DIY colored nylon lamps – Home and Garden

Decorating evening and wedding dresses and hairstyles with decorative flowers is a modern trend that has spread to the decoration of rooms for celebrations. Large flowers will help you create a fairy tale in the style of “Alice from Wonderland” or be transported to the royal garden. Let's take a closer look at the process and try to create large flowers from isolon with our own hands.

What are homemade nylon lamps?

With the help of available materials, you can create different types of devices, but plant motifs in design are more common than others. Nylon night lights are made in the form of bouquets consisting of individual flowers. An elastic material is used, which does not lose its properties when stretched and lasts a long time.

The wire gives the lamp the desired shape. It should be flexible enough not to break when twisted, but not too thick, otherwise the work will be significantly more difficult.

When the buds are created, an LED is fixed inside. It acts as a light source, and the number of these elements is not limited. This is due to the fact that LEDs are characterized by low power, as a result the load on the electrical network will be minimal.

In addition, they are not prone to intense heating. For this reason, direct contact with other materials is permitted.

If you use individual flowers with a small number of LEDs, the lighting intensity will be low. It is recommended to combine them into bouquets. Possible options:

apricot flowers - they are open, it is more difficult to hide LEDs in them;
camellia - up to 20 petals are prepared for each inflorescence, but in this case it is easier to disguise the light sources;
wisteria buds allow you to hide entire LED garlands;
calla lilies - these flowers are easy to disguise light sources; they can serve as stamens;
irises: when creating such a lamp it will be difficult to hide the LEDs, so this option is more often used when it is necessary to make a bright lighting device.

For realism, leaves and stems are also created. They should have the shape of a flower, in the shape of which the lamp is made. The finished structure is installed in a flower pot or flowerpot.

This ensures stability of the device. LED lamps cannot be used in the arrangement of the main lighting system. Each of the lighting elements is characterized by a minimum power, so they do not produce intense radiation.

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Examples of finished flowers

Many people refuse to make their own lamps from isolon because they think that such a product looks much worse than the factory versions. But this is not so, even homemade flowers from isolon can decorate a house. Photos of ready-made flowers will serve as proof of this.

Necessary materials

The design of the device is based on a translucent elastic material. You can use nylon tights, but they must be in excellent condition, because...

the presence of puffs will spoil the appearance of the lamp, it will look untidy. Choose the color of the material. The bouquet should look realistic, so multi-colored nylon is used.

It is permissible to create a lamp using material in neutral tones (beige, white). LEDs of different colors will give the petals the required shade. However, it is better to immediately dye the nylon tights in the desired tone. Then the lamp will look attractive not only when the LEDs are turned on, but also during the day.

Prepare copper wire. This material is characterized by suitable properties: flexible, long-lasting, and retains its shape throughout the entire period of operation.

The length of the wire is determined taking into account the number of inflorescences, the size of petals, leaves, and stems. But to increase the strength of the lighting device, you should make a stronger frame of the base - the stems. In this case, thick wire is used. In addition to the main materials (nylon and wire frame), others are also prepared:

threads are used to attach pieces of elastic material to wire;
tape allows you to fix the petals and leaves on the stem; it is a material that changes shape under the influence of heat and sticks well;
LEDs: the use of separate light sources involves some difficulties (you need to draw up a circuit, solder diodes, etc.), for this reason it is recommended to use an LED garland or lamps;
the bouquet must be placed in a transparent vase, then the entire composition, including its lower part, will glow, in addition, the power supply can be lowered into the vase.

Additionally, decor is used: floral stamens, sparkles, drop-shaped rhinestones, etc.

