Light up your life

• Karen Walker Paints testpots in:
  Resene Quarter Sorrell Brown, Resene Weathered Yellow, Resene Quarter Crisp Green, Resene Quarter Powder Blue
• Testpot of Resene Dapper
• Resene testpot brushes and Resene art brush
• Cage lampshade and suspension kit
• Cotton twine
• Quick dry craft glue
• Sandpaper – coarse

Step by step instructions

How to decorate a lampshade:

Step one:  Start by sanding the lampshade frame to create a rough finish (A). Brush off any dust and paint with a coat of Resene Dapper (B). This gives the frame a “tooth” that stops the twine from slipping as well as looking seamless with the natural twine colour.

Step two:  Ravel twine into a ball so it can be threaded easily through the gaps. Using glue, tie a knot onto the bottom of one side of the triangular frame as close to the base as possible. Don’t worry if there is a gap as this will be covered at a later stage. Wrap the triangle over and under, encasing it completely and as tightly as possible until you get to the tip (C). Glue the end of twine to the back, holding it all in place.

Step three:  Repeat for each larger triangular segment (D) and then complete the bottom triangles, leaving an open segment in between.

Step four:  To fill the middle space, tie your twine onto one of the cage arms and wind the twine completely around the whole lamp. Again, make sure your string is nice and close and glue the twine in place as you go along the exposed cage frame (E).

Step five:  Once you are happy with the twine coverage, trim and glue any loose pieces of twine, then use alternating shades of your Resene testpot colours (F). Apply each colour to a triangular segment using a Resene art brush. We painted the front facing panel and left the edges natural (G-H).

Step six:  Apply two coats on each segment allowing them to dry in between coats. Once dry you can attach the suspension cord to the lamp and hang (I).

Resene tip: If the surface of your cage is a shiny metal, use Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer first before painting. That way you can be guaranteed your paint won’t scratch off.

Craft by Marsha Smith. Photo Luke Harvey. May 2022.

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Craft with Resene from Woman magazine
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