by Add a touch of whimsical French design to your space with this “Frenchy Scrawl” lamp project! This lighthearted and fun piece is not only colorful, but will be very useful when completed. This is perfect for a teenage or preteen bedroom!
For this project, you will need:
– One 13 x 6 x 6 unfinished wood lamp base that already contains the hardware (such as the one found here at Viking Wood Crafts)
– Medium grit sandpaper
– Soft cloth
– Mod Podge
– Several sheets of 7 Gypsies “Calais Tourqet” print paper (available in stores or online at Paper Addict)
– Shrink paper
– Large script alphabet stamps
– Black solvent ink
– Scissors
– Acrylic finishing spray
– White spray paint primer
– Masking tape
– Large bowl filled with water
– Matching lampshade
Begin by first lightly sanding the unfinished wood lamp base with medium grit sandpaper. Be sure not to sand too much, or you can actually ruin the lamp base. Lightly remove any and all dust with a soft cloth. (Failure to do so can cause problems with the adherence of the paint and Mod Podge.)
Gently mask off all non-wood areas on the lamp with masking tape. Spray the wooden lamp base with two coats of white spray paint primer. Allow the spray paint to dry two to three hours before continuing.
Using black solvent ink and large script alphabet stamps, spell out the wood “lumière” directly onto the shrink paper. Cut out each letter separately and shrink according to the paper manufacturer’s directions. Allow the paper to cool well.
Cut the 7 Gypsies “Calais Tourqet” print paper in several sections. (Hint: This next part is easiest done one side at a time on the wooden lamp base.) Apply Mod Podge directly to the lamp base. Take one section of print paper and set on top of the water in the large bowl. Leave the paper in the bowl just long enough to keep the edges from curling before plucking from the water. Adhere to the print paper to the Mod Podge covered area on your lamp base. Apply a liberal amount of additional Mod Podge over the top of the paper. Smooth out the paper with your fingers, working from the center of the paper towards the outside. Repeat until the entire lamp base has been covered. Allow the Mod Podge to dry well.
With additional Mod Podge, adhere each of the letters to spell “lumière” across the front side of the lamp. Allow the glue to dry well before coating the entire project with acrylic finishing spray. Remove all masking tape before adding a matching lampshade and using.
