And then there were LAMPS

One of the best ways to enhance a room is through its lighting. Lighting determines the mood of every room: romantic, suited for reading or playing or simply for relaxing.

The old design adage that says multiple sources of light are better than one still holds true even in this day where natural lighting is emphasized. With the book Living Spaces by Stewart and Sally Walton, you not only get to decide what kind of lamps to put in your rooms, you get to make them as well. With its step-by-step photographs, the source book provides easy projects from walls to floors.

The Waltons’ lamp projects use a variety of materials, from discard paint cans to rolls of bandage. The one thing they have in common is that they have texture to complement most home styles and that aside from providing light, they provide a topic for conversation, too.

Living Spaces is available at Page One and other leading bookstores.

Paint Can Lamp

Necessity really is the mother of invention. This lamp was designed by somebody stuck in a remote village who needed a good light to read by. The heavy lamp base is made from a large painted lamp filled with sand, while the shade is a smaller paint can drilled with a pattern of holes. The flex travels inside a curved copper plumbing pipe that is plunged into the sand. The graceful bend of the copper piping can be achieved only by using a special long spring used in the plumbing trade. If you know a friendly plumber, ask for help. Otherwise a plumber’s merchant should be able to bend the pipe for you. Ask an electrician to wire up the finished lamp for you.

You Will Need :

2-liter paint can
paint stripper (optional)
sandpaper
cardboard
scissors
felt-tipped pen
drill, with size 6 twist metal bit
hammer and nail (optional)
metal file
pendant lamp fitting
matte (flat) black emulsion (latex) paint
paintbrush
4-liter paint can
string
pipe-bending spring
2.75-meter copper pipe
hacksaw
rubber grommets
silver sand to fill larger can

Step one: Strip off the paint or remove the label from the smaller can, then rub down the surface with sandpaper. This will be the shade. Cut a strip of cardboard the height of the can, then mark off three equal sections. Mark the other side in the same way but the marks should fall halfway between the others. Use the strip to mark the drilling points around the can.

Step two: Drill holes through all the marked points. Drilling through metal is not difficult, but if the drill bit slips, dent each mark slightly with a hammer and nail before drilling. Find the center of the base of the can and drill four or five holes close together to make a larger hole. Use the end of a metal file to turn this into an even, circular hole that is the right size for a pendant lamp fitting.

Step three: Roughen up the outside of the can with a file, smoothing the drilled hole edges and scratching texture into the surface. Paint the outside of the larger paint can matte (flat) black. Paint the lid separately. Drill a hole for the cord near the base of the can. The pipe-bending spring will not be as long as the copper pipe, so attach a piece of string to one end of the spring. Mark the string at intervals so that you will be able to tell how far down the copper pipe the string is.

Step four: Insert the spring into the pipe and start to shape the top third of the piece into a semi-circle. You will not be able to bend the piece in one go, so make small bends, bringing the spring back up the piece as you work. You will not be able to bend the very end of the pipe, so saw off the straight section so that the shade will hang at the end of the curve. Then fix the rubber grommet to the end of the copper pipe.

Step five: At this stage, you need an electrician to thread the flex through the copper pipe and wire the fitting to it. The two halves of the fitting hold the shade between them. Drill a centrally positioned hole in the lid of the large can to take to the copper pipe. Fit the lid over the base of the pipe and feed the flex through the hole drilled near the base. Hold the lamp upright in the can and fill it with sand to ensure stability. Push the lid firmly on to the can.

Inca Bird Print Lamp

Make an impression on a tall conical lampshade by stamping it all over with a strong printed pattern. The shade used here is made of thin, mottled cardboard that resembles vellum in appearance and which casts a warm glow when the lamp is lit. The stamp is based on an Inca bird design that is bold enough for a beginner to cut and is even enhanced by a slightly rough cutting style.

You Will Need:

white paper
spray adhesive
high-density foam
scalpel
PVA (white) glue
flat plate
ready-made wallpaper paste
golden brown and darker brown ready-mixed watercolor paint in droppered bottle
small paint roller
conical paper lampshade

Step one: Photocopy the motif from the template at the back of the book. Spray the back of the copy lightly with adhesive and stick it on to the foam block. Cut around the shape with a scalpel and scoop away the background so that the motif stands proud.

Step two: Put about a teaspoon of the glue on to the plate. Add a similar amount of wallpaper paste and a few drops of golden brown paint and mix well. Run the roller through the mixture to coat it evenly and use it to coat the stamp.

Step three: Print the bird motif on the lampshade by pressing the stamp on to the surface and then removing it directly. The wallpaper paste makes the paint gelatinous, leaving an interesting texture when you lift the stamp.

Step four: Add a few drops of the darker paint to the mixture and stamp more motifs on the shade.

Woody Nightshade

Wood veneer is a thin sheet shaved from a seasoned tree trunk and is sold by timber merchants who supply furniture makers. Each sheet is unique, so choose the veneer with the best grain; it will look even better with light shining through it. The lampshade shown here is made from flamed-ash veneer. The veneer hangs from a simple wooden frame but you could use a square picture frame (without the glass). Carefully remove one edge of the frame, thread on the curtain rings and glue the piece back. Suspend the veneer from the frame using clipped curtain rings. Hang the lampshade on leather things or cord from a ceiling hook, with a pendant lamp fitting and bulb dangling inside it.

You Will Need:

4 equal lengths of wooden dowel
glue gun with all-purpose glue sticks
curtain rings with clip attachments
metal ruler
scalpel
sheet of wood veneer
4 equal lengths of cord or leather thongs

Step one: Join three pieces of dowel using the glue gun. Thread the curtain rings on to the frame before gluing the last piece of dowel in place.

Step two: Measure the width of one side of the frame and, using the scalpel, cut four strips of veneer, one for each side. Make the length roughly twice the width; for a natural look the pieces should not be precisely the same size.

Step three: To finish, attach two clips to each sheet of veneer then tie in a cord or thong to each corner for hanging.

Eccentric Crepe Light

Crepe paper bandage is great material to work with and makes a fun lampshade. It has just enough stretch for a good tight fit and the textured surface clings to itself as you layer the bandage. Keep an even tension as you wind it around a fire frame and use hot glue at key points, if necessary, to prevent any slipping or sagging. Make sure you leave an opening at the top, however, to allow the hot air to escape.

You Will Need:

copper bonsai-training wire
wire-cutters
long-nosed (needle nose) pliers
thinner wire
glue gun with all-purpose glue sticks
rolls of bandage

Step one: Cut three equal lengths of bonsai-training wire and bend into three curves, using the pliers. The wire will straighten up when you release it, so exaggerate the shapes.

Step two: Bind the three ends of the bonsai wire firmly with the thinner wire. Be generous with the amount of wire because you need to make a solid fixture. Use the long-nosed pliers to help you bind tightly.

Step three: Run another length of wire between the three struts, winding it tightly around each strut, to form the lowest of three enclosing wires that will later provide the framework for the bandage binding.

Step four: Wind round two more lengths of wire to complete the frame. Twist the ends of the struts into curved "feet."

Step five: Glue the bandage to a strut about 5 cm. (2 inches) from the binding at the top. Wrap tightly to fix firmly. Wrap the bandage around the frame, pulling it to get the tension right. Apply glue whenever it crosses a strut.

Step six: Wrap and glue a small length of bandage to cover the wire binding right at the top of the framework. Use the glue gun to seal the edge and be sure to leave a 5 cm. (2 inches) gap around the top in order for the heat to escape.