Lammppp

Hi its Gail!

Naughtily this is my first blog, but it won’t be the last and I will get better at doing them J

For this current project I started to look at lighting to create the correct atmosphere. I wanted to produce something warming and moody with possible a Moulin Rouge kind of feel, so I decided to re-decorate an old lamp that I had. My sister bought me a small bedside lamp cheaply at a car boot sale; it was a disgusting lilac colour that did not go with anything… It wouldn’t of even suited being in a lilac room!! So the first thing I did was to paint the base a simple matt white with everyday house emulsion, which did unfortunately take quite a few coats but when finished looked lovely.

The lamp did not come with a shade (and even if it did would most likely be disgusting as well!) so I went to a wonderful bargain finding place… yep the dump! And managed to find a not so wonderful lampshade for 50p, which I ripped the cover off that left me with a nicely shaped frame, that I could wrap a piece of ribbon around.

I bought 10metres of black opaque ribbon, sewed one end onto the frame and started wrapping it around overlapping it slightly. Sadly when I reached only 2/3 of the way round I ran out of my ribbon L having to go back and buy an extra metre… thinking that would be enough I sewed the extra piece on and wrapped… it was not long enough!!! Needless to say the fabric shop own is now a good friend of mine after my many trips, and not wanting to be outwitted again by this frustratingly mischievous lampshade I decided to buy 2 more metres! Success!

So my tip for anyone wishing to make a ribbon styled lamp… when you buy the ribbon buy more than you think you need! Then when you have got the length you think you need… double it! And that will then probably be the correct amount!