Designing on a budget? Sleek and modern lighting solutions don’t have to break the bank, especially when sculptural paper is at play. Here we’ve enlisted wallpaper leftover from another home project and put it to work as a small shade for an ambient pendant fixture. This method could easily be translated into a larger focal pendant fixture over a dining table or living area. The possibilities are endless and the budget is quite affordable. I’d call that a win!

Materials:

1.25 Yards of wallpaper. The wallpaper shown is Innovations, Hudson/White OakLong ruler or measuring tapeScissorsPencilHole PunchRoughly 40″ of string, cut into two 20″ piecesGlue (optional)Ikea light cord kit

1. Cut a 12″h x 39″ rectangle from the roll of wallpaper. Fold accordion style every 3″.

2. Divide the rectangle in thirds horizontally, by drawing 2 horizontal lines which will divide the rectangle in three sections of 4″.

3. Fold paper from the top left diagonally to the bottom right, intersecting the points at which the horizontal lines meet the vertical lines, as shown above. Use a ruler to create straight folds.

4. Fold paper from the top right diagonally to the bottom left, intersecting the points at which the horizontal lines meet the vertical lines, as shown above.

5. Manipulate the folds so the paper resembles the images above.

6. Along the top edge, gather each paper point individually and hole punch through the paper layers. Repeat with the points on the bottom edge.

7. Thread one of the strings through the holes at the top of the lantern.

8. Gather the paper points together.

9A. Double knot the string leaving enough room to thread the outlet plug of the lamp cord kit up through the opening. Trim the string tail.

9B. Thread the outlet plug through the string loop and pull the cord all the way through until the socket (with light bulb) is pulled up tight to the inside top of the shade. Repeat steps 7 & 8 on the bottom edge of the shade and secure with a double knot; trim tail.

10. If need be, apply a bit of glue to the seam where the two ends of the paper come together. Allow to dry and plug it in!