DesignPretty Shady Character
Option 1: Slide Rules
Phoebe Owens, a Portland crafter and graduate student in library science, makes lampshades out of leftover film slides (she had about 4,500 sitting in her closet). She sells the projects at Breeze Block Gallery (1011 NE Alberta St, www.breezeblockgallery.com) and in her Etsy shop (www.phoebe1.etsy.com). But Owens is willing to share some tricks of the trade if you want to take a stab at making your own.
Materials:
– Your personal collection of slides. Or try Goodwill, eBay or Rerun at 707 NE Fremont St for others.
– Diffusion gel from a photo supply store (Try Pacific Grip and Lighting, 6550 NE Portland Hwy)
– 6 mm or 9 mm jump rings from a jewelry supply store (Let It Bead is a good source, 1430 NW 23rd Ave; or a craft supply store like Michaels)
– Lampshade that is as wide at the top as it is at the bottom. Since you’re going to be removing the fabric, try finding one at Goodwill.
– Lamp with a pull chain or a switch at the cord
– Permanent glue stick
– Needle-nose pliers
– Drill with a 1/16-inch bit
How-to:
First, remove the fabric from your shade, leaving just the metal frame. Gather all your slides together, choosing which ones you’ll use for the project. Keep the same color palette, the same theme, or pick randomly. Then determine how many slides you need for your shade. Fifty slides will make a nice lamp (10 across, 5 down) but it depends on how large your frame is.
PAGE 2 of 5