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How to color flowers from isolon

Whether or not to paint flowers from isolon is the personal preference of the artist. There is tinted material on sale, so if the color scheme suits you, you can do without dyeing. But, if you need to give the flower a special shade or you don’t have colored sheets, you can paint it white. The first thing you need to know is that not every paint can be applied to isolon. Experienced craftswomen have chosen three main options, each of which has pros and cons:

Spray paint is ready to use, dries quickly, no spray gun needed. But the main disadvantage is that it crumbles under mechanical stress, especially with frequent transportation, and it has a high consumption.
Acrylic enamel (for example, Feidal) lays down in an even layer, does not crumble, and retains its original appearance for several years. You cannot apply it with a brush, it takes a long time to apply it with a sponge, and a thick layer is laid down with a roller, so you need to purchase a spray gun.
Rubber paint is applied in the same way as acrylic paint, does not crack, and can withstand not only mechanical but also temperature influences. The peculiarity of the paint is its matte surface, therefore, to add shine, it must be varnished.

If you use a spray gun, it is more convenient to paint the finished flower; if you don’t have one, you will have to tint the petal blanks and then assemble the flower. In this case, only rubber paint will do. Some craftswomen use automotive enamels, but they are expensive, and painting large colors requires a lot of paint.

Preparatory work

First, it is recommended to make a mold with which the inflorescences and petals will be made. Small jars, glasses, and pieces of plastic pipes of different sections can serve in this capacity. With this form, work gets done faster. In addition, all inflorescences and petals will look the same.

The nylon is cut, taking into account the dimensions of all structural elements of the lamp. Prepare threads of the desired shades. Thanks to this detail you will be able to create the perfect composition. It is recommended to color nylon before cutting.

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Installation of lighting elements

If you plan to use an LED garland, it is included in the design as the bouquet is being made. When creating a closed lamp (in the form of a lampshade), it is possible to install a lamp with a standard base. To do this, a cartridge connected to the power cable is fixed inside.

For the purpose of fastening the socket and the entire lamp, a wire frame is provided. Considering that nylon is a flammable material, it is not recommended to install an incandescent lamp in the socket. It is better to use an LED light source.

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Preparatory work

At the first stage, you need to select multi-colored nylon, medium-hard wire, padding polyester or cotton wool for the stamens, and colored paper. Tools you will need are scissors and a screwdriver. In the absence of multi-colored nylon, this material can be replaced with organza or dyed flesh-colored tights blanks. The choice of flowers in a bouquet is individual for specific conditions:

Varieties of plain nylon.

in a blooming apricot, the LEDs will be as open as possible, the lamp will be bright, light yellow paint will be required;
for each camellia inflorescence you will need the maximum number of petal blanks (up to 20 pieces), but one bud can accommodate 3-5 LEDs, providing muted diffused light;
in camellias, inflorescences of various sizes (small in the upper part, increasing towards the bottom) alternate with numerous leaves of rich green color;
in the light purple unopened wisteria buds it is convenient to hide the lamps from the garland;
in callas, LEDs are placed on the side of large stamens or replace them;
for gladioli you will need multi-colored nylon, the bouquet turns out to be large, so the lamp is placed in the lower third of the vertical space of the room (bedside table, coffee table);
The buds of irises and meconopsis open up lighting fixtures to the maximum, so lamps made from these flowers are suitable for bright lighting of recreation areas.

Bar counter in the kitchen interior For a mixed bouquet of several varieties of flowers, you will need more paint, but the composition is guaranteed to have high artistic value. In any case, a bouquet with LED nylon filling will become a self-sufficient element of the interior.

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Rununculus

I have one wonderful plant growing in my garden - buttercup.

How I like him! He is so fluffy, bright, unusual. I recently learned that ranunculus is a simple name for rununculus. When I found this master class, naturally I was hooked!

After all, this wonderful plant can grow not only in summer, and not only in the garden! Let it decorate your home too!

We will need:

Templates for 8 types of ranunculus petals - all in the shape of a wide drop:

1 – 10X7cm – 6-7pcs.
2 – 14Х10 – 6-7 pcs.
3 – 17Х14 – 7 pcs.
4 – 21Х16 – 15 pcs.
5 – 25Х18 – 15 pcs.
6 – 29Х21 – 15 pcs.
7 – 36Х23 – 35 pcs.
8 – 43Х27 – 4 pcs.

