Hand made: 3 options for corrugated cardboard lampshades

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

If you have collected a lot of different cardboard boxes from under old equipment or furniture, do not rush to throw them away: they can serve as an excellent material for making interior items. For example, you can assemble a stylish lampshade from corrugated cardboard.

To work you will need: corrugated cardboard, knife, pencil, ruler, compasses, PVA glue, superglue, base with socket and wire, lamp.

Ribbon lampshade

For the manufacture of this lampshade, everything that is made of corrugated cardboard will be used - boxes and sheets of any size and shape. And do not be confused by the inscriptions and illustrations - they will give the product even more originality and individuality. A lampshade made in this way provides downward lighting.

Do not be confused by the inscriptions and illustrations - they will add even more originality and individuality to the product.

Cut the cardboard into strips 1, 5, and about 50 centimeters long. To make the parts more flexible and easier to twist, slide them with light pressure between your fingers. Detach the base from the wire, apply glue to the first strip of cardboard and wrap it around the base. Continue wrapping the strips around the previous layer of cardboard, shifting each next layer by a millimeter. You need to do this very carefully - the appearance of the future lampshade depends on the quality of this work. If you find it difficult to work neatly, you can use something as a frame, for example, a flat-sided basin.

After making a few turns, pull the plinth out until the adhesive has set. Continue to build up the volume and shape the lampshade, gluing more and more strips of cardboard, gradually increasing the shift of the layers to 6-7 millimeters. When you have achieved the desired result, insert the base into the center of the lampshade and glue it with super glue. When the whole structure is dry, screw in the light bulb.

By varying the amount of shift of the cardboard strips, you can get lampshades of different shapes.

Radial lampshade

To make such a lampshade, you will need a lot of large, even sheets of cardboard. A lamp with such a shade gives a unique, mesmerizing light that illuminates the room in random order through intricate slots in the cardboard.

To assemble this lampshade, cut 1, 5-2 cm thick rings from corrugated cardboard sheets, and then carefully glue them together layer by layer. Before starting work, carefully calculate all the details of the product: think about what diameter the widest ring should be, with what step the size of the rings should be reduced and how many of them should be in total.

You can use the sheets of cardboard more sparingly by cutting out smaller rings inside the larger rings. To avoid confusion during assembly, number and sign all parts.

Do not forget to make 1-2 rings with a jumper for attaching the bulb holder. When the structure is ready and the glue is dry, secure the electrical cord with the lamp holder.

By varying the diameters and shape of the rings, you can create a wide variety of lampshades.

Geometric lampshade

This lamp looks like it was made in an industrial environment in appearance, but you can easily make it yourself. To create such a lampshade, it is better to use a two-layer corrugated cardboard.

First, cut 140 pieces - strips of corrugated cardboard 12 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide. To do this, line out the cardboard and carefully cut it with a sharp knife. The shape of the lampshade is a pentahedron made of five blanks. Place each next layer with an offset of half an edge relative to the previous one. Glue on layer by layer and gradually create a lampshade with a height of about 25 cm.

This luminaire looks like it was manufactured in an industrial environment.

After the glue dries and the product becomes stiff, cut out the top cover of the lamp. To do this, place the resulting lampshade on a piece of cardboard and circle it. Carefully cut out the resulting shape and also glue to the last row with an offset. Do not forget to make a hole in the center of the cover for attaching the lamp holder.

With a little imagination, you can create lampshades of other shapes from the same blanks. For example, by gluing strips of cardboard along, with small gaps, you can make a floor lamp. A Christmas tree garland can be used as a light source.

How to choose the right bulb for your cardboard lampshade

Since your lampshade is made of paper, you should not use an ordinary incandescent light bulb in it - it gets very hot and can cause a fire. It is better to purchase an energy saving cold light bulb or an LED light bulb.