Friday, February 17, 2012

lightbulb vase

 I saw a lightbulb vase somewhere ... probably Pinterest. And I couldn't get it out of my head. My friend's birthday was approaching, and considering her interests and profession (a high school biology teacher), I felt that the lightbulb vase would be appropriate.

I searched for the right tutorial(s), bought my materials, and got to work. Since I was dealing with glass, hammers, and a lot of trial and error, I wasn't able to take any pictures. Plus the tutorials already have great photos, anyway.

Part 1:

I liked the idea of using silicone bumpers for a stand, keeping with the minimalistic look.

 But when water spilled down the side and onto the silicone bumpers, they slid around and were no longer balancing the vase. I resolved that this method is good for a dry vase/terrarium, but not one involving water.

Back to the drawing board.

Part 2:
I really liked the look of this vase holder (and the herringbone background) so I gave it a shot. http://www.readymade.com/projects/lightbulb_bud_vase

Bending the rod was a lot of guess work. I used my bare hands for some of it and a wrench for the tricky parts. I essentially made each side six inches long -- which meant the back split into two sections of three inches. Curling the rod around to fit around the lightbulb was the trickiest part. When pieces broke off I had to improvise and readjust. I finally got it right and superglued the bulb to the vase just to be safe. But it turned out pretty good in the end.

I finished it in time for my friend's birthday, and when she opened her present, she was ecstatic! I really enjoyed brightening her day.

And now I want to make one for myself.

1 comments:

Mollie said...

Oh and how I adore it!! It sits on the desk in my classroom and I have received endless comments about it from students and coworkers. When I tell them that my friend made it they are always so impressed! Thank you thank you, once again, my dearest friend :)

Post a Comment

 

a bit of stephrything Copyright © 2011 -- Template created by O Pregador -- Powered by Blogger