Introduction: DIY Tribal Art Inspired Lamp

About: Hey, I'm Muhaimina! A Craftaholic person (or Witch if you may say!). Obsessed with swirls and polka dots... and Instructables is pretty much my second home! Follow my IG Blog https://www.instagram.com/the_craf…

I suddenly came up with the idea of making this lamp. While I was making the lamp in my head :p it seemed quite nice so I thought... lets give it a try and see how it turns out.

Well, I'm happy with the result and I think the tribal art inspired theme made the lamp look nicer.

Step 1: Materials Needed

To make this lampshade you'll need:

  1. Thick card-stock paper (color of your choice),
  2. Pencil, ruler and eraser,
  3. X-acto knife,
  4. Gold acrylic paint and size '0' paint brush,
  5. Hot glue gun,
  6. Hemp cord,
  7. Twigs,
  8. Acrylic sheet (color of your choice).

Step 2: Designing the Shade

Prepare the card-stock paper for the lampshade.

Measure the height and width. My shade was 10 inches (height) X 6 inches (width) so I had to cut out 10 X 24.5 inches card-stock paper. After folding the 24 inches 4 times the width would be 6 inches and extra 0.5 inch for attaching the sides.

Mark the folding lines of the paper neatly and design on each square section as you want. You can search the internet for simple tribal art design or come up with your own design.

Use an x-acto knife to cut out the design.

I also applied a thin layer of gold acrylic paint around the borders of the design.

Step 3: Completing the Shade

You will need to cut the acrylic sheet into 4 pieces according to the height and width of the shade. I only used enough acrylic sheets to cover the design on the back of the shade.

Turn around the cut out designed paper. Apply glue in-between the designs and place the acrylic sheet on it. Allow the glue to dry.

After gluing all the acrylic sheets simply fold the paper and glue the 0.5 inch with the side next to it to complete the shade. The shade is ready!

Step 4: Making the Stand

Prepare twigs for the stand.

Place 2 twigs in parallel. If you place the first two twigs vertically then you'll have to glue the next 2 twigs horizontally to complete the frame. Glue the twigs and allow the glue to dry. Similarly make another one as you'll need 2 frames.

Now attach 4 twigs on 4 corners of the frame to make the stand. These twigs should be longer (at least 2.5 inches) than the shade.

I also tied some hemp cord around the corners to secure the frame and the stand.

Step 5: Fitting the Light

Glue 2 or 3 more twigs on the frame to create the base for light fitting.

Set light fitting and attach it on the base using super glue or hot glue.

Step 6: Completing the Lamp

Place the shade on the stand as shown in the picture.

Place the other frame on the top of the shade and tie it with the stand using hemp cord. Using glue for attaching the top frame wouldn't be necessary.

Now switch on the light and enjoy the glowing tribal art!

Don't forget to share a picture if you make one :)