The arrival of the digital camera has changed the entire world. No more do you have to buy film, develop or have it developed, or otherwise go through the process of getting photos from the snapped stage to the finished picture. That leaves many of us with shoe boxes full of old photo negatives but they can have a new life. Turn negatives into an unusual and eye-catching lamp with little effort at all. The unique lamp will help you use up some of those negatives while adding a vintage accent to most any room.
You’ll need to start with a particular kind of lamp. One that has a hard plastic cover is perfect. The plastic should be clear or white for best results. Also, you’ll find it easiest to add the negatives to a lamp with a square or rectangular shape.
Negatives are on a roll, or cut into strips, featuring several to many pictures on each one. To begin, measure the height of the chosen lamp to get an idea of how long each negative strip should be cut. Cut strips of the negatives to fit.
When you use decoupage adhesive you can attach the photo negatives to the lamp while using a glue that dries clear. You can find Modge Podge or another decoupage-type adhesive at any large craft store. Alternatively, you can use two parts of white glue to one part of water. Mix the two well and use it to attach the negatives.
Apply a stripe of decoupage down the length of the lamp, in the area where you’ll be attaching the first negative strip. Apply the decoupage to the backside of the negative strip and stick it to the lamp. It’s important that each negative be perfectly straight on the hard plastic.
Apply the next stripe of glue, and position the next negative, aligning it side-by-side against the first one. Continue doing this all the way around the lamp. If the width of the negatives don’t exactly equal the width of each lamp side, center the set of negatives so that the difference is equal on each side. Or, leave little slivers of spaces between each set of negatives.
Apply a coat of decoupage over the tops of all of the negatives, and allow it to dry completely. After that, you can turn on your lamp. The light shines through to illuminate the negatives and create a very unique look. Don’t be surprised, though, if you see your visitors staring at the lamp as you try to talk to them!