'Stain Glass' Tissue Paper Candle/Lamp Shade

Now what you don't see from my rather beautiful photo shoot of a prototype here is the smoke slowly rising from the top as the naked flame's heat (for some reason) begins to react to the PVA glue and tissue paper frame surrounding it. So if you do want to make a more spherical shaped holder, do make it bigger with a bigger gap beneath or just stick a fake electric candle inside or (as you see from the picture at the bottom) make one with a giant gap above (and make sure you don't keep it lit unattended. I am not liable for any failure in common sense).

Anyway, fire hazards aside, the main point here was just to show how what a would be a more kiddy make (and by my efforts of geometric symmetry continuously kiddy), can actually develop into something which is rather nice to look at in a non-my-kid-really-worked-hard-on-this-so-I'll-smile-and-nod kind of way.

For this I used:

•  Tissue paper
• PVA glue
• Copper rods (optional)

   I was lucky enough to have a college with a spot welder to make my frame out of bent copper rods. However if, like most of the population, you do not own copper rods and a spot welder, you could create your frame using tough sticks and a strong glue (again, fire hazards, do not leave unattended, yadda yadda, liability etc.). Or even find an existing frame of your choice lying about (it could happen).

Get the tissue paper of your choice and cut out pieces for each frame, each one slightly bigger than the area your going to stick it onto. Cover it in PVA glue and attach to the area, while carefully tightening it out as much as you can. When it dries it will tighten even more so don't go too over board.

After it dries (and assuming you haven't made a teeny tiny sphere shape with no gaps like moi) light your candle, pop it inside and watch the pretty colours glow.

And the fun thing is that it isn't just candle holders you can make. You can use it to make electric lamp shades using a bigger cylindrical shape or even a stain glass wobbly, spinning, colour changing thing:

I don't ask what it is. I just make it

PVA glue also toughens the tissue paper right up, assuming you smothered it with the stuff, so it's much more durable and flexible, as well letting more light through... within reason. I can't say it would withstand being smashed against the side in a lamp shade induced rage, but it'll withstand a few knocks and bumps until that lamp shade raging day comes.