guide? Because that post shows process photos, and that’s what I used to make my own. Basically you cut out triangles, any size you want really, and then you glue them onto a paper lantern, starting at the bottom. There’s not a whole lot more to it than that, you can use longer/skinnier triangles or shorter/fatter ones, you can space them really close to each other or further apart, every variable is a personal decision and each product is probably going to look a bit different no matter how hard you try to follow the same steps. That’s kind of what I love about this!
I hope this helps, maybe if you had a specific question I could try answering that? Thanks, Allison
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I have been searching for the right kind of velum for 3 weeks. I’ve bought many rolls that don’t seem to be what’s in the picture. “Drafting Film” seems to be the thickest so far but there is NO curl to it. No one at the drafting supply places seem to know of a ‘thick’ velum. They all keep referring to ‘the standard’ which seems too flimsy to possibly work. I am dying to make this light. I just can’t get my hands on the thick velum. Someone please help!
Hi Laura, I don’t know what to tell you, except to say the vellum I used really wasn’t that thick, maybe a bit heavier than printer paper but not much. Have you tried the vellums that you have purchased? Honestly with the paper I used I never expected the results I got, so all I can suggest is to try whatever paper you found and maybe you’ll have surprising results too> I really don’t know what else to say, it was a leftover roll and the label was long since gone so I have no idea what weight it was but I do know it really wasn’t all that thick, standard vellum. I’d love to hear if you are able to get a test to work, or what problems you run into, and I’m so sorry I can’t be more help!
Allison
Hey Allison, I love the lamp and can´t stop thinking about it! I have the same problem as Laura G. I bought the vellum roll but it weights just 40gr and they don´t sell anything thicker in rolls. I have not tried it yet but I have the feeling it´s not thick enough. What´s the weight of the vellum that you used?
Thanks!
Hi, So unfortunately I really have no idea what the weight of the vellum I used was, it was a left over roll from a school project and so the wrapping or label was long since gone. But honestly, it wasn’t that thick, maybe slightly thicker than computer printer paper, but not much. All I can suggest is trying out a small sample and seeing if it works? Otherwise I don’t know what to suggest, I’m sorry I don’t have a more concrete answer for you guys!
Allison
Hi everyone I have just bought some Matt acetate from Blink art materials online I bought .05″ and .03″ and it is about the same thickness as standard paper. I bough an Opaque matt i am going to try both http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-dura-lar-matte/ single sheets. Acetate is heat resistant . good luck