Handmade Space Man Table Lamp

This table lamp is so easy to make. In fact I made this one while teaching a group of young girls ages 8-11 how to make one. The materials are also very easy to find. The hardest part was waiting for it to completely dry so you can paint and seal it then finally put it to use.

To complete this table lamp, you will need:

Air dry clay - I like using the crayola air dry clay. It stores well and is easy to mold. It is also really good at keeping moisture when you keep it in the tub.

1 pc S14 replacement LED light bulb - I like to use the edison type bulb but I got mine from Amazon.

1 pc E26/E27 Hanging lantern cord cable - Make sure you get the one with a cord and switch. I also got mine from Amazon

Wood Finish - You can use any brand or type of sealer. The purpose of this is to seal some moisture into the clay so it doesn't get too dry and begin to crack.

Other miscellaneous materials:

paint brush, bowl of water, acrylic paint, paper towel

First, take your clay and split it up. You will need 4 different pieces. 2 small ones, 1 medium, and 1 large piece. You do not have to use the whole tub. I only used half the tub for this table lamp.

Take the largest piece of clay and begin to sculpt the body. You can start by making the shape of a rectagle. Then slightly push the upper 2 edges down - this will be the shoulders for the upper body. The then using a skewer, carve a line at the center bottom section. This will be the legs.

Take the medium piece of clay and start rolling it into a ball. This will be the space man's head. Push the ball down a little - (this will make look like a really thick circle), then carve out the outer edge of the ball. This will make it look like the head is inside a helmet.

Next, take the 2 smallest pieces of clay and roll them into arms. Note: one arm will have to be longer than the other so you can wrap it around the bulb base. The other shorter arm is non-functional, so it can be shorter.

WIth all the pieces complete, you can now attached them together. With the body in the standing position, attach the arms first. When the arms are securely in place, take the E26/E27 light base and wrap the longer arm around the smallest section. When you're happy with it's placement use a paper towel to support the weight of the arm. This should be sturdy enough to keep the arm in place as it dries permanently.

With the bulb in place and the arm supported, attach the head over the body. When everything is in place, you can add accents to your spaceman like his suit buttons and the headphones over his helmet.

When everything is done, you leave it to dry. Drying time depends on how thick the clay is as well as the humidity level in your home. I dried mine for 1 week.

When your project is completely dry, check for any cracks. If you find any, you can dampen the area lightly with water using a small paintbrush. Once slightly dampened, you can smooth out the cracks.

At this point you may either paint your spaceman or leave it all white. When done painting, seal your work with whatever sealant you decide to use. This step is important because if your lamp is not sealed it will continue to loose moisture and will end up cracked and could crumble.

When your sealer is dry, your lamp is ready to use!

Notes to consider:

• If you like your clay smooth, you can slightly dampen the area you want to smooth out and sculpt it until you are happy with it's texture.
• When attaching the different parts of the body, it helpt to dampen the section where you attach them before you push them together.
• You can get creative and sculpt something different. All you have to do is change the head and sculpt a different head instead. The girls I taught made everything from a scientist cat to a hip hopper.