Does anybody remember those big, round lamps made out of broken glass and resin?

**PrairieRose** · 03-24-2005, 12:55 PM

My dmom and a bunch of her friends went through a kick of making those lamps. They would use a beach ball to form the shade, using fiberglass and resin (man that fiberglass was itchy.....hard to get off you too!). Then they would break all kinds of glass, coke bottles, old dishes (but transparent only), glassware, etc.... . Cook that glass in the oven till a lot of it crackled and then they'd attach it to the lamp shade. The thang weighed about 80 lbs. when they were finished, I swear they had to be sure it was hanging in a stud! It was huge! I recently saw one of those lamps at a friend's parent's home and thought OMG I haven't seen one of those in over 25 yrs. ! Does anybody else know what I'm talking about? Did your mom make one?

**pita1213** · 03-24-2005, 04:43 PM

never saw one, but they sound neat!

**cozyquilter** · 03-24-2005, 06:29 PM

Never heard of it either! Does it look a bit like a tiffany lamp when done?

**PrairieRose** · 03-25-2005, 07:04 PM

No, they look more like a big ball of broken glass on a chain. They were sorta pretty at the time but when I saw one the other day I thought, "why did they all want one of those things?". Just goes to show ya, things change.....

**homesteadmamma** · 03-25-2005, 07:15 PM

Although my mom never made one, I remember what your talking about. They use to have them hanging in restaurants many moons ago. Ugly as sin I'd say, but at that time they were treasured. Not quite sure why either.

**AmyMCGS** · 03-25-2005, 07:22 PM

I'm wondering if this is similar to the mystery ugly light at my parents' house. It came with the house and we could never figure out what it was made of. It hung above a staircase, and was a ball shape. It looked kind of like plastic spaghetti, in a clear yellowish tint. It was incredibly ugly!

**Kimberlina** · 03-25-2005, 08:24 PM

Originally posted by AmyMCGS
I'm wondering if this is similar to the mystery ugly light at my parents' house. It came with the house and we could never figure out what it was made of. It hung above a staircase, and was a ball shape. It looked kind of like plastic spaghetti, in a clear yellowish tint. It was incredibly ugly!

We had one of *those* (if I am picturing you description right) above the bar in our basemnt when I was a kid. But ours had red, orange, and yellow spaghetti bits. Were the bits very small, like broken spaghetti?

**Missy** · 03-25-2005, 08:33 PM

I haven't a clue...do you have a link to one of these?

**PrairieRose** · 03-26-2005, 11:08 AM

I don't remember the "spaghetti" looking stuff. Some of the glass was big chunks and some of it was small. I wish I could find a link Missy. If I do I'll post it.

**AmyMCGS** · 03-26-2005, 11:42 PM

Originally posted by Kimberlina
We had one of *those* (if I am picturing you description right) above the bar in our basemnt when I was a kid. But ours had red, orange, and yellow spaghetti bits. Were the bits very small, like broken spaghetti?

Hmmm.... yes, I think so. I'm going to have to hunt for a pic and compare it to these other lamps that were being discussed.

**AmyMCGS** · 03-26-2005, 11:54 PM

Ok, I couldn't resist hunting for pics.....

Is this the kind you guys were talking about?

This one is a big ball: http://www.modnorthwest.com/L228.shtml
It seems to me like it fits your description.

And as for the one I was describing:
This is almost like the one that was in my parents' house... except theirs had a wooden frame around the globe. It made me laugh to find that spaghetti is actually what this style is called! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...166083238&rd=1

**PrairieRose** · 03-27-2005, 01:16 PM

Ok Mom and friends inc.'s lamps were much prettier...

The concept is the same....but their lamps were always very bright...

They used red, gold, blue, green and would sometimes do a color theme like red but mostly they were all colors. The glass was more transparent than the first one and it didn't completely cover the ball. It was just about as gawdy and quite something alright. On the first link it says "might be homemade" umyeah it is.....

Thanks Amy for the effort you put into this....made me smile big time.

**sunshine** · 03-27-2005, 01:36 PM

Holy moly-- I remember both types of lamps, although my mom (or me) never made them.

We had a lamp in the living room when I was growing up that was string art! My brother bought it and my parents had it until they tore their house down a few years ago. . . . for all I know it's may be in the storage shed with the rest of their stuff from the house.