Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/85232
DIY String Lightshade Materials • fabric stiffener (470ml per lamp) • large spherical party balloons (40cm) • crochet thread or thin cotton yarn (200-270 meters depending on how dense you want your lightshade) • rubber gloves • newspaper 1. Blow up the balloon and tie the end in a slip knot (it will need to be undone later). 2. Loosely tie or tape one end of the thread or yarn to the knot on the balloon. 3. Coat the thread thoroughly with the entire bottle of fabric stiffener. If you are afraid of the mess then you can cover the balloon in dry thread and brush the stiffener over afterwards. 4. Wrap the balloon with the saturated (or dry) thread, ensuring you maintain good tension throughout the process. 5. The goal is to get an even covering of string around the balloon, making loops around the largest circumference of the balloon. 6. Once you are happy with your coverage, undo the knot and blow up the balloon as much as you can (the balloon may shrink as the stiffener dries so you want to fill it up as much as possible). 7. Drying time! Hang the balloon in a temperature controlled environment, placing newspaper on the floor to protect against drips. The balloon will need to hang for 24 hours to dry. Hot air will keep the balloon expanded so keep the balloon in your linen closet or next to a heater to avoid cooling over night – you need to keep the temperature as constant as possible. 8. Once the stiffener is dry pop the balloon with a pin. For a lucky few the balloon will shrink away from the string, for others use a long object, such as a screwdriver and poke at it bit by bit. 9. Once the balloon is detached from its prison, cut or un-tape the string that was holding it in place. Pull the balloon out. 10. Using scissors, cut a hole in the top of the globe so there is space to insert the bulb and light fixture. Robin Lyttle Robin Lyttle