Beaded Lamp Shade

 

 

Materials (for Lamp Shade) 

• Size 10° seed beads: or size I I° seed beads: pink (5 hanks)
• 28-gauge colored copper wire in coordinating color (34 yds)
• Lamp shade frame: 3" x 6" x 4.5"
Materials (for Flowers) 
• Size 11° seed beads: or size 9° three-cut beads: light color (2 hanks)
• Size 11° seed beads: or size 9° three-cut beads: dark color (2 hanks)
• Size 6° seed beads in coordinating color for the centers (37)
• 26-gauge colored copper wire in coordinating color (27 yds)

Tools 
You will need the following tools :
*Bead mat ---to catch any beads that may spill as you work.
*Bead spinner —to facilitate stringing the beads onto the wire.
*Craft scissors—to cut the beads off the hank and to cut the floral tape.
*Heavy-duty wire cutters—for cutting the heavier gauge stem wires.
* Nylon-jaw pliers—to take out any kinks in your wire.
* Round-nosed pliers—for making very small loops and tight bends in the wire.
* Ruler that denotes 1/8" intervals—to measure beads or length of wire as you create the flower parts.
* Small wire cutters—for cutting the wire that you use to make your petals, centers, and leaves.

Beading the Lamp Shade
1. Cut seventeen 72" lengths from 28-gauge wire. Place a knot in the end of each wire and string 54" of beads onto each wire. Place a knot in the other end of each wire.

2. Start at the top ring of the lamp shade. Wrap bare wire around the top ring a few times to get the wrapping started. Wrap the beads around the top ring the same way that you would bead a flower stem. Keep the rows of beads together and keep the beads tight so that no spaces develop along the wire. When you get to the end of the ring, wrap over the wire from the starting end. Wrap bare wire in between the rows or beads a couple times to secure the wire end. Trim the wire close to the beads and tuck the end in between the rows. (Photos 1 &2)

3. Repeat for the bottom ring of the lamp shade. Note: If you run out of head. on a strand of wire, twist the wire end from the first strand with the beginning of the wire from the new strand. Push the beads together so that they meet with the beads from the old strand. Continue wrapping aroand the ring. When finished wrapping, go back and wrap the twisted wire at the connection point in between two rows of beads and trim it close to the beads.

4. Wrap the sides of the lamp shade with beads, beginning at one of the spokes. Always start and end a strand of beads at a spoke. Note: If you run out of beads and find yourself in between two spokes, end the strand at the last spoke. Do not connect the beads in the middle of the lamp shade. If you did, when you turned on the light, you would see the wire at the connection point. (Photo 3)

 

5. Wrap bare wire around the first spoke. Push the beads up to meet the spoke and pull the beads across to the next spoke. Stop the beads at the next spoke and wrap bare wire around that spoke. Wrap from front to back, then around to the front again. (Photo 4)

 

6. Push the beads up to meet the beads between the spokes. Avoid leaving any spaces.(Photo 5)

 

7. Continue wrapping the beads around the entire lamp shade. To attach a new strand of beads, end the first strand at a spoke. Twist the first strand and the new strand together for 1''. Pull the new strand around the spoke to the front. Push up the beads to meet the beads from the first strand. Continue wrapping. After wrapping around a few more spokes, go back and trim the twisted wire to 1/4 and press it flat against the back of the spoke, inside the lamp shade. (Photo 6)

Making the Flowers
Pattern: Make 37
4 continuous loops:
Start with one quadruple loop, followed by one triple loop, followed by one quadruple loop, followed by one triple loop

1. Make each flower, Start with 25" of bare wire. Follow the instructions for shading a quadruple or triple loop as necessary. Make the first quadruple loop 3" from the knot in the wire.

2. Start the next triple loop 1/4" from the quadruple loop. (Photo 7)

 

3. Start the next quadruple loop 3/8" from the last triple loop. (Photo 8)

 

4. Start the last triple loop 1/4" from the previous quadruple loop. (Photo 9)

 

5. Pull one tail wire up to the flower front. Add a size 6° seed bead to the wire. Bring the wire back down to the flower bottom. (Photo 10)

 

6. Twist the tail wires together to form one stem wire. (Photo 11)

Decorating the Lamp Shade
1. Attach 13 flowers to the top ring of the lamp shade and 24 flowers to the bottom ring of the lamp shade. Wrap the stem wires of the flower in between the rows of beads around the ring. Trim the wire close to the beads and tuck the ends in between the rows to hide the wire. (Photo 12)

2. Place each flower so the petals of one flower touch the petals of the next flower. (Photo 13)