So you're thinking of making your own World Globe Lampshade or Pendant Lamp?

So you're thinking of making your own World Globe Lampshade or Pendant Lamp?  

World Globe Lampshade with Beaded Trim

My previous post talks about finding, selecting, and cleaning a World Globe.  THIS post will give you a basic tutorial of how to make your own lampshade or lamp out of your globe along with a few tips about using World Globes as lampshades or pendant lamps.

To make a lampshade (or a pendant lamp) you'll first need to decide what size lampshade you want.  Do you want to open the globe at the equator giving you a half-lamp look?  Or do you want to cut along a latitude line below the equator to give you a taller lampshade?  Both look nice and it's just a matter of personal taste (although if your globe is falling apart at the equator, then it's quite easy to make it a half-globe lampshade!).  By the way, you don't have to do anything fancy - of course you can just slice open the globe and stick it on a lamp.  It just won't look as finished (it's paying attention to the little details that makes the globe lampshade look so nice).

So once you've chosen the size of lampshade you want to make, you'll need to gather a few supplies: box knife or craft knife with a SHARP blade, fine grit (and maybe a medium grit) sand paper, craft glue, acrylic paints and a small paintbrush, clothes-pins, wax paper, gimp trim (also known as upholstery trim), and beaded trim (optional). *You'll also need a pendant kit if you want to make a World Globe Pendant Lamp.

• The first step is to clean the surface of your globe.  This will help you see

  

  Cleaning the globe

  any issues your globe may have, and give you the best surface for your knife to cut into.  And remember - use a damp cloth - don't soak the surface and be VERY careful if you decide to use actual cleaner - it takes very little effort to permanently damage the surface of the globe (I'd recommend spraying the cloth and NOT the globe!).  On the other hand, I've been extremely successful in removing most dirt from the surface.  Because most globe's surfaces are glossy, I've found that I can carefully scrape off paint and have even managed to remove a good deal of pen marks.

Cut open

• The next step is to cut the globe open at your preferred latitude line.  I usually choose the latitude line below the equator and it often is missing a small part of the line (where the globe logo is) - so you may need to carefully draw/cut a guide line through that area.  You will need a VERY sharp cutting tool to do this - I usually use a razor blade/box-knife.  And as I mentioned in the previous globe post - it usually requires a new blade for each globe.

Keep that disk!

• Once your globe is cut, you can remove the globe-base (if it has one). But be sure to hold on to the divination disk (located at the top of the globe if it has one), because it's easy to lose.  You may also want to hold on to the base if you plan on using it to make a globe-bowl out of the remaining bottom-portion of the globe.

• Once the globe is open,  you're able to push out dents and holes, and fix/fill any holes or pin-pricks with acrylic paint (make sure to match the surface color of the globe!). 

• Next, I usually sand the cut-edges.  If I've been less-than-perfect in my cutting, I'll use a medium-grit sandpaper to sand down the ridges of the cut edge.  Then follow that with a sanding using fine-grit sandpaper.  *Make sure to remove all the dust before doing any gluing or painting! 

Paint the edge

• At this point, I make sure all the inside surfaces of the lampshade are solid (not fraying or sticking out).  Anything that is coming apart, I add a dab of glue to and then place a small piece of wax paper on top of and either clamp with a clothes pin, or place something on top of the wax paper to hold the cardboard together while the glue dries 

For pendant - cut a hole

•  Next, I carefully paint the cut-edge of the globe - to seal it and keep it from fraying. 

• IF you are making a pendant lamp, you will need to cut a hole in the top of the lampshade.  If you have the divination disk, use that as a template for your hole!  It's usually the perfect size for a pendant fixture to fit through! (I also sand and paint the cut-edge of the pendant hole)

• Now is a good time to re-glue the equator-tape if needed - or to gently scrape the glue off of where the equator-tape was if the tape is missing (the glue usually is easy to scrape or gently sand off without hurting the map-finish).

gluing in the beaded trim

Glue on the upholstery trim - on the outside

• If you decide you want to apply beaded trim, I find it easiest (and best-looking) to apply it on the inside of the rim of the lampshade.  I use craft glue to adhere the beaded trim and I use clothes pins as clamps to hold the trim on while the glue dries.  *I find it easiest to keep the clothes pin from getting stuck, by putting a piece of wax paper over the glued-on-trim before clamping with the clothes pins!

• Once the beaded trim is applied, it's time to apply the gimp/upholstery-trim to the outside of the rim of the lampshade. I do the same thing with the wax paper as with the above beaded trim.  

Glue on the divination disk to the top

• If you haven't already done so, you'll want to check the equator-tape and glue down any loose parts. Or you may want to glue on some kind of replacement, if your globe is missing it's equator-tape.  

• Next is to glue on the divination disk IF you're making a lampshade.  If you're making a pendant-lamp, the divination disk won't be used. 

• At this point the lampshade is pretty much done.

• For the Pendant Lamp, you'll need to attach the actual pendant lamp to the lampshade.

Finished lampshade on lamp

Finished pendant lamp