Materials: 4-5 doilies per lamp (preferably round and about 5-6 inches in diame
4-5 doilies per lamp (preferably round and about 5-6 inches in diameter, depending on the size you want the orb to be. I paid about $1-2 dollars per doily)
Fabric stiffener (can be found at craft stores, about $6 a bottle)
Old paintbrushes (a wide flat brush, or a medium round brush will work the best)
Various sized cheap rubber balls, balloons, etc. (I found small rubber balls at the dollar store, but balloons might be a cheaper option if you are going to be making more than a few orbs. You will need one for each lamp you decide to make as you have to pop them to remove them.)
Wax paper or palate paper
A bowl or dish to rest the orb on while you work on it
Flameless LED tea lights, one per orb (Don’t use real candles! 3 for $1 at the dollar store)Step 1: Take your rubber ball or balloon and place it in a small dish to keep it steady while you work. Put a piece of wax paper underneath the ball to protect the dish. Begin placing the doilies on the ball, making sure the edges slightly overlap. This is what will keep the orb together after the fabric stiffener dries. You can add a few stitches to reinforce the seams once it is dry (especially if yours will be handled a lot), but I didn’t find it necessary.
Step 2: Once you have the doilies arranged how you want them, pour some fabric stiffener onto the palate or wax paper. Start painting the fabric stiffener onto the doily, ensuring you cover every bit, otherwise it won’t harden and the uncoated parts will sag. Don’t oversaturate, just put enough on so that it is damp to the touch.
Step 3: Leave a small area open so that you can insert the LED tea light.
Step 4: Let the doilies dry overnight to ensure that it is COMPLETELY dry before handling. Side note: I got overexcited and tried to remove my doilies from the ball before it was completely dry, and ended up with a soggy, misshapen doily mess.
Step 5: Once the doilies are dry, use a blade to pop the balloon/rubber ball. Carefully pull the ball out through the hole you left open in the doilies. Ta da! You now have a ready to use doily lamp!
Optional Step 6: If you want to make the pomander version of the lamp, simply attach a pretty ribbon to the opening where you put the tea light in. This makes it into a sort of basket that will hold the candle and the bow will hide the opening. I just pinned my ribbon on, but you can sew or hot glue it for a more permanent attachment.