Tuesday 19 March 2013

Ordinary Lamps with a Twist


As an alternative to candle votives and designer lamps, I’ve found these simple and ordinary candle lamps which once done up are no less than any designer lamp. They’re very simple and so adorable which can make over the look of any space in your home. 
Well, I got my hands on these in a local market where clay products are sold. These are simple candle lamps where the base is made up of clay and the lamp of glass. The glass is very brittle - that’s the only part which makes them very delicate and fragile. Nonetheless, they make an amazing home accent! Here are snapshots of my collection:
 Lamps simply painted in glass paints finished with a cute ribbon bow. The clay is painted in gold oil paints. These serve as simple and pretty accents for your home. 

Here are few more of my lamps done up in thread:

Well this does not require much effort. Just keep rolling the thread around the glass part, but be sure to keep a firm hold of the thread on the glass.

A great alternative to expensive lamps and lampshades, you could use these simple lamps at your bedside table.

You could try making your own by using a variety of accessories like handmade paper (especially the fibre/netted ones which have a netted texture), sequins, decorative beads/stones, lace, ribbons, washi tape etc. One more technique which simply works best with lamps is to decorate them with dried leaves and flowers. All you have to do is get some ‘modge podge’ glue to stick them to the glass. Well if this is too complicated, use normal glue to stick dried leaves and flowers. Dried flowers and leaves simply add to the beauty of any art and why not use it on your lamps for a rustic piece of art!
For lighting these lamps, you don’t need to stick to tea light candles, you can use the regular candles, however be careful of overheating, as these lamps are made of brittle glass. There are chances that the glass may crack. Moreover, using a candle leaves a black film on the inside. Another great alternative is LED tea light candles if you don't mind spending a little bit more. 
So what are you waiting for? Make your own designer lamps!


Till then,
Happy Crafting!


Karen





Wednesday 13 March 2013

The Desi Way - Using Chai Glasses to Create Candle Votives

After creating candle votives from normal drinking glasses and shot glasses, I’ve discovered yet another way of making candle votives, that too, from simple and affordable glass products. My recent craft stint was with the famous “Cutting Chai Glasses”. Well, I don’t need to explain to you what these are as this is a term which is known to every Indian irrespective to the state you belong. 
Chai glasses are very simple and affordable and can be easily purchased from any local vendor who supplies chai glasses. They’re budget friendly and great if you want to use them as a part of your decor not only for your home but also for festivals. A great lighting accent to use especially if you're fond of lot of lighting.
Along with a set of 4 large glasses, I've also tried making votives of the medium sized ones. In fact, the medium sized ones are the just perfect as votives. Here's a snapshot of the medium sized glasses:
 Here are snapshots of the large sized ones.
Colourful aren't they? Perfect for lighting up your home with tea lights in the evenings and especially when you want some soft lighting when its still not dark. This is the only time the colours will truly show up. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take snapshots during late evening, but I've got pics of how they look in pitch dark. I used LED tea lights to light them up.

If you’re one of those who is not inclined towards exorbitant and expensive products for the  home, this is a great way to decorate your home. 

A few tips when you try these DIY Chai Glass candle holders:

·      The best way to paint these is using some vibrant colours (in this case I've used Ceramic paints since they tend to give a darker finish; you could also use glass paints as an option) as shown in the pictures above.
·   You could also use leftover lace, decorative stones to decorate the rim (the plain part above the textured part of the chai glass).
·   Use either LED lights or wax tea lights. In case of wax tea lights, place some water in the chai glass (up to half) and place the tea light candle into it. This will not only help in balancing the temperature but also show up the designs on the glass very well.


In case you have tried out making votives out of chai glasses or if you have more ideas, we'd love to know about them. Do not forget to leave a link to your work in the comments section below.

Till then, Happy Crafting

Karen