Last Updated on April 2, 2021 by teamobn
Is your good taste usually ahead of your wallet? If so – or you just like to be able to say “I made this’, this light pendant project has your name stamped all over it. Light fittings like this can cost hundreds, depending on the name on the label so why not do your budget and your ego a favour and make them yourself!
Would this be your next weekend project?
Materials:
- 16 oz Fabric Stiffener
- Large Spherical Party Balloons
- Crochet Thread/Thin Cotton Yarn
- Lamp Cord Set
- Rubber Gloves
- Old Newspaper
- Plastic Container
Tools:
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
Steps:
Inflate the balloon and tie a slip knot in the end of it (the balloon will need to be opened again later).
Then, secure one end of the crochet thread to the knot on the balloon by either loosely tying it, or taping it into place. We didn’t tie it because we’re gonna need to get back into the balloon later…like I said.
The fabric stiffener is what keeps the thread in the shape of a sphere once the balloon is popped, so it’s pretty important.
To really coat the thread well we found that you need to allot around an entire 16 oz. bottle of fabric stiffener per lamp globe.
You can either pre-soak the thread and then wind the balloon with wet thread, which will ensure that every piece of thread is properly saturated with stiffener. Or, if you are afraid of making a mess, you can wrap the balloon with dry thread, and then dredge/brush the balloon in the stiffener once it has been wrapped.
If you choose to go the clean road, just really try to soak the thread well and make sure that you’ve got enough fabric stiffener to thoroughly coat the whole balloon. It takes more than you’ll think!
In the project video and photos below Ed and I are using the pre-soak, wet wrap method to ensure total saturation and coverage.
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