For a large flower you need 7 sq.m. isolona.

And also glue, a hair dryer, scissors, a lamp, a small circle of isolon.

Making templates.

Cut out a rectangle from paper. Let's say this is the first one - 10 by 7 cm.

Fold in half.

Approximately divide the width into 3 parts. We put a point, separating the third part of 7cm from above.

From the bend point to this point we draw a smooth line. This is the stem of the petal.

From this point we draw another smooth line to the top point of the fold line. It is necessary that the upper part is as straight as possible, only the corners are rounded. We get this picture:

Cut it out. Using this template, we make 6-7 blanks for a full circle.

How many other blanks are needed, and their sizes, I have already indicated above.

Making a bouquet

The technology for making each flower, regardless of the plant variety, is as follows: The sequence of making a lily from nylon.

after studying the living original or its high-quality photo, the flower is visually divided into individual elements: petals, stamens, leaves, stem;
for the frame of the petals, copper wire is better suited, giving an original edging to the perimeter, or multi-colored (to match the color of the petal);
for leaf frames, green wire is usually used (polymer coating of a decorative modification of the material);
one end of a piece of wire of the required length (selected by calculation; there is no need to cut the material in advance) is wrapped around a cup, glass, or any other object of suitable diameter, twisted several turns;
after removing the blank from the template, the petals and leaves are given the desired shape (oval, heart, drop) without changing the flat shape;
then the nylon is pulled onto the frame, cut off at the loop, and tied with colored thread;
if necessary, petals and leaves are painted by dipping into paint or spraying, applying with a brush in the desired color;
if necessary, “pollen” (shiny sprinkles, like New Year’s toys) is fixed around the perimeter with varnish or transparent glue;
After the blanks have dried, they are given the required volumetric shape by hand.

From petal blanks, buds are assembled with pistils inserted into the middle of the composition. Pieces of wire with cotton wool or synthetic padding balls at the end, also covered with nylon, and tied at the bottom with thread, are usually used as pestles. At this point, the preparatory part of constructing flowers from nylon is considered completed. Lamps are assembled from blanks on a common stem:

You can fasten flowers in a bouquet with wire or special floral tape.

buds and leaves directed in different directions are alternately tied to a multi-colored wire with a colored thread;
the spatial geometry of individual elements is adjusted as necessary;
the complexity of the design depends entirely on the type of flower chosen.

Article on the topic: A simple do-it-yourself radio bug for passing exams After making the bouquet, all that remains is to install LEDs or a regular garland inside it, remove the power wire as covertly as possible, and place the composition near an outlet or power supply.

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Additional recommendations

It is not necessary to make the same flower that is described in the master class, because such types of work require imagination and creativity. Therefore, if you wish, you can make your own imaginary flower. To form other flowers, for example, a tulip, a completely different technology is required - the base is made around the stem. The procedure for making other types of flowers will also be different, so before starting work you need to choose a suitable flower and understand the technology of its formation.

Making narcissus from isolon

It is necessary to pay attention to the shape of the flower - it will tell you how to make it from polyethylene foam:

When making poppies, you cannot press the petals tightly;
For peony, it is advisable to make carved edges. This will make the plant look more natural;
It is advisable to decorate the chrysanthemum with petals made from thin sheets of isolon;
The shape of the iris should be lush and elastic.

Artificial roses from isolon
If you follow all these recommendations, you can make not just a flower that will be very similar to a living one, but a real masterpiece. The finished lamp can decorate any room, illuminating it and adding home comfort.

Lamp "Owl" made of isolon

Composition design

For the convenience of home designers, manufacturers produce floral tape that will help you assemble a lamp from a nylon bouquet. With low power of incandescent lamps used, options for closed lamps are possible (Fig. 1).

