The lamp’s base is composed of plaster forms cast from old food containers. Reusable storage containers like Tupperware will offer the most interesting shapes, but yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream containers also work. The example shown in the photo (opposite page) was then decorated with mystical cut-out eyes.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
HOW IT’S DONE:
1
Choose the shade. First start with a shade you like. It will be much, much easier to size the lamp to your shade rather than the other way around. This how-to is created for a shade that requires a lamp harp (the wire form on which the shade is attached), but a clip shade will work just fine, too, and will allow you to skip a couple of the steps.
2
Choose your molds. When choosing plastic containers to cast your forms, you will need to consider only two things.
Thing 1: Select containers with smooth walls that taper at the base, otherwise you will never be able to release your mold.
Thing 2: The containers you choose should create plaster forms that stack and invert on each other to create a lamp base with a nice silhouette. Aside from that, choose whatever you want.
3
Mold the lamp base. First determine the amount of plaster you’ll need, based on the size and number of plastic containers you’ve chosen as your molds; figure that 2 cups of dry plaster and 2 cups of water will make 2 cups of wet plaster. Pour the water into a plastic bucket. Add the dry plaster by sprinkling it into the water in small quantities, whisking constantly to prevent the plaster from clumping. A wire whisk may seem a little fussy for mixing plaster, but it is positively foolproof for a smooth consistency.
Once the plaster is mixed and completely free of any dry clumps, pour it into your plastic food container molds. Work quickly – plaster sets fast. Fill the molds about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch shy from the very top of the container; this will help for an easier mold release once dry.
Allow the molds to set for an hour. Once set, flip each mold and tap the lip flat on a tabletop until the set plaster form is released. Allow the forms to sit in an arid, preferably warm, spot for a day or more until they become bright white and bone dry.
4
Drill the base sections. Upturn the piece that will serve as the bottom of the lamp base. Using a 1 1/2-inch paddle bit, drill a hole centered on the bottom of the form, about 1 inch deep.
Place 2 equal-sized wood supports (or books covered in paper bags) a few inches apart on your work surface – this will help prevent your drill bit from hitting the tabletop as it passes through the underside of the plaster forms. Place the upturned base piece over the wood supports. In the center of the 1 1/2-inch hole, drill another hole straight through, using the 3/4-inch bit.
On the side of the base, from a point about 3/4-inch from the bottom, use the 1/4-inch bit to drill a radius hole straight through to the center of the base, meeting the 1 1/2-inch center hole. This will be the lead for the lamp cord.
Drilling one section at a time, use the 3/4-inch bit to drill a hole straight through the center of each plaster form, propped up by the wood supports.
Softly smooth any of the rough edges of the forms with sandpaper, and remove all the plaster dust with a clean, dry dish towel or dry paintbrush.
5
Prime the base sections. Working in a very, very, very well-ventilated area over newspaper, give each plaster section 2 coats of Kilz spray primer (they don’t call it Kilz for nothing), allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second.
If the dried plaster didn’t end up looking white and fresh, you may want to paint the forms before adding any further decoration to the base.
-Matt Maranian and Craft magazine
