I came across this idea a while ago over at one of my favourite reads, Moss Eclectic and tucked it away as a future project. I had purchased the big smiley face ball a couple of months ago and figured if I didn't get this fixture done asap that the ball could potentially end up being a summertime play toy.
I used 1 1/2 of the large containers of mod podge so stock up. Pour it into a throw away container.
Pull the twine from the ball and completely cover it in mod podge bit by bit. Once it's covered start draping it across the ball and turning the ball at the same time. It takes a bit of patience in the beginning to keep it from falling off the ball but after you've got a bit on there it's simple.
Keep going until the ball is covered or you run out of twine, whichever comes first. Coincidentally I ran out of twine, time and patience all at the same time. This step is way more time consuming than I had anticipated. It took over 2 hours but other than this step there's not much to making this fixture so take solace.
I waited 2 days for the mod podge to completely set and dry. After 24 hours I cut a hole in the twine large enough for me to put my hand in later to change light bulbs.
Once it's completely dry stick your hand in and gently start to peel the ball away from the twine until it's completely free.
I used a simple one bulb pendant to hang the fixture. And that is that! A light fixture that looks good by day...
or by night!
I'm off for an extra long weekend with the family to Seattle to do some sightseeing and exploring. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
It looks fantastic hanging! I love seeing twine ball lanterns all lit up. Yours is so pretty! Have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks so great! And hey, I'd love to know about the cute fabric on your kitchen window treatment! Where can I find it!
ReplyDeleteThat is too cool Carol...and you could really put that fixture anywhere to add an interesting element to a room. Nice work (looks messy!)
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteCarol! This looks awesome! I love it - such a fun idea :)
ReplyDeleteI love it! It's brilliant! Thanks for the intro to moss eclectic, it's on my blog list now! Have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteKelle
xx
That turned out completely amazing!!! It reminds me of those elementary school projects for easter with balloons...did you ever do one of those? (c: Except for this looks chic and fabulous. Important difference. (c; Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou are so inspiring. This turned out stunning! Wow- it looks gorgeous. Great job!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job Carol! You put me to shame! Have fun in Seattle!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I had no idea what you were planning to do with that gross looking ball of sticky twine so it was definitely a great reveal. These could be fun outside. I wonder if the mod podge holds up to rain?
ReplyDeleteLove this! Such a creative, inexpensive, dramatic...although time consuming statement for your room. It looks very ethereal at night with the light on.
ReplyDeleteI feel really badly for Smiley Guy (especially when you thanked him for sacrificing his life!), but the end result is really worth it!! Love this project, Carol!! (sorry Smiley Guy!)
ReplyDeleteVictoria
I had a sneakin' suspician that was going to be used for lighting. It looks great!!
ReplyDeleteOooooo, it's so pretty!! I love the line "I ran out of twine, time, and patience"...too funny!!
ReplyDeletegreat job and it mimics the random light too. enjoy your long weekend. xx
ReplyDeleteLooks great...you definitely need more patience than I thought you did for that project! Have a fun long weekend in Seattle - hope there are some good shopping opportunities!
ReplyDeleteLove how the twine light fixture turned out! Adore the way it looks, day or night. Well done, Carol!
ReplyDeleteJessie
www.mixandchic.com
so clever! and I can tell it looks amazing at night - even better in person I am sure! Well done!
ReplyDeleteI am inspired...now to find a sacraficial ball :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous weekend:-)
haha @ the sacrificed smiley ball. Your light turned out great! :)
ReplyDeleteI tis fabulous! Just fabulous:)
ReplyDeleteIt's Fab-u-lous, Carol!!! You would have paid a pretty penny for that in a store.
ReplyDeleteit's SUPER cool!!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I've seen light fixtures like this that cost hundreds of dollars. You could go into the twine-light-fixture-making business and make a fortune! ;-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend in Seattle :-)
It looks a-mazing. I love unique lighting.
ReplyDeleteYou really made me laugh with your smiley guy. Well done you! My friends have that light fixture and have to say - I like yours better!
