Decoupage Stamp Lamp Shade

Here is a fun way to get kids involved in stamps, make a nice gift for others, or simply make a custom addition to your stamp desk. These lamp shades can even intrigue non-collectors by making them topical; bird or flower shades for the nature lover or space or Disney shades for kids.

While making one, I went ahead and developed step by step instructions;

http://www.stampsmarter.com/Learnin...coupage.html

Not that motivated but still might like one? I will also be offering a completed lamp in one of the upcoming free monthly Stamp Smarter contests.

http://www.stampsmarter.com/feature...st_home.html


Don

Great idea! I've got a bunch of used airmail stamps I could do this with. Thanks for the idea. When I get to it, I'll ready your instructions. My mother, passed away over a decade now, used to decoupage things, and I have two or three of her pieces on the wall. Doesn't seem to be the fad it once was.

Don, I understand this will be your next project

Nice lamp . Still doesn't beat the story often told of the person who wallpapered a room in Great Britain with PENNY BLACK'S. Stamp dealers for a century have been hunting this story down to find it .

Picture frame on my desk, from a lass from the Forum.

Nice lampshade Don, looks like a great project to use duplicate or stamps that are worth very little. The hard thing for me is to figure out what a stamp is worth. Every time I think I have something I go to ebay and it turns out I don't, everyone and their cousins are selling stamps there - for instance last night I opened a pack of Indonesia stamps, turned out they are counterfeit - there is a plethora of Republik Maluku Selatan stamps on ebay, and I am thinking they will be nice on a lampshade :)

Hi,
Understood, properly identifying stamps can be challenging at times. Of course do not decoupage any stamps unless you are absolutely sure of their ID. I keep a box of damaged stamps that I come across many of the stamps I use have significant faults.
Don

Interesting Don, I have run into 2 "pieces" of stamps, which I threw away. As for faults, not quite sure what that would be unless you mean something like a rip or tear, or some other type of damage? I have been keeping everything else, finding them in the Scott catalog and putting them back away. It has occurred to me that mint stamps are nice to find, and used stamps are interesting - I enjoy those too. I was thinking some of the stamps worth 20 cents only would be good on a lampshade. If you need 70 stamps it would be 14 dollars, which I am thinking would make a very nice lampshade. Really, I might do this project with some of these stamps I have here - not sure what else to do with them - these are the ones that the Santa Rosa stamp club said were worthless - these are from packets of stamps from the early 70's so far - some of them do seem like junk stamps to me.

Yes, 'faulty' stamps are those which have significant damage such as tears, nasty creases, holes, perfs cut, etc.

If you have a lot of modern 'CTO' (Cancel To Order), like those at the stamp club mentioned, they might make a nice lampshade. I like using those as 'topical' lampshades, 'dogs on stamps' or 'birds on stamps' or 'space stamps'. These kinds of shades can make nice gifts to non-stamp collectors and even can be used to introduce kids to stamps.
Don

This lot of stamps I bought has a literal ton of #1595, Liberty Bell 1975 stamps in it. All are used, some cancelled, most have mold(?) spots from being soaked or are thin. The person was an amateur at removing stamps. I thought about using them to make a framed stamp collage to hang on the wall.

Before I do, anything I should look for on them so I don't inadvertently use one that might be uncommon/rare? I do not have a perf gauge yet.

My wife made this box for me from old stamps from my collection, and I store my tools (gauge, UV light, tongs, etc) inside next to my stamp desk.

My biggest fear, as I learn more from the forums, is that I will look over there one day and see something rare!

Geoff

I wouldn't worry about it, many stamps that were rare got tossed when they were new, and a lot of collectors toss them today if they are "not perfect". For me if I get a rare stamp, great! If not, I don't worry about it. lol I looked at all the ways to check for stamp watermarks with tongs, and magnifying stands, and special fluid, and UV blacklights...I'm like no way! The most I'll get is a perforation ruler tool, but that's all. To me, it's not fun to collect by living in a magnifying glass.

I'm not losing any sleep over it You'll know when I post the question how to remove Mod Podge from stamps that I've found something!

Geoff

Lamp shades were getting old and my wife sometimes calls me a 'stamp head' so this is my latest creation

She thinks it is creepy so of course it is now popping up on her nightstand in the morning, in the shower, and in the oven when she opens it!
Don

I hope she doesn't have Grammatosimophobia. But she may now ...

I love this idea and have been wanting to try it (for covering all sorts of things with stamps). I remember a picture here of a bike frame covered in stamps. There have been some topics about "Do you throw away stamps?" which I find hard to do #61514;, so damaged stamps not needed as a filler, excess gaudy CTO's, and if I have a large number of duplicate very common and low value stamps, these all go in a tub to "do something with someday".

But I've been confounded by the all the Mod Podge choices at my local craft shop: Diswasher Safe Gloss, Gloss Finish, Lustre Gloss, Ultra Gloss Spray On Sealer, Paper Gloss Finish, Satin Finish, Hardcoat Satin, Satin Waterbase Sealer Glue & Finish, Matte, Ultra Matte Spray On Sealer, Outdoor Finish, and there are others. I've had no idea which particular Mod Podge I should get.

So, I was happy to seen Don's post this morning, and the link to the Stamp Smarter article, which says to use the gloss finish.
I thought I would inquire though to see if some have used other Mod Podge finishes.