Pretty Shady Character
Handmade lampshades put the spotlight on long-lost slides and digital pictures
Photos are meant to be seen. But for most of us, it’s a chore just to get our images off the digital camera and into print form, much less make the leap to frames and albums. Luckily, merging digital technology with old-school materials can simplify the process. And everyone has a lampshade in need of repair. So show off your photos and perk up a boring necessity at the same time.
One option is to make a lampshade out of slides. If you’re like a lot of art-students-turned-professionals, you probably have a thousand slides in your closet and nothing to do with them. With just a weekend and some motivation, you can create a unique fixture for your home.
If you’re part of the “post-slide” generation, however, we have another option for you: Wrap a translucent, panoramic print around a simple frosted-glass shade. Favorite family photos work great, but you could also hike up to the roof of a high-rise and shoot a panorama of Portland’s skyline and bridges. Or, using digital technology, stitch together separate photos from your winter ski trip or summer outing to the coast.
Both of these projects will give a much-needed face-lift to standard lamps while shining a light on memories that would otherwise just sit in a box. And best of all, they’re easy for both crafting professionals and aspiring creatives.
Add a Comment
We retain the right to remove comments containing personal attacks or excessive profanity, and comments unrelated to the editorial content.