HGTV Copycat Candy Wrapper Lampshade

by Alli

It’s hit or miss Wednesday!  If you’re new to the blog, welcome!  Every Wednesday I share a recipe or a project that I’ve found in a magazine or on Pinterest, etc. and report on whether it’s a hit or miss.  I do have to say that I’ve had more hits than misses!  You can find last week’s hit or miss DIY Duck Tape Beach Bag here!

I was thumbing through September’s edition of HGTV magazine (one of my two favorite magazines) and found the cutest little DIY Candy Wrapper Lamp Shade using Starburst wrappers.  I knew my 5 year old grandson would get a kick out of it, so I made him one.

I had to unwrap a lot of sunburst candies to get the wrappers I needed (about 50).  I couldn’t find the directions on their website, so I’m sharing them here.

candy wrapper lampshade

 

HGTV Copycat Candy Wrapper LampShade

  • Starburst Candy Wrappers
  • Spray Mount Glue
  • Matte Mod Podge
  • Small Lampshade

After carefully unwrapping candies (put the unwrapped candies in a ziplock bag to keep fresh for later), place the wrappers, printed side up, on a sheet of wax paper and iron on medium to get the wrinkles out and to release any bits of candy stuck to the wrapper.

Using spray mount glue, affix wrappers to the shade in vertical rows, overlapping wrappers slightly.

Brush on a thin coat of matte Mod Podge to seal.  Let dry overnight.

Candy Wrapper Lampshade

Special Note:  I had my iron on medium,  but some of the wrappers stuck to the iron.  I turned the iron on low and they continued to stick.  Maybe I have a hot iron!   I then placed a sheet of waxed paper on top of the wrappers so that the wrappers were wedged between two sheets of waxed paper.  Some of the wrappers stuck to the  wax paper, but it was easy to peel off.

Hit or Miss?  This was a cute, simple little project, but my grandson is over the moon!  He can’t wait to put it in his bedroom.  He’s also looking forward to eating that leftover candy!

One thing I noticed is that my wrappers retained some of their wrinkles and the lamp in the magazine seemed to be wrinkle free or photo shopped.  I’m guessing the second option.  Also, some of the wrappers didn’t stick as well to the mounting glue and I had to go back over some of the edges.  I’m calling mine a rustic candy wrapper lampshade.  My grandson calls it awesome and that’s all that matters!

Candy Wrapper Lampshade