How to Make a Balloon Lamp
Balloon lamps are stylish, budget-friendly decorations. These may be as simple as designer Kouichi Okamoto's Edo Period-inspired LED Balloon Lamp, or as funky as the hardened twine globes pictured in Better Homes and Gardens. Why not make your own? To maximize the idea, make temporary LED balloon lamps for a party, then recycle any one of them afterward to create a permanent hanging lamp to light up your room.
Things You'll Need
- Plastic party balloons
- Air pump (optional)
- LED bulbs (1 per party balloon)
- Lithium "coin" batteries (2 per LED bulb)
- Yarn
- Electrical tape
- Pendant light kit
- Light bulb (40 to 60 watts)
- Bowl
- Gloves
- White glue
- Ball of twine (plain or colored)
- Water-resistant or permanent marker
- Pin or needle
- Petroleum jelly
Instructions
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Party Balloon Lamps
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1
Decorate your party with balloons lit by inner LED bulbs; you'll recycle them later on. Attach two lithium coin batteries securely to an LED bulb's wires with electrical tape. Tie and tape a length of yarn to the batteries and bulb; this will form the balloon lamp's handle. Make sure the bulb is lit.
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2
Insert the bulb and batteries into a party balloon; leave the attached yarn dangling out of its open end.
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3
Inflate the balloon to its largest possible size. Pinch the open end of the inflated balloon to prevent air from escaping.
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4
Knot the open end of the balloon closed, then secure it by tying and knotting the yarn around it.
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5
Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the other balloons, then scatter or hang the finished LED balloon lamps around your party venue as décor.
Pendant Balloon Lamp
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6
Recycle the same inflated LED-lit balloon into a permanent light fixture. Pick out the largest LED balloon lamp you made for the party. This balloon should be inflated enough to accommodate a light bulb within, with the inner walls at least 7 inches away from the light bulb's surface. Re-inflate the balloon if needed. Do not remove its original yarn string.
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7
Draw a circle around the balloon's knotted end that's big enough to slip the light bulb through, but smaller than the pendant light kit's lamp "fitter" or hanging device, which will go at the top end of the finished lamp later on.
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8
Put on the gloves. Rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly all around the balloon.
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9
Fill a bowl with the white glue and add a few drops of water. Drop the ball of twine into the bowl and work the glue solution into the twine until it is completely drenched, inside and out.
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10
Randomly twirl the coated twine around the balloon numerous times, until a web of twine covers it. Avoid twirling twine over the circle you drew around the balloon's knotted end. Leave enough spaces in between strands for light to come through.
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11
Hang the entwined balloon by its yarn string in a dry area for at least 24 hours, or until the twine dries and hardens into the balloon's shape.
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12
Pop the balloon with a pin or needle. Remove the balloon remnants, the used LED bulb and batteries from the resulting hollow twine "balloon."
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13
Attach the light bulb to the pendant light kit, insert the bulb into the twine "balloon" and hang your new pendant lamp by its fitter or hanging device.
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Tips & Warnings
For easier bulb replacement, cut a hole at the bottom end of the finished twine pendant lamp big enough to slip a bulb through. Alternatively, you may fashion the twine pendant lamp with two holes from the start.
Do the environment a favor and avoid releasing plastic party balloons into the air. Recycle them into permanent light fixtures that you can give as gifts.
Never insert a light source that's too large for the twine pendant-balloon lamp. The heat from the light could scorch or burn the twine if the lamp's inner walls are too close.
Do not use high-powered LED bulbs for the inflated plastic balloon lamps. They could heat up the air within the plastic enough to make the balloon pop.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
