Busy Geemaw: Nightlight Beaded Lampshades

My Mom use to make the cutest beaded lampshades for nightlights. She would make them for her children and grandchildren to put in their bedrooms, bathrooms or halls. I use mine in the guestroom for our grandchildren when they stay over, or in the hall for guests to be able to see their way around at night.

Last years Christmas shades

The Champagne and Crystal shades

The lamp shades are easy to make and they take just a few supplies. The last two years I helped my grandchildren make them for their teacher's Christmas gifts. I bought a dozen nightlights at The Home Depot and then we made two or three lampshades for one nightlight.

We made red, green, white and clear shades for Christmas, and then champagne or crystal colored shades for their teachers to use the rest of the year. My Granddaughter also made a multi colored shade that looks like stained glass. The kids have such a great time making the shades, and it doesn't take a long time so they don't lose interest before they finish a shade.

The supplies needed to make the shades include, large silver safety pins with a hole on the bottom, tribeads in the colors you desire, 6mm round beads, 8mm round beads and a light weight wire. The beads work best if they are not solid colors, but a translucent color.

Step one: Count out 11 safety pins and open them.

A large safety pin with the hole in the bottom.

Step two: Pick a color and Pattern for your shade. Each pin will hold 12 tribeads. The bottom ring of the pin will be the top of the shade.

Tribeads and round beads for the project.

Step three: String the tribeads onto the pins and then close the pins. I was able to get 12 beads onto each pin, but my Mom made hers with only 11 beads.

This pin has 11 beads on it, but make it with 12 if you can. All brands of pins are different.

Step four: Pick out 11 small and 11 large beads in coordinating colors. The small beads will be on the top of the shade and the large beads on the bottom.

8mm round crystal beads for the bottom of the shade.

6mm round crystal beads for the top of the shade.

Step five: Cut two pieces of wire about 10 to 12 inches long.

A light weight jewelry wire.

Step six: Lay the beaded pins in a row, bead side up, with the clasp on the bottom.

Step seven: Along the top of the pins lay a small bead to the left of the first pin and then in between the top of each pin in the row. Do the same with the large beads at the bottom of the pins in the row.

Step eight: Take a wire and bend a small hook on one end. Now, take the straight end and string it through the small bead, then the small hole in the end of the pin, and continue stringing bead then, pin, until you have all pins and beads on the wire. Then repeat the process with the bottom of the row. String a large bead then put the wire through the round hole in the pins clasp. Continue stringing large bead, then pin, until all the beads and pins are on the wire at the bottom of the row.

The wire is strung through the bead, then through the hole in the pin, on the top and

bottom.

Step nine: Grab both ends of each wire to form a circle and twist the ends of the top wire together making a tight circle at the top of the shade, and do the same with the bottom wire. Twist the wire for about a quarter of an inch or so and then clip off the rest of the wire. Use a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the end of the twisted wire into the middle of the beads.