How to Make a Lamp Harp for a Dollhouse Electrified Lamp

Anita wrote to me and asked if I had any ideas on what to use for a lamp shade that was going to be used on an electrified lamp.  I didn't.

I think it would be all right to use the card stock I used in the lamp tutorial.  Two problems arise though; one, it's card stock and light will only be coming from the top and bottom of the shade, not through.  Two, how to hold up the shade from the lamp itself.  That's called a harp and I will show how to make one that will do the job.  Anita, I am making this harp different than I told you, this one is easier, I think.

These two pictures are of a kit that Cir-Kit makes and it's great.  I has all of the pieces needed to make your own electric doll's house lamp, except the plug.

You can cover the shade with fabric and light will shine through.
They also make a kit that has a plastic pleated shade.

To begin I used green paddle wire, 26 gauge.  I cut two pieces about 6 inches (15 cm), this doesn't have to be exact.

I have used two dowels, one the size of the inside of my shade where the shade will set on the harp and a dowel that is the size of the top of my lamp.  Or, anything else that will do for size.
Wrap one piece of wire around the large dowel and twist.  Cut off the short extra wire.

Bend the wire straight out from the end of the dowel.

Take off the this one and make another one from the other piece of wire.

Measure from the end of the dowel (for this lamp and shade) 9/16 inch (14mm) and make a mark.

Slip the wires back onto the dowel down to the mark you made.  Bend the wire across the end to make a 90 degree angle.

Make two the same.

Use the smaller dowel to bend the wire around at the 90 degree angle and trim off the extra wire.

Make two the same.


If you have a pair of wide flat (no teeth or grooves on jaws) use them to tidy up the wire, making it nice and straight and flat.

Trim that extra wire, Kris.

I covered my large dowel with plastic wrap, cling film.  Slip the two shaped pieces of wire back onto the end of the dowel.

I used 527 glue, use any jewelry glue to glue the two pieces of wire together.

Let dry, I let mine dry overnight.  You don't want them popping apart.

The two pieces are glued together.  Trim off the excess glue.

For the example I am using a wooden lamp base I bought years ago and can not find anymore.  (I am trying to get my son to turn some more and sell them.)  Wrap the plastic wrap over the end where the harp will set and bring the two circles together and onto the lamp top.  I have put the big circles onto the big dowel to keep the shape true.

You can also use the small dowel to do this.

Apply glue to the wire as you did before and let this dry.

Trim off the extra glue, Kris

Paint the bottom circles and straight wire gold.

The top circles will be inside the shade, so I left mine as is.

Here is the harp setting on the lamp.

You see the hole in the top of the lamp base?  That's where the wiring and bulb and socket would come out of.

Here is the shade on the harp.

I think you would want the shade to come down to cover the bottom part of the harp.

You might have to make a couple of samples to get the height right.





A note on the shade.  I made this a long time ago.  I used rayon seam binding, it's found in packages at a fabric and sewing store.  I wrapped it around the shade several times and the last wraps I spaced apart.  I then took gold thread and tied it at the center of the seam binding.  You could do this with the shade in a previous tutorial.  Follow the directions to cover the shade.  After you have the shade coverd glue strips of the seam binding, one on each panel leave them a little loose.  You are going to be pulling from each side of the seam binding and you will need a little more length to do this.  After you have tied your knot (or something decorative) glue the center, the part you have just tied, to the shade.
The trim I found a long time ago, too.  It was perfect for the shade.

I hope you all have fun with these two tutorials.


Remember, have fun, expand on it, make it better, just keep making minis! ! !

Got more furniture to make . . . . . . . . . . Kris