So I like to re-use old things to make something new. I guess they call that upcycling. I saw an image of a lamp made out of a football somewhere and I loved the idea. I wanted to make such a lamp for a football loving couple I know, who are expecting a baby and building a house. This lamp would be perfect for the nursery room. So I went to search for instructions on pinterest, but I could only find images of similar lamps without instructions on how to make it.

I went ahead with the project anyway and I made pictures every step of the way to make my own tutorial on how to make a football lamp. Here we go.

Step 1: What Do You Need?

An old football. I used one that was laying around in the shed at my parent's house.
A lamp socket. I bought one at a certain Swedish homeware store.
A light bulb
A Stanley knife
Optional: spray paint

Step 2: Cut Open the Ball

It's actually a very simple step: take a Stanley knife and cut open the ball.

Leather is hard to cut so I chose to cut the seams of the hexagon shapes of the ball. Be sure to cut away the part with the valve of the ball, that makes it easier to remove the 'inner ball', which is attached to the valve.

Remove the part you've cut out and the 'inner ball'; Et voila, there you have your football lamp shade.

Step 3: (Optional) Spray Paint the Inside of the Ball

I thought it would be fun to spray paint the inside of the ball. I had some gold spray paint laying around in the house and I thought that perhaps the gold inside would reflect the light better. Spray paint can also smoothen out the rough look of the material on the inside of the ball.

Step 4: Attach the Lamp Socket

Take the lamp socket apart. Unscrew the attachment ring. Take the socket and draw the contours of the socket on the inside of the top end hexagon of the ball. Cut away the contours of the socket with a Stanley knife. Make sure the hole is not too big. The leater of the ball is quite flexible, so if the hole is slightly too narrow, you can still push the lamp socket through it.

When you've cut a hole in the top end of the ball, push through the lamp socket. Take the attachment ring and screw it on the lamp socket on the inside of the ball, so everything is secured.

Step 5: Screw in a Light Bulb

This step is very easy: take a light bulb and screw it in the lamp socket.

Step 6: Hang the Lamp

Your football lamp is ready to be hung.

I made this lamp as a present, so I don't have a picture of the lamp hanging up and lightening the room. I hope my friends send me one when their nursery is ready.