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zondag 12 mei 2013

Creating my own lampshades based on the origami Magic Ball

9 opmerkingen:
 

I finally moved last year from the small place that I had lived in during my University years to an apartment in Amsterdam where my previous place could easily fit in the new living room. I started out with a lot of empty space, but I loved going to shop for furniture. However, I just wasn't able to find a lamp for above the dining table that I was even remotely happy with

One spring day I was just leaving through a magazine and saw a beautiful origami lampshade and knew that it was exactly the idea that I wanted for the dining table! I was able to find the origami lamp on Etsy and several other models as well. The only problem was that most models where either too small, wrong color or too expensive (shipping to the Netherlands...). So my boyfriend said "Why don't you just create one yourself?"


When I see a square paper I always want to turn it into a Crane, so I did have some experience with origami, but a lamp shade? 
Well, I wanted to try at least, so I set out to find a lamp shade pattern online, which, as it turns out, isn't really out there. Then I spend several hours going trough patterns that weren't intended as lamp shades, but perhaps with some changes could be turned into one. I tried the example on this blog, but it just wasn't the shape I was looking for. Then I came across the pattern for a Magic Ball:


On a Saturday I started a 4 minute YouTube tutorial on the magic Ball with an A4 paper. It did warn me that it would take me several hours, but I have to admit that I just could not imagine how you could spend that much time folding one A4... 4-6 hours later I had my very first Magic Ball

Because the shape was not stiff enough I started making changes to the design. For starters I decreased the number of rows and columns to fold. This significantly decreased folding time to about half an hour, but more importantly, when I tied the top together, the shape was very beautiful and easily remained in shape. It actually had turned into a lamp shade model!


Above you can see several of my prototypes. The one on the bottom right is just the magic Ball pattern with 2 rows (the number of columns follows this). For the other two I made changes to the folding direction of the bottom layer, folding them in the other direction. The bottom left one had two rows, the top one has three rows

Because not all folds are actually needed for the model I started marking the folds that are present in the final design. When made flat again I could clearly see where I should make the folds for the big design (although I do not really remember the reasons for the differing colors, I think it means folds along the rows and columns)


Next, finding the right paper to make models big enough to pass as lamp shades. I tried the regular 220 gram A0 size (cut in half, each half turned 90 degrees and then attached again to make a very wide version) but the paper was too thick to make nice folds.
I had to call about every art shop in the area of Amsterdam to ask if they had dark blue or grey paper in a size between A1 and A0, but not too thick. Eventually I did find a store that had A1 size grey paper, lucky me :)

It still took some time to make the big sized lamp shades, but I am very happy with the result. Now I have my very own one-of-a-kind lamp shades


9 opmerkingen:

  1. These are just gorgeous! Could you maybe do a tutorial on it?
    Gr. Debbie

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    Reacties
    1. Hi Debbie,

      Thank you for the compliment! In terms of a tutorial, it's been a while since I've made these, so I tried to put all that I remembered in the blog.

      For a slightly better roadmap, I'd suggest first trying to fold a magic ball yourself (I used this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tGhcTwIJ4Es and yes, it did take me several hours) The fold is very easily scalable, so perhaps, to reduce time and get closer to the design of the lamp, I'd only do the magic ball with 3 or 4 rows (Most Magic Ball tutorials use a paper with 1:2 ratio, so the width is twice the height. For my lamps I use two of these 1:2 ratio sheets attached to each other (so adding up to 1:4 ratio)) Just make sure that you adjust the number of columns accordingly: When having folded all vertical and horizontal creases, the rectangles that have formed in the paper should have a 1:2 ratio of width x height.

      When you've done the Magic Ball folds, you can make tiny holes at the top of one of the long ends (use a needle for very tiny prototypes or one of those office tools for punching circular holes in paper for bigger ones).

      Tape the two short ends of the paper together to create a tube form (if you hadn't done this already after completing the Magic Ball YouTube video).

      Pull a wire through the holes and tie the top end together so there is virtually no hole left in the top part, this should automatically open up the bottom end even more if you've used a bit sturdy paper to make the folds. And that should be the lamp shade :)

      So, a nowhere near complete tutorial, but this is about all I can give you right now. If you have more questions just ask!

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  2. I would love to know how you folded it! A Tutorial would be great!

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  3. i want to do this!! please create a tutorial step by step, that would be really great and i really apreciate that (my english is not so good, im sorry about that)

    i'll be waiting for oyur answer, thanks!

    nicole

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  4. Hi Debbie, Could you email me about making an origami lamp shade for a flashlight?
    Rick

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  5. Oh your lampshades are so nice!!!!!
    is it possiblefor you to create a tutorial with pictures, i'm french and i don't speak very well english
    Iwould like so much to do the same for my bedroom
    thank you so much
    marion

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  6. Hi Nadieh,

    thats interesting, I am working on a tutorial similar to yours. And I found your site on pinterest by chance! ;-)
    I had the idea, to make smaller crosses, so it would look more like an Magic Ball.
    But yours gave me the idea, to try it with "bigger" crosses.

    Thanx for sharing,

    vh, perihan
    http://ludorn.wordpress.com/

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  7. Hi Nadieh:
    Amazing lamp ! Did you fireproof the paper ? I've looked at other tutorials with DIY origami shades, where they do so. But I'm not sure that it's necessary
    Laerke

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  8. Why there is not any picture of the spreaded paper? The lines on the paper, how to draw it? It is so pity, because I would like to make one lampshade, too...

    Kejmy ♥.

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