Handmade Polymer Clay Lighting Fixtures

Shadowbox Table Lamp

• Shadowboxes are used to protect and display items such as sports memorabilia, family photos or art projects. You can easily create a table lamp with a shadowbox and lamp kit, by drilling a hole in the top of the box so that the lamp kit fits through it. Choose a shadowbox that has both a glass front and back so that your display will show from either side, then decorate the inside with polymer clay embellishments. Figurines in the shape of your family or flower accents make fun and memorable crafts to display in the box, as well as seasonal shapes like pumpkins for Halloween and trees for Christmas.

Track Lighting Covers

• Track lighting is convenient whenever an adjustable light is needed. Light bulbs are normally protected by a cover, and are available in a variety of colors, but they can also be customized using polymer clay. Polymer clay sticks best to objects that are nonporous, making track lighting covers a unique item to cover with clay. Polymer clay canes are the best form to use when covering an object. To make one, start with two or more colors of clay and mix them together until you achieve a marbled pattern, then roll it into one long tube that is 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long. Cut off 8-inch slices and stick them to the cover until the outside is completely covered. Once you have baked the piece in the oven following the manufacturer's directions, wait until it is cooled and finish it with a water-based glaze.

Chandelier with Accents

• Chandeliers are beautiful and vary in design, but they all have one thing in common: They all hang from a ceiling and have multiple lighting fixtures. The most intricate chandeliers are ones with numerous hanging beads or glass accents, and are quite expensive to purchase new. Flea markets and antiques shops often carry them at reduced prices, giving you the opportunity to craft something new from it. Remove all the glass pendants or beads you can, and replace them with your own handmade polymer clay accents. For best results, use translucent clay because it will better reflect the light. There are many colors available that can be shaped by hand into teardrops, circles, squares or any other shape you find appropriate.

Pendant Lighting

• Pendant lighting is light that comes from a single ceiling light fixture. They are commonly found in restaurants where they hang over the tables, but they can be used in any room of a home. The light bulb covers vary in shape and size and come not only with different colors, but various designs as well. Choose a simple glass or metal cover to use as a base for the clay. Cover it with clay in one solid color, and then make clay accents to add to it. For instance, in a kitchen, use white as a base and make small apples and carrots to embellish. For a baby's room, try using blue or pink as your base clay color then making small bottle and duck shapes for further decoration.