Wire Lampshade

These lampshades are made from artistic wire. They look beautiful with the light on and off and give a room a lot of character and a special atmosphere.

Anyone can make these lampshades, no special skills needed. The great thing about them is they don’t need a frame, they hold their shape by themselves.

If you only use one colour you can make a lampshade like this for around 3 £ (4$). More colours are nicer though. It takes about an afternoon to make one, depending on the size of the lamp.

They are crocheted with easy to do stitches. I’m showing here how to make 2 different shapes, the cylinder and the cone shape. Of course the possibilities for experimentation with shapes, stitches and colours are endless.

Constructing the lamp is also quite easy. You can make the cable as long as you like, and with a few hooks on the ceiling, you can fix them to light up any space in the room. Also you can position them high or low, as you like. All the pieces needed, can be bought cheaply.

I thought of it too late, but there are these beautiful old style filament light bulbs available, I think they would be the perfect bulbs for the lamp.

Crocheting with wire

Crocheting with wire is not so different from crocheting with yarn. Before you begin the project just play around with the wire to get a feeling for it. Crochet a few rows in different stitches, if you like.

Stretch it in different directions to see what happens when you do that. Also use different sizes of hooks, the stitches will change their look when you do this.

Work slowly, although you can unravel the wire, it won’t be as smooth anymore once it was shaped and you have to do it really carefully, the wire breaks easily. While you work on the project pull the rounds length ways and sideways. It will even out the stitches and you get a crisper look of the fabric created.

For the lamp shades

• Artistic wire (also called craft wire) 28 gauge, 0.3mm, try to get the spools with 70m (75yd) on it, you don’t want to run out midway, choose the shiny rather than the mat finished wires (mine were called “vivid” violet for example)
• Crochet hook (metal, to avoid scratches on hooks), I used a 6mm for the cylinder and a 5mm for the cone shape
• Wire cutters, but you can also use craft scissors
• Big eyed needle

To make the lamp

• Switched metal lamp holder
• Fabric covered 3-core cable (or 2-core for some countries), measure the length you will need
• Cable stripper and small screwdriver
• 3-pin plug (or 2-pin plug)
• Bulb – make sure it’s compatible with the lamp holder (screw or bayonet)
• Screw hooks for hanging the light from the ceiling

The stitches I used are single crochet and half double crochet.

Half double crochet begins like a double crochet until there are three loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn around the hook from back to front and pull the yarn through all three loops.

I inserted the hook in the space between the stitches (see photo), because I liked the look of it, I don’t know if this stitch has a name and of course you can do it as it's normally done.

This is a very easy shape to crochet. The stitches are not connected, but worked in rounds.

Create a circle

Chain 7 and form a ring with a slip stitch.

5 single crochet into the ring.

Row 1: 2 single crochet into each single crochet

Row 2: 1 single crochet into next stitch, 2 single crochet into next stitch repeat until end of row

Row 3: 1 half double crochet into next stitch, 2 half double crochet into next stitch, repeat until end of row

With this the crown is created.

You can make the crown wider by crocheting 2 half double crochet stitch into next 2 stitches, 2 half double crochet into next stitch, then in the next round 3 half double crochet into next 3 stitches and 2 half double crochet into next stitch until the desired width is created.

Now work even, using the half double crochet stitch, until the lampshade is as long as you want it.

Slip stitch into last stitch. Bind off. Thread in all the wire ends.

This shape is a little more challenging, because you have to count the stitches and know when a new round begins. Put a stitch marker at the beginning of each new round. The stitches are worked in a spiral round, they are not joined but worked continuously.

Create the circle in the same way as before, chain 7 and form a ring with a slip stitch.

Row 1: 6 single crochet in the ring

Row 2: 2 single crochet into next stitch, 1 single crochet into next stitch, repeat until end of row

Row 3: 2 single crochet into next stitch, 2 single crochet into each of next 2 stitches, repeat until end of row

Row 4: 2 single crochet into next stitch, 3 single crochet into each of next 3 stitches, repeat until end of row

Row 5: 2 single crochet into next stitch, 4 single crochet into each of next 4 stitches, repeat until end of row

I changed the stitch from the next round to half double crochet

Row 6: 2 half double crochet into next stitch, 5 half double crochet into each of next 5 stitches, repeat until end of row

Row 7: 2 half double crochet into next stitch, 6 half double crochet into each of next 6 stitches, repeat until end of row

Go on in this way until you have the length you want. I did 28 rounds.

When you come to the end slip stitch into the next stitch and bind off.

Thread in all the ends.

Open up the lamp holder by unscrewing the top and bottom to separate. Feed the cable into the top of the lamp holder.

Strip the wires.

Wire the cable to the bottom of the lamp holder. With a three-core cable, which includes live, neutral and earth wires, there will be a point in the side of the fitting to connect the earth wire to.

The line and neutral wires can be connected to either of the other points. Screw the two parts of the lamp holder together.

Slip the lampshade over the lamp holder.

Strip the wires of the other end of the cable and connect to the plug. To make sure you connect the wires to the correct points google how to wire a plug adding your country. A diagram will come up, so you can be sure to do it right.

Now you can connect the lamp and play around with it and find the perfect place.

I hope you will have as much fun as I had making these beautiful lampshades.