Doing It With Tara: String Lamp Thing6

by Tara Diane

Today we are making a string… glue… balloon… lamp thing!  This is probably one of my favorite projects to do; this is the third one that I’ve made.  I can take zero credit for the idea, it’s totally 100% these awesome people.  I’m posting a few variations from their instructions, but they’re the original, so they probably know better than I do.  I’m posting it here because… well, I just fricking love it.

What you need:

• A ball of yarn. I used a Peaches N’ Crème brand ball (only needed one) because I liked the multi-colored idea. You can really use anything. The original tutorial used two different weights. Really, just use whatever you see at the store that looks cool to you.
• A big-ass punching bag balloon
• A lantern cord and light bulb
• 4 seven-ounce bottles of school glue. Or wallpaper glue, like the original tutorial uses. I was just too lazy to look for wallpaper glue and school glue worked just fine :].
• Vaseline or lube (this is SG, after all)
• A back yard. Or front yard. Whatev.
• A bowl, scissors, a towel, and something to stir with, that you don’t mind getting gluey

*You might want to do this project earlier in the day so that you can take it inside at night. If you do it at 7pm, it will still be dripping when it gets dark, and the dew the next AM might mess it up.

Steps!

• Blow up your balloon. You can blow it up to any size you want. Personally, my philosophy with balls is the-bigger-the-better. But if you like your balls small, that’s fine too.
• Tie the balloon to wherever it is you’re planning on hanging it from, then grease it up with your Vaseline or whatever other form of lubrication you have lying around. You don’t want the glue and yarn to stick to the balloon!

• Mix up your glue. If you are using school glue, dump in the four bottles of glue, then add about a cup of water. Stir until it’s nice and mixed.

• Cut off a section of yarn that’s about ten feet long (stretch it across your arms twice…) and dip it into the glue. Make sure it is completely covered in goopy shit, then take it out and start twisting it around the balloon. There doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason behind it, just twirl it around every which way.
• Keep cutting off ten-foot sections, dipping, and twirling, until you think it looks really fricking cool. Then… stop.

• Let that puppy dry overnight. Make sure it is 110% dry before you go on to the next step!
• Pop your balloon! I recommend using a needle by the tie so the air leaks out slowly, but if you’re feeling balls-to-the-wall then just pop it however you like.
• Use the cord kit to hang it, and admire the pretty shadows!