Skill Level:
Project Cost: Approximately
$30
Materials:
1. 15-foot extension cord,
2. One strand of 50-count
miniature white Christmas lights,
3. Paper pulp egg cartons
(at least 80 cups, plus a few extras to allow for
errors),
4. Metal hardware cloth with
1/2-inch grid,
5. Approximately 50 4-inch
zip ties.
Tools & Supplies:
1. Scissors (they need to be sharp!),
2. Sidecutter wire snips,
3. High temp hot glue gun.
Instructions:
Prepare the flowers (you'll need a total of 40 flowers):
1. With your scissors, cut apart the individual cups of
the egg carton.
2. Round off the corners, and cut a
"V" between the "petals".
3. Using your hot glue gun, assemble
the flower using 2 cups per flower, and arrange so that the
petals are offset.
4. Gently bend each petal back to open
up the flower.
5. Using your scissors, gently poke a
hole in the center of each flower large to fit over a light on
the strand of miniature Christmas lights.
Prepare the lamp base:
1. Cut a piece of hardware cloth that is
26 squares wide by 13 squares high. Roll the hardware
cloth into a cylinder, overlapping 2 rows of squares, and use
zip ties to secure in place.
2. Feed the strand of Christmas lights
through the top of the cylinder, and begin working on the bottom
row. Starting anywhere on the bottom row, poke a light
through one of the holes, and use a zip tie to secure the light
in place.
3. Count over three spaces on the
bottom row, and poke another light through that hole, and use a
zip tie to hold in place. Repeat
this all the way around the bottom row.
4. Once that row is completed, count
up three rows and repeat the process, but be sure the lights on
the second row are offset from the bottom row. See the grid below as a
guideline. The yellow squares represent the spaces where
lights go.
5. Once you have all of your lights in place
and secured with zip ties, place any extra lights inside the
cylinder, and ensure that the plug is accessible at the top of
the light. Plug the light strand into the extension cord.
6. Cut a piece of hardware cloth that is 8
squares by 8 squares. Then cut the three corner pieces
from each corner to form a rough circle. You will also
need to cut out the four pieces in the middle to make a larger
hole. See diagram
below.
7. Feed the extension cord through the
middle hole (it will be a tight fit, but it should go through).
Once the extension cord is fed through, center the mesh circle
on top of the cylinder and secure with zip ties. This will
hold the receiving end of the extension cord inside the
cylinder.
8. When the wiring is finished, it may
be easier to hang the light before continuing.
9. Attach your flowers by slipping one
flower over each light. If you have some flowers that
won't stay put, simply secure them with a bit of high-temp hot
glue on the bottom of the flower.
10. Once all of the flowers are in place,
plug in your light, and enjoy!
Helpful Hints:
1. This project is not appropriate for small
children. The hardware cloth can be difficult to work with, and
when it's cut, it leaves sharp edges that can injure children (and
adults!).
Please handle the hardware cloth with caution.
2. Due to sharp edges on the finished product,
please keep this lamp shade out of the reach of children. It
should be hung in an area where it can be enjoyed, but not touched or
handled.
3. I tried several different tools for
cutting the egg cartons, and had the best success with very
sharp scissors.
4. Be sure that you're using high-temp hot
glue. Although this light does not get very hot at all,
low-temp glue may not hold with any amount of constant heat on
it.
5. If your lamp will be hung high enough
to see up through the cylinder, you will want to cover the
bottom. You can do this by having a small circle of
frosted plexiglas cut, drilling three holes around the
perimeter, and attaching with zip ties. Be sure to trim
the zip ties really short so that they're not noticeable.
6. Search your local stores or restaurants
for egg cartons if you don't consume enough eggs yourself to
have enough cartons for this project. Don't spend money on
them! You're sure to find egg cartons somewhere.
They generally come in neutral colors, so keep your eye open for
other interesting colors. I just happened upon these
purple ones in the trash in the furniture store where my office
is located. What a lucky find!
Variations:
We don't have any variations on this project, but if you do, we'd love
to hear yours!
Have you tried this project? Share your
work with us!
Have you made this Egg Carton Flower Pendant Light, or one
like it? We'd love
for you to show off all of your hard work!
There are so many different possibilities with this
project, and we'd love to see what you've come up with.
Simply use this form to share your project with us.
And please...share a photo of your work!
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