Photo Slide Lampshade Tutorial--DIY Photo Crafts

by Kristina Rust Photography

Summer is here and if you enjoy crafting then you will love this project......

Last summer,  I made this awesome lampshade while visiting my mom in the Midwest.  She got the idea after visiting a local craft fair.

Thankfully, my mom had boxes full of slides from when she and my dad first got married and I loved looking through the slides and picking out various images for this project.  It was so fun to see my parents as newlyweds....they were and are such a good looking couple!

Anyway, this craft looks easy at first glance, however the original idea involved using jump rings to attach the slides together which was extremely time consuming (and a bit frustrating).  We improved on the idea by using lanyard clasps to attach the slides together....which made this so much easier and I was able to whip one out in an afternoon.

So here is what you need to make one of these cool shades.....

• An old lampshade---you'll want to tear off the shade portion and just use the wiring.  Try and find one that is not too big or this project will require more slides.  The one I used measures 7 inches across.
• Hole punch.  Get a heavy duty one.  One that can punch through the thickness of the cardboard slide.  My mom picked hers up at Michaels.
• Slides--of course it is more meaningful if they are of your own family but you could probably find some at the Goodwill or flea market.  For the lampshade I made, I used 36 slides.  
• Lanyard clasps.  I bought a pack of 60 at Michaels for $3.00
• Crystals to hang on the last row of slides or any other decorative element.  You can also attach the slides to the wire base from your lampshade but I preferred using the decorative crystals.

Assembling the lampshade is pretty simple (if you use the lanyards).  Basically, all you have to do is  punch a hole in the middle of each side of your slide and use the lanyard clasp to attach them.  Note:  in order for the images to be right side up, your slide will actually face upside down.  I made all the rows and attached them all together before hanging them onto the lampshade wire.  

The project took my mom and I about 3 hours.  She punched holes, while I attached the slides.  It was such a fun project to make together.   

I absolutely love this lampshade and have it proudly displayed in my family room.   If you decide to make one, we'd love to see it!  Please share a link in the comments below. 

In addition to writing about photography tips, tricks and a good craft project here at Moms Who Click, you can also find me musing about my latest photography projects and client work on my website Kristina Rust Photography, Facebook Page and Google+.