ReplyDeleteIt looks amazing. I applaud your patience. I tried one of the little lanterns with yarn and balloons and got terribly frustrated with the slippage.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the fixture....quick question though....How do you get the pendant to stay in the fixture, because I would imagine the hole at the top is large enough to fit your hand in? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt looks awesome! I tried something like this once.. without success but good for a laugh..check it out. You're allowed to laugh.. I'm over it:)
ReplyDeletehttp://modernjanedesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-flop.html
There is no hole at the top except for the ones naturally created in the process. I used a single light kit that comes with rings to secure your fixture. I just slid the socket through a gap in the twine and then screwed in the ring to hold it in place. So far, so good:) I think if it does stretch I'll just use a bit of extra twine to hold it to the socket.
ReplyDeleteWow, it is awesome. I wish I had a place to hang something like this. Thank you for your comment on our project. I am now a new follower:).
ReplyDeleteI just have to come back and say holy coolness that this project was featured on Centsational Girl! It really doesn't get any more awesome than that! (c:
ReplyDeleteWow! Who would have thought twine could be made into something this fabulous? I love it's sculptural quality.
ReplyDelete(and your new window treatment rocks!)
this looks amazing...love the yellow that you see through the twine!!
ReplyDeleteCarol, that turned out amazing! Looks perfect with the backing of the yellow walls.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome Carol, I also have a smaller version waiting in the wings to be made up. I will be using balloons and crochet cotton for my project. Congrats on the blog feature!
ReplyDeleteOh this turned out amazing Carol!!! Just beautiful ;)
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing!! I think I'm going to have to give in a try in one of our spare bedrooms! Thanks for the step by step process!
ReplyDeleteCarol, yours looks great! Thanks for the shout out.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually in the process of making another one but on a huge scale and with a little twist. I'll have to show some pictures when I'm done.
xoxo
Brilliant ;)
ReplyDeleteI love it, Carol! That is fabulous and so doable!
ReplyDeleteSuch an awesome light fixture! Totally awesome and fun project. Thank you for sharing. Poor smiley guy :(
ReplyDeleteWow, those shadows! Love Leah and her Moss Eclectic too.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I spy that pretty fabric over your window too. Turned out beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your light! I've seen this done with fishing nets on HGTV! Yours is so much more conducive to a modern (not fishy... LOL) home! NICELY done! Officialling "pinning" your light!
ReplyDeleteYou made it look easy:)
ReplyDeleteFabulous job! I love how your turned out.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out amazing! Looks like a slippery, goopy process though - great for a day you want to muck around with your hands :)
ReplyDeleteI always love your projects, this one's another winner! It really does look great at night which I've wondered about with this style light...great job Carol!
ReplyDeleteOooo! That is so cool. It looks great.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked these lamp fixtures but can picture me having modge podge in my hair, on the dog, in the carpet, etc. I'm not the cleanest crafter. I love the way yours turned out! Looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteEasy steps to make a lamp I never thought it was easy to make, and the best part of this is that I don't need a lot of materials to make it.
ReplyDeleteThe light fixture is beautiful, but I'm more interested in the fabric on the valance. We're adopting a little girl from China! Can you please tell me where you purchased the fabric?
ReplyDeleteUseful information. Fortunate me I discovered your site by accident, and I am stunned why this coincidence didn't happened in advance! I bookmarked it.
ReplyDeleteTOCHIGIYA Paddle Latch
So I decided to give this a try and thought it was going really well until I took out the ball. I had a lot of extra mod podge between the spaces that made it look like it was covers in dried glue. Any recommendations on how to keep that from happening?
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened to me... and it stuck to the ball and shriveled up with the ball when i popped it :/
DeleteRebecca, the same thing happened with mine. I didn't like it either but to be honest, once it's hung I didn't even notice it any more. I'd love to see a photo:)
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to make one of these for a while now, but can't find anywhere to put it in my house yet. You make it look so easy and the smiley guy is too cute lol ;)
ReplyDeleteZorrie
www.sugarandchic.com