photo slide lamp shade
May. 28th, 2013 10:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
box_cameraI decided to make a lampshade out of some of the photo slides, since they look nice when light shines through them. I figured it had been done before, so I Googled it and sure enough found some photos and instructions. I didn't follow any one set of instructions exactly, I sort of just used them for basic inspiration and then made the actual process up as I went along.
I used all landscape slides. I wanted to make the whole thing out of the beach/ocean slides, and there were enough, but about half of them were in plastic frames instead of cardboard and I couldn't punch holes in them. And I experimented with painting a couple of the slide frames black, but it was too hard to keep the paint off the actual slide. Anyway, I like all the handwritten notes and the Kodachrome logos, it's part of the charm.
I bought a cheap lampshade at Target and tore off the material for the frame. I also bought the lamp base there, both of them together were $20. The rest of the material was about another $15, so it really didn't cost that much to make.
I used a leather punch to make the holes and I didn't measure, I just eyeballed it. I think I did a pretty good job; there are a few slides that are hanging ever so slightly askew, but overall they look pretty straight--I used jump rings big enough give me a little leeway. I hadn't planned to put charms on the bottom, I wound up doing itbecause I'm kind of a moron sometimes I forgot that the bottom row doesn't need holes punched in the bottom. So then I had to put something there, but once I did I realized they both make the lamp look more finished and keep the rows of slides pulled straight.
I'm really happy with it, it was fun to make and casts a soft, subtly colored light. From a distance it almost looks like stained glass; up close you can discern each individual photo.
I used all landscape slides. I wanted to make the whole thing out of the beach/ocean slides, and there were enough, but about half of them were in plastic frames instead of cardboard and I couldn't punch holes in them. And I experimented with painting a couple of the slide frames black, but it was too hard to keep the paint off the actual slide. Anyway, I like all the handwritten notes and the Kodachrome logos, it's part of the charm.
I bought a cheap lampshade at Target and tore off the material for the frame. I also bought the lamp base there, both of them together were $20. The rest of the material was about another $15, so it really didn't cost that much to make.
I used a leather punch to make the holes and I didn't measure, I just eyeballed it. I think I did a pretty good job; there are a few slides that are hanging ever so slightly askew, but overall they look pretty straight--I used jump rings big enough give me a little leeway. I hadn't planned to put charms on the bottom, I wound up doing it
I'm really happy with it, it was fun to make and casts a soft, subtly colored light. From a distance it almost looks like stained glass; up close you can discern each individual photo.
