Monday, March 23, 2015

Pendant yarn lamps make it cozy

Do you also live in a rented apartment? Are you surprised with the owners' choice of light fittings? So am I !!
Personally, the tube lights in every room make me uncomfortable, like I'm in a Hospital. Sure, they brighten up the room, but I miss the warmth and coziness that lights are supposed to bring.

Like most people renting a house, I didn't want to invest too much in decorating it, so I made a yarn lamp. I love the design of it, and everything you need is readily available at your local stores in India.


All it takes is some yarn, which is available at dirt cheap rates in a fancy store. I got mine at 350 rupees/kg but I'm a firang, so you can surely bargain for a better deal ;) Take around 300g for one lamp, although it depends on how tight you want it and the size of the ball.
You also need liquid glue, fevicol works fine, and a beach ball or balloon. I opted for the beach ball, which I procured from a toy store, so I could deflate it and reuse it to make more.

It's a super simple process but don't make the same mistakes I made: before anything, roll your yarn around any stick or skewer to be sure it isn't tangled anywhere !! I learned this the hard way, imagine trying to untangle yarn that is full of glue.
Then, mix the glue and water (one part glue for one part water) in a bowl and soak the yarn right in there.
At this point there's another detail you might not want to learn from experience: when you start rolling your yarn full of glue around the ball, drops of glue will be flying all over the place, so protect your work bench and yourself accordingly.
Check out my sexy garbage bag attire !!

This is me trying to untangle soaked yarn by the way, FML!!
Once the yarn is completely soaked just start rolling it all around your ball in no particular pattern, cover it up completely except the bottom part. You decide how big you want the bottom part left open, this will be gap through which you place the light bulb inside. I also left a small opening at the top for the cord to pass through.


Leave it to dry under the fan for a day or two until it hardens. I simply placed the ball on top of the bowl to let dry, and all of that on a garbage bag to protect the surface from any drop of glue. You will know it's ready if you can press on the ball with your finger and it detaches from the yarn (the hardened yarn stays in place). You can now deflate the ball or poke the balloon and take it out through the bottom gap.
Place your light bulb holder at the center, pass the cord through the top hole and plug it in !! Enjoy the warmth and the cool designs it makes on the walls and ceiling :)


3 comments:

  1. Thanks a lot Suneet !! Wanna try making your own and tell me how it went?

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  2. Impressive and very creative thought of having this in the light bulb decor. Thanks for the sharing.

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