Thursday, October 05, 2006

Cocktail Umbrella Lampshade

9:47 PM | Posted by Unknown | Edit Post

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I was thinking of cute little indoor crafts that I could do with my students and my neices. I came across this cute, colorful idea - courtesy of the Martha Stewart Show. My sister-in-law will probably kill me, since she LOATHES Martha Stewart :) Anyway, it's a cute idea and I know my little neices like this kind of girly girl stuff. It's funky cool like that, ya know.

This cocktail umbrella lampshade adds a decorative and creative touch to any room in your home. The idea comes from the Bright Lights Little City company.

MaterialsCocktail umbrellas (amount varies depending on size of lampshade)Glow-in-the-dark paintWire cuttersWaxed paperSelf-adhesive UL-approved mini lampshadeFabri-Tac glueSiliconeFire-retardant sprayClear automotive lacquer25-watt lightbulb
Process1. Dip the top point of cocktail umbrellas in glow-in-the-dark paint; let dry. Cut off the stick part of the umbrellas' sticks with wire cutters.
2. Working over waxed paper, place the first umbrella so that it overhangs the bottom of the UL-approved lampshade, creating a scalloped edge. Glue down.
3. Place the second umbrella next to the first so there is a matching scallop along the bottom of the shade. The areas of the umbrellas on the shade will overlap slightly. Glue down the second umbrella where it overlaps the first.
4. Place the third umbrella above the first two so it overlaps them and creates a triangle. Glue down the overlapping areas of the umbrellas. Once you’ve covered a large portion of the shade, the top row should overhang the top of the shade by about 3/4 inch. Remove the cardboard ribs from the overhanging portion of the top row by breaking them and unpeeling them from the umbrella, leaving just the colored paper.
5. Continue placing the umbrellas in a triangular pattern, following any color pattern you desire. If you’d like to highlight a certain umbrella, place the 4 umbrellas on the shade, leaving a place for the umbrella that will cover these. Glue this umbrella so it overlaps the others with no umbrellas covering its design.
6. To finish the top of the shade, glue together umbrellas where they overlap. Trim the overhanging scallop about 1/4 inch from the top of the shade. Put a thin line of Fabri-Tac glue on the inside of this row, and fold it over toward the inside of the shade top.
7. Patch any gaps or tears with scraps of matching umbrella paper. You can reinforce the edge of the umbrella scallop with a thin coat of silicone, applying it with your finger. Let the silicone dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can use the stick of a previously cut umbrella to apply the silicone to the bottom edges of the shade that your finger can't reach.
8. Spray the inside of the shade with a fire-retardant spray, and let dry. Spray the outside of the shade with clear automotive lacquer. Let dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.
9. Place the finished shade on a lamp base. Insert a 25-watt lightbulb.

4 comments:

BusyMamma said...

oh chris- you can't be serious?!?! I really have to be honest and tell you I really don't like the look of those thing AND I usually do like Martha Stewart!!!

October 05, 2006 10:29 PM
Unknown said...

LOL! Yeah, I know :) But my 9 yr old and 11 yr old neices just love that kind of stuff. Persoally, I wouldn't have the lampshades in our house, but the girls like that kind of stuff in their rooms. You can imagine, my one neice has a pink and purple girly girl room with decor like the "tiki hut" motif! LOL!

October 05, 2006 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...

I think their kind of cute and I know that my daughters will like making them thanks for sharing the idea. I don't think however that my son will want to make one! Hah Hah!

October 06, 2006 10:36 AM
robin shetler said...

Hey there! I just saw your post about the cocktail umbrella lamp - did you ever make it? If so, where did you find the fire retardant spray? I'm having the hardest time finding it!

June 04, 2007 4:55 PM
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