Melted Bead Lampshade and Jewelry

Margaret was inspired when she visited her sister in New Orleans. She took home her Mardi Gras beads and put them to good use--as a melted bead lampshade and melted chunky jewelry.

For the lampshade:

Materials:

plastic beads on string
sheet pan
aluminum foil
oven
lamp wire
lamp socket
plug
two-part epoxy adhesive

Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 F degrees.

2. Spread sheet of aluminum foil on cookie sheet. Lay out beads in pattern.

3. Transfer to oven and bake (beads melt at different rates, so exact time is a little unpredictable).

4. Remove from oven and add second layer of beads, filling in any holes. Return to oven until melted.

5. Remove from oven and wrap around bottle to shape. Remove foil backing.

6. Mix two-part epoxy and glue lamp armature inside shade.

7. Wire lamp base. Add light bulb.

Materials:

plastic beads: large pink round, yellow disc, glow-in-the-dark
pin back
glue
oven
aluminum foil
sheet pan

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 500 F degrees.

2. Melt big pink round bead to flatten. Also melt yellow disc with glow-in-the dark beads in center. Melt beads on aluminum foil on a sheet pan.

3. Assemble with pink bead on top and encircle with yellow glow-in-the dark beads and melt.

4. When cool, glue on pin back.

Website: www.rainbowsugar.com