How to Make a Shade for a Wineglass Light

Co-authored by Lois Wade

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Wineglasses make unique and pretty candle holders. They can be customized even further by adding a paper "lampshade". Here's how you can make your own unique wine glass lamps.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Creating the Shade

1
Measure the distance across your wine glass opening at its widest part (i.e. the diameter) with a compass.
2
Add 3/4th of an inch (19.05mm) to that diameter. This will be your initial arc.

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3
Mark the long edge of a sheet sheet of paper at a point approximately 1/3 of its length. Legal paper works the best, but you can get by with an 8.5 x 11 (21.5 x 28cm) sheet of paper if you are careful.
4
Place the protractor along the edge of the paper with its center over the mark made in the previous step.
5
Mark a 110 degree angle. Angle it away from the longer section toward the shorter, 1/3rd edge of the paper, forming an obtuse angle.
6
Draw a line through the two points. Extend it to the opposite edge of the paper.
7
Draw a dashed line 1/4 to 1/2 an inch (6.35mm to 1.27cm) beyond the first line. This will be the "flap" or "lip" used for taping or gluing the edges of your shade together.
8
Use your compass with the measurement from the glass opening to draw an arc from the center point of your angle on the paper.
9
Determine the height you want the lampshade to be. Open the compass to the height measurement and draw a second arc, using the same center point. The distance between the two arcs will be the height of your shade.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Fitting the Shade

1
Cut along the lines you have made. Cut the two arcs, and then cut outside of the "flap".
2
Curl the paper to line up the two straight edges. Overlap them slightly before fastening with tape or glue.
3
Set the shade over top of the glass opening with the wide end down to test fit. At this point, you can decorate the shade as you wish:
- Use hole punches to allow direct light through.
- Draw designs on it.
- Scallop the edges.
- Put stickers on it.
- Your imagination is the only limiting factor!
4
Enjoy your new lampshade!

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Community Q&A

Question

Do you have a template of that one? I'm not good at numbers and compasses, but I can copy!

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

Take a triangle of paper and hold two of the edges together. This forms a cone hat. Adjust the overlap of the edges to fit your wine glass. Cut the top and bottom to get the desired size and glue the overlapped edges.

Things You'll Need

Wine glasses you want to use as candle holders
Paper – this can be nearly any type of paper, such as grocery bags, old calendars, magazine photos, scrapbooking paper, etc., – all work equally well, so be creative
Scissors – these can be patterned or straight, whichever you prefer
Glue or tape to fasten the edges of your shade together prior to use
Compass, protractor, and ruler for scribing the arcs and lines
Hole punches (optional)
Stickers (optional)