In these designs, the petals form a ball, the electrical wire is routed down through a tube decorated with floral ribbon or colored thread. A flowerpot filled with filler (multi-colored crushed stone) is used as a support.

The luminaires are compact and provide sufficient illumination intensity, which can be adjusted by changing the number of LEDs. Nylon is a flammable material, so caution is required when using these household appliances. It is not recommended to leave them turned on in the absence of users, or to use them without a switch built into the cord at a significant distance from the outlet.

Figure 1. There is no need to place the petals close to the lamp, because nylon is a flammable material.

To give the material the required color, several dyeing technologies are used. The best quality is ensured by the paint used in factories producing women's stockings. The material is dipped for an hour in a mixture of color and washing powder (a tablespoon per 6 liters), then rinsed three times in a soapy solution and cold water.

A budget option of sufficiently high quality (no streaks, the fabric does not stain your hands) is to dye nylon with compounds for wool or cotton. Each packet of such dye is mixed with three tablespoons of salt and two of vinegar essence. The stockings are immersed in liquid heated to 40 degrees for a quarter of an hour, then heated together with it to 75 degrees, and left for half an hour.

Rinsing is also a final operation. Despite the natural origin of the dye, heating the fabric to extreme temperatures leads to shrinkage of the material.

Related article: Ceiling lining inside the garage.

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Installation of lighting elements

The final stage of making a lighting device in the shape of a flower bouquet from nylon with your own hands is the installation of lamps or LEDs inside the flowers. The leaves are usually not illuminated, giving the necessary contrast. If necessary, we can make a chandelier using the same technology:

Figure 2. A nylon chandelier with a matte bottom cover creates soft light in the room that does not strain the eyes.

a frame is constructed from stiffer wire;
unlike a flower bouquet, the frame frames in this case are fixed to each other with wire, not thread;
after covering the structure with one or several layers of nylon, it is painted in any convenient way;
A standard socket is installed in the upper part of the finished lampshade, and the power cable is removed.

To hang a homemade chandelier, you need to provide a wire ring, which is masked by a factory lampshade. If necessary, you can use a ready-made unit for connecting the chandelier to the ceiling cladding.

Incandescent lamps, unlike LEDs, have more intense heating, so it is unacceptable to place the nylon shell of the lampshade close to them, or to use lamps over 25 W. Another option for a nylon chandelier is the design (Fig. 2) with a matte bottom cover and side walls covered with black nylon with floral patterns. It creates muted light in the room, does not strain the eyes, giving them rest.

None Products made from nylon are dominated by plant themes, which is why our master class invites you to make an unusual night light – a boutonniere – with your own hands.

Before you start, collect a set of everything you need for work: nylon tights, wire, LED garland, thread, scissors. The easiest way is to use nylon in a basic white color, which can be given the desired shades with the help of paints. Thanks to this, it will be possible to achieve a natural smooth transition of shades, and the product will look even more natural.

First we need to make a wire frame. To make the rings perfectly even, wrap wire around any cylindrical object of the required diameter (jar, rolling pin, lipstick, paper towel roll, plastic pipes, etc.).

White flower Wrap the workpiece with a piece of nylon, slightly stretched. If you accidentally tighten it, it is better to replace it with a new piece of fabric, otherwise the product will turn out sloppy. Secure the future petal with a thread at the base, trim off the excess fabric. In total for one flower we will need: 6 large white circles for the petals and 5 small green circles for the sepals.

Consumables Bend the wire frame to give the desired shape to the petals. If you want to make an openwork edge on a flower, wind the frame wire onto a knitting needle and slightly stretch the resulting spring to the sides. When “upholstered” with fabric, you get a nice wavy petal.

Finished flower For realism, add stamens to the buds. You can buy them in phytodesign stores or make them yourself from starched threads. With anthers glued to the ends, made of tinted PVA with the addition of starch or semolina, they are indistinguishable from the real thing.

