Tiffany’s

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 15

Tiffany’s

The best way to achieve a really individual look in lampshades is, of course, to make them yourself.

There are plenty of materials to choose from at the various craft shops around Christchurch and it is an ideal project for the winter.

After purchasing either a table lamp or hanging pendant fixture as your base, a wire frame is probably the next item on your list to form the structure and shape of your shade and these come in many different shapes and sizes. Apart from the more conventional designs there is the tiffany scalloped or flat bottomed style. The wire frame, lamp shape and shade design

should all co-ordinate well to produce the desired effect.

At the Leisure Craft Centre at 88 Worcester Street there are a wide variety of coloured and natural materials to choose from.

Knitting silks, crepe crochet thread and gold fingering lurex thread are available for crocheted lampshades. And shades in macrame often interwoven with beads can look impressive illuminated as a hanging pendant or tiffany.

The reversion back to earthy effects with the use of natural wools and dyes also seems to be a current source .of inspiration. These shades are crafted from wispy carded wool en-

twined around a wire frame in a candyfloss effect. Sometimes the wool is dyed with berries, lichen or seaweed. Dried flowers, ferns and moss can also be incorporated into the theme.

A lighting store will wire your lamp but if you are planning to wire the lamp yourself be sure to follow the provided instructions and diagrams carefully.

Never cover an electrical wire with decorative fibres. Use a 25 watt decorator bulb in all the lamps. Not only will low wattage save .on electricity, but it will also provide you with a, safer lamp. Be sure the bulb is suspended securely at the centre of the shade and never touches the fibre.