I Love Lamp!!

I have been dying to do this DIY lamp project for SO long!  I've seen it several times on Pinterest and I finally decided to make one for myself!

Here is what you will need:

• A pendant lamp shade/lantern like this one from Ikea

• A lamp cord set like this one, also from Ikea (not pictured above)

• Basket-style paper coffee filters (I used around 400 of the 8"or 8-12 cup size)

• A hot glue gun w/glue

• A good movie or two ;-)

Altogether this project cost me under $15!

I did some research beforehand to figure out if there were different types and techniques to making this amazing lamp... and it turns out there are.

Below are two of the most popular ways I've seen the filters used.

Method #1) Folding the coffee filters into triangles

Method #1 will turn out looking like this:

Method #2) Putting your finger in the center of the filter and making it into a cone, then smushing the bottom so it becomes flat. (yes, I said smushing! lol)

Method #2 will turn out looking like this:

I decided that I liked the finished look of method #2, plus I figured that it would mean I wouldn't need as many coffee filters... little did I know I would end up using 400! 

Here is how I made my lamp:

I found it easier to separate all of the coffee filters, prep/smush as many as possible ahead of time, put a bunch of glue on the lamp and then stick on a few filters before the glue dried.

I started at the top and did a single layer around the opening:

I also found it easier to work on the lamp by gently putting it between my couch and coffee table.  This was helpful because otherwise the lamp would roll over since it was top-heavy.

I didn't take a lot of pictures as I was going because it would have all looked the same.  And because I really just wanted to finish it and hang it up!

The one thing I wish I would have known from the beginning is that you don't need to glue them super close together - trust me, you can always add more later.  

I started out by putting them really close together and I wasn't even halfway done and I had already used almost 200 filters!  From there I decided to space them out a little more, which ended up working out because a little more light comes through the bottom where it counts (the dining room table).

Also, I didn't keep going in a circular pattern once the top was done because I really liked the uneven look.  I think it makes it look more unique versus gluing them to be all the same height.  

Here I am, 4.5 hours later and almost done!  I watched a lot of TV that night! haha!

I'm not kidding you, it took me 5 hours to make this.  I only bought a package of 200 coffee filters and ended up having Mr. Modern go out to buy me another one!

Here it is!!! FINALLY DONE!!!

We decided it would look the best hanging over our dining room table:

I'm so proud of it and it adds so much character to our space, especially since it can be seen from the living room, dining room, and kitchen. 

Random side note: It also turns out that Mr. Modern is an excellent painter! (I've been married to him for almost 3 years and never knew!)  Below is his first painting that he did on the same night that I made my lamp. :)

***Fair Warning! I don't know if it is because I have a cheaper glue gun, or if I just spent waaay too much time using it in one night, but my finger was black and blue and a little puffy for a couple days after I finished this project! LOL

See how much bigger my right finger is?? haha

In the end, it was DEFINITELY worth it!  Every time someone has come over to our house recently, they ask where we got our lamp and are shocked when I tell them that I made it! :)

I hope that you this post inspires you to make one of your own!  I promise, you won't regret it!

Mrs. Modern


P.S. If you liked this post, please share it with your friends and if you decide you want to add this DIY to your Pinterest please use the picture below :)