Pokes for the bud Take the LED from the garland, attach the stamens to it, securing them with a thin strip of paper tape.

Attached stamens Leaves from nylon can be designed like this. To imitate natural veins, add additional stitches.

Making leaves The stems are made of thick wire; they can be wrapped on top with ribbons, serpentine, thread or green paper. It’s even easier to take real dried plant branches, paint them, and attach flowers with light bulbs. Like this, for example:

Ready-made flower It is best to use a ready-made Chinese-made garland as a luminous element (choose the shortest one). So you don’t have to learn how to create microcircuits along the way. It runs on batteries, so you can easily move the night light to any part of the room. Diodes of the same color look more beautiful - then the composition will be made in the same style. Ready!

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What is isolon and how to work with it

This material is made from polyethylene foam, which has a closed cell type. This structure makes isolon elastic and resistant to shock and tensile loads; it has good resistance to tearing.

Typically, isolon (this is the trade name of insulation produced by the Izhevsk Plastics Plant) is used for sound and heat insulation of residential buildings and public buildings.

The material is usually produced in roll packaging, with one- or two-sided foil, often with a self-adhesive backing.

For creative needs, foil-coated and self-adhesive isolon is not suitable; here you should give preference to ordinary white polyethylene foam or decorative colored polyethylene, and choose “cross-linked” polyethylene - a material with hermetically sealed cells. The difference between NPE and PPE is shown in the illustration below.

The technical characteristics of the material are presented in the table, and for DIYers, the most important thing is the size of the roll and the thickness of the isolon. In the material marking, the first two digits after the letter code “PPE” indicate density (code 50 corresponds to a density of 200 kg/m3, and code 30 corresponds to a density of 33 kg/m3).

Taking into account the needs of customers, the Izhevsk plant began to produce colored versions of the material, focusing not on its insulating properties (although they remained unchanged), but on original color solutions.

The choice of more or less dense material depends on what shape the master plans for the lamp. The more petals a flower has, the thinner and less dense the leaf should be. And vice versa - for large, separately located parts, denser and thicker varieties are chosen.

To add volume to flat figures, heat is used - usually a hair dryer.

Shining lotus

Nylon lotusAnd another short master class of a very impressive night light. This time we will make a composition from large lotus flowers. This is what we should get as a result, shall we get started?

The operating principle is the same. Just take thick insulated wire, so the flower will turn out voluminous. You can pull the wire through a white woven cord.

We make blank petals of different sizes, about 5-6 pieces for each tier. We gather the petals together around the cable-stem, bending them figuratively in different directions. There should be at least four tiers in the central flower, so the bud will be more magnificent.

Assembling the budIn the middle of each flower, install a diode light bulb, like the one shown below. You can also use a small, self-contained tablet light.

Light sources It can be fixed to any part of the lamp using the double-sided tape included in the kit. In our composition, it is best to place it in a basket (or other base that you choose for the lamp). Don’t forget to thickly frame the light bulb with stamens with sparkles, then at night they will glare and the shadows on the walls will be unusual.

Assembling the bud We repeat the same procedure with the second flower. Complete the composition with 3-4 large green nylon leaves. To obtain a shaped edge, use the spiral wire winding method. Gather the fabric in the center and tie it with matching thread.

Petals made of nylon You can complement the product with unopened buds. To do this, make a ball of cotton wool, placing a wire rod inside. Cover the workpiece with a nylon circle, giving it a cone shape. Pull the fabric tighter around the sepals. Assemble the composition.

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Floor lamp "Rose"

Master class on creating a rose lamp. To make the light bulb shine much brighter, you don’t need to use a lampshade.

To make a floor lamp you will need:

soft pink isolon (size 1*2);
pastel (oil);
pipe (diameter 16 mm, length 2.4 m);
lighting devices (light bulb, socket, coupling, 3 m wire, switch, plug);
gun with glue sticks;
hairdryer