Lamp Shade Project *Supplemental

This time last year, I was on the hunt for the perfect lampshade. 

If I may, I'd like to make an addition to that list - if for no other reason than to be able to have a lampshade, currently selling online for a criminal 1000 dollars, and make it for as little as 20 - 30 dollars. 

That's 15 - 20 euro to us.

The Rhododendron Chandelier below is for sale at $998 at Anthropologie. That's right......$998 for a lampshade!

But now you can create your own at a fraction of that cost and all you need is a pendant lamp from IKEA (cost 2.50) and some cupcake paper liners that you can buy on ebay (for approx 10 euro) 

Origami Lights Project

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Traditionally in Ireland you can never count on the Summer to be:
1. Warm
2. Sunny
3. Warm and sunny at the same time

This is why September and October are my favourite months in the year. With the low sun casting a warm glow and with everything turning orange, red and golden yellow it gives the veiled impression that there is a warm feeling in the air.
That warm feeling could also have something to do with the fact that you are now wearing extra clothes like jumpers, scarves, hats and gloves but still, those late evenings are slightly magical as the day begins to wind down and the sunsets become more spectacular.

It also seems that more and more people are having BBQ's later into the year. I think people are getting fed up with uncovering their hibernating BBQ's mid June in the hope of a great cooking summer. Only to cover them up again late June in an attempt to ward off any rusting from the July and August rains. It seems we've had enough and said "To hell with it".

So what better way to add some atmosphere to a BBQ on a late Autumn evening than homemade origami lights.

First of all this is a great use for your Christmas lights which only get the chance to shine once a year. Out they come, tangled up beyond all hope, strung around a tree for 2 weeks before being packed away for another 11 1/2 months and thrown back up into the attic.

For the paper, why not use up any scraps of waste paper like old faxes, misprints, magazine pages - anything that would normally get thrown out or recycled.

Now for the origami part.

                                Start with a square piece of paper,  8 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in for these lights.

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                                                                       Fold diagonal.

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                                                        Again on the opposite diagonal.

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                                                                        Fold in half.

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                                            And again, in half. You should have folded 4 times.

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              Pinch the flat edges together to form this point. If you can't form it, try flipping the paper over. 

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                                                  Your piece should now look like this.

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                                               Then fold all of the corners up to the middle.

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                                                                            Like so.

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                                             Then fold the edges into the middle, all four sides.

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                                     Then take the four loose ends + tuck them into the pockets.

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                                                       One end should have a little hole.

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                                                Blow air into that hole, inflating your lantern.

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                                        Using the hole, attach the lanterns to the string of lights.

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There's a bit of work involved in it but the results are great. 

Being able to sit out in the late evening, watching the sun set surrounded by twinkly outdoor lights.

And perhaps a scarf or two.

Valentine's Day Project

Image: Kaboose

Well Valentine's Day is almost upon us again.

I'll be honest with you. I don't normally go in for the whole Valentine's Day shenanigans. And I'm not going to harp on here about how it's just a marketing ploy to get people out spending their hard earned cash. Over charging in restaurants and of course the perfunctory price hike on a dozen red roses. No, you won't hear me go on about that. No Sir.

What I normally do is draw or paint a simple little picture, stick it to a piece of paper and write a loving message to my nearest and dearest.

Or maybe if I don't have the time (and by golly if you love the ones you love - you better make the time) I would find a nice image on the Internet. Print it out, and stick that on some paper...and claim it as my own.

I admit that here - wholeheartedly.
I'd better.

What are the lines of "Cemetery Gates" by The Smiths?

"If you must write prose and poems,
The words you use should be your own.
Don't plagiarise or take "on loan".
There's always someone, somewhere
With a big nose, who knows.
Who trips you up and laughs when you fall.
Who'll trip you up and laugh when you fall."

I even made that toast once (in the image at the top) with the fried egg in the shape of a heart.
Try it.
Trust me.
You will be surprised at how a simple little idea, born out of your own mind goes a long way.

If you do want to try a something a bit special. Here's a great little Valentine's Day idea that I found over at Design*Sponge that uses a recycled light bulb.

Image: Design*Sponge

Materials:
1. Thin red gauge wire - from a DIY shop
(or use some red pipe cleaners - available at craft stores)
2. Light bulb
3. Pliers
4. Screwdriver
5. Scrap piece of wood or wood cube (craft stores usually sell these
or a chunky piece of wood would work)
6. 2 pins
7. Paper and pen
8. Scissors
9. Hammer and nail (optional - if you are using soft wood these are not necessary)
10.Craft glue

Cost:
wire/pipe cleaner: about 1 euro
wood scrap or cube: 1 euro
tools, paper: on hand

Time: 1 hour

Instructions:

Step 1. Prepare a surface on a work table for hollowing out the bulb.

Step 2. Follow these instructions on how to hollow out the light bulb from teamdroid.com they are easy to follow instructions that also give good tips on safety and procedure.

Image: Design*Sponge

Step 3. When you have your bulb ready, clean the outside carefully.

Step 4. Cut a ten inch piece of wire to make a heart “filament”. Fold the wire in half to create a sharp crease, then unfold. About an inch from the crease, take both loose wire ends and loop both wires around to create the heart halves. Then pull both wires back down, overlapping the center of the crease and extending beyond the heart shape. you may want to tweak the heart halves a little to get heart shape that you like. Your heart should be about 1/2″ wide so it will fit through the base of the bulb pretty easily.

Image: Design*Sponge

Step 5. Take your filaments to your bulb and hold them up to see how long the stems need to be to have the heart filaments positioned in roughly the center of the bulb. Use your pliers to cut the extra wire off the ends. Test that they fit into your bulb without having to squash them or distort the shapes.

Step 6. If your wood is soft, you should be able to poke the wire filaments down into the top of the wood and they will stay in position. If you are using a firmer wood, use a hammer and nail to create a small guide hole. Remove the nail and push the wire down into the hole.

Step 7. Fit your glass bulb over the filaments and glue the bulb down to the wood at the base.

Step 8. Use the pins to attach your love note or message to the front of the piece of wood.

Image: Design*Sponge

And that's it. What a great way to recycle old light bulbs.

And lets be honest.
It doesn't even have to be an old light bulb, you could use the one in your house.

After all, it will be Valentine's Day. If there's going to be any light at all it really should only be candle light!