This crafty Coca Cola Can lampshade craft project is a great way to recycle and use those great metal Coca Cola you get from the grocery store. This simple Coca Cola can lampshade is perfect for a Coca Cola themed kitchen, retro kitchen, or even a fun family room.
You can use any old or damage fabric lampshade as the base for this project to save money. I always get twelve packs of Coke at the grocery store. These Coca Cola tin cans have a lot of great color. They are perfect to make into a lampshade for a kitchen accent lamp.
To make a Coca Cola Can lampshade you will need:
Small Fabric Lamp Shade (can not be taller than your pencils)
Coca Cola cans
Rivet tool
Rivets
Tin Snips
Hot glue or epoxy glue
The first step is to clean out your Coca Cola cans. Simply wash them out with hot water and soap. Now they will not be sticky.
Now, use your tin snips to cut open your Coca Cola cans. I like to stick the tin snips in the open mouth of the coke can. Work your way down the back of the can to the bottom. Now, cut around the bottom edge and remove the bottom of the Coca Cola can.
Use a hammer or rubber maillot to flatten out your Coca Cola can. For a more hammered look use a metal hammer, for a smoother finish, use a rubber maillot.
Now, you need to completely remove all of the fabric from your damaged or existing lampshade. Start by poking some scissors through the fabric, then cut away. Once you have the body of the fabric removed then start working on the material wrapped onto he wires. This will take some time, but is a great way to save a little money and salvage and existing lampshade.
Tip: If you don’t have a damaged or existing lampshade you want to get rid of you can buy these wire frames of a lampshade at any lampshade store. Some arts and crafts stores will also sell them.
Now, you need to take your lampshade and roll it on a piece of paper and trace it. This will be the pattern of your lampshade to help you know what pattern to make your Coca Cola can pieces for the lampshade.
Lay out your lampshade pattern on your work surface. Start laying out your Coca Cola can pieces on you lampshade pattern.
Now, once you have your pattern established start using your rivet tool to punch out holes in the overlapping Coca Cola can pieces.
Next, use the rivets to attach the pieces together.
Once you have your Coca Cola cans all attached together, lay it out in one sheet on your table. Lay the lampshade pattern on top of the Coca Cola cans.
Now, use a marker or grease pencil to trace this pattern out on the Coca Cola can sheet.
Now, cut your Coca Cola can out to the shape of your lampshade pattern.
You can sand any sharp or rough edges if needed.
Now, run a bead of epoxy or hot glue around the top and bottom bands of your lampshade.
Hold the Coca Cola Can lampshade in place on the lampshade form until the glue cools. You could also use epoxy glue for this easy lampshade craft project.
Now, you may need to run a bead of glue along the edge where the Coca Cola can lampshade will meet or overlap.
