Here’s a bright idea: DIY mini lamps

Let there be lights! Transform ordinary wine glasses into romantic lighting with easy-to-make miniature lampshades.  Drop a battery-operated tea light into a wine glass and place one of these lampshades on top of the glass. It’s a great way to add some cozy ambience to an intimate dinner party — or even pizza night with Netflix.

What you’ll need:

– What you’ll need:
– Lampshade template (Click here to download template)
– Pencil
– Paper (vellum or decorative)
– Scissors
– Stapler
– Battery-operated LED tea light
– Wine glass

1. Download and print the lampshade template from jewishjournal.com/home onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper. Cut out the template and trace the outline on your paper. Wine glasses vary in size, so you might need a larger template than can fit on letter-size paper. If you do, just extend the lines as you’re tracing your outline.

2. Cut the paper along the lines you’ve traced. You can use any type of paper, but translucent paper such as vellum will show off the most light from the battery-operated tea light. I used scrapbook paper in this example, and even though it is opaque, light does come through at the top and bottom of the lampshade.

3. Roll the cut paper into a conical lampshade, overlapping the edges. Be sure that the opening at the top is smaller than the circumference of the wine glass so it doesn’t slip through. Then staple the edges where they overlap. You also can glue the edges, or do both.

4. Place a battery-operated LED tea light in the wine glass. Notice how I keep saying “battery-operated.” Do not use real tea lights or votive candles because you don’t want real flames getting close to the paper. Position the finished lampshade over the wine glass and you’ll begin to see the light.

Jonathan Fong is the author of “Walls That Wow,” “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.