How To Make A Hanging Yarn Globe Lamp
In this post, we are going to learn how to make a hanging yarn globe lamp.
Although it’s a little messy, it’s very easy and turns out great, as well as being useful.
These lamps will look amazing in every room of your house.
Yes, even the bathroom.
You can choose what size and whatever color you want to go with your decor.
Most people who create these lamps or decorative globes use blown up balloons.
Here we’ll use a plastic ball that can be deflated when we are finished.
(Balloons and I don’t get along.)
Supplies Needed
Cotton yarn: 1 or 2, depending how big your lamp will be (choose out of 24 colors)
Hanging Lantern Cord, white, 15 feet
school glue (large container) or mod podge
large, bouncing child’s ball
large bowl to hold ball while working
another bowl or container to hold glue and water
light bulb
3/8″ 2-piece clamp connector for large globes (get at your hardware store)
1″ x 3/4″ washer for large globe (get at your hardware store)
Step-by-Step Instructions
This project is a little messy, so protect your clothes and working surface.
Step 1: After you gather your supplies, set the ball in the largest bowl. This will keep it from rolling around, obviously. 🙂 Take a marker and draw a small circle, about 1″ in diameter. On the opposite end of that, draw another circle. It has to be large enough to put the light fixture in and to fit your hand in to change the bulb later. If you get a striped ball, choose one of the stripes for your large circle.
Note: If this is a ball you want to keep and use for more globes or give to your child, then make a mark and draw a small circle where the valve is so you can easily find it later.
Step 2: In the other bowl, add equal parts of glue and water and stir well. Put the whole skein of yarn in the glue and water mixture, OR if you are making a small globe, then pull out what yarn you think you will use, cut it, and put it in the mixture. Be careful not to lose both ends in there. You can always cut off more yarn later. It doesn’t have to be all one length. Your goal is to saturate the yarn.
Step 3: Start wrapping yarn around the ball. Try not to cover the two holes. You’ll wrap like you are making a ball of yarn. When you get the coverage you desire, cut the yarn and tuck it under some of the other yarn. If you wrapped the yarn a little over the holes, now is the time to move it over before the glue dries.
Step 4: With the ball set in the bowl, pour the remaining glue and water mixture all over the ball. You will have to keep repositioning the ball to get it completely covered.
Step 5: Let dry for 2 DAYS. I know that’s a long time, but you want to make sure that when you deflate the ball, your masterpiece doesn’t deflate with it.
Step 6: After 2 days, stick an inflation needle in the valve and carefully let out the air. At the same time, put your hand between the ball and globe to help separate them. Your goal is to keep the globe as it is while pushing the deflating ball away from it.
Fantastic, isn’t it? Now, let’s make a lamp out of it.
Step 7: With the hanging lantern cord fixture, push the plug through the large hole, then up through the small hole all the way.
If you made a large globe, then you will need the two hardware pieces to position the light bulb in the middle of the globe instead of at the very top. Before pushing the cord through the holes, put the washer through first, then screw the clamp on the cord where you think you want the bulb to be. It can be adjusted later. Then push the cord through the holes.
Screw in the light bulb and turn it on. So awesome, isn’t it?
A special note about the light bulb: if you are worried about the heat from a regular bulb, choose a smaller wattage or an LED bulb.
Since you can make them in any size and any color, there is no place in your home where these lamps can’t go.
Hang some of these around your patio.
Use jute cord or paint it after it dries for a two-tone effect.
Hang a large one over your dining table.
You can make some small ones and hang them together at different lengths. Let your imagination run wild. 🙂
