I am so excited to kick off my Magical DIY section by sharing a super simple, inexpensive, and do-it-yourself-friendly project. Get ready to learn how to make a Mickey Mouse Inspired Light Fixture. You won’t believe how simple this is to put together. It looks so cute hanging over a stairwell, nursery, or any other area you need a touch of Disney magic. Let’s get to work…or play!
Everything You Need to Make a Mickey Mouse Inspired Light Fixture
The first item you need for your Mickey Mouse-inspired light fixture is a glass globe light cover. I found a great basic pendant light which includes the clear glass globe on clearance at a large hardware store. It is important to note that you need to use an l.e.d. bulb as your light source. Using the old incandescent, or a high wattage bulb will result in melting. This brings us to the next item you need for this project.
Using Your Hot Glue Gun Correctly
Putting Your Mickey Mouse Inspired Light Fixture Together
Now for the fun part, putting your Mickey Mouse-inspired light fixture together. First, be sure to put your light fixture together so you know which side the ears go on. It is helpful to make a little mark using a permanent marker on each side where the ears go. Keep in mind any obstacles that may interfere with ear placement. For instance, on my pendant light fixture, there is a cap that has spring-loaded pieces that clamp onto the inside of the glass globe. I had to allow space for the cap to sit between the ears.
Shaping Your Mickey Mouse Inspired Light Fixture Ears
I chose two medium-round clear plastic Christmas ornaments for my ears. In hindsight, I may have been better off using a larger flatter version of the ornament. I have seen both versions at craft stores. With smaller ornaments, you may be able to pull off a Winnie the Pooh-looking light fixture. After removing the little protruding ends, as mentioned above, I carefully used my heated and unloaded hot glue gun nozzle to soften the inside edges of the ears to conform to the sphere contour of the glass globe light cover. This is a slow and steady process where you basically heat the plastic with the glue gun nozzle until it is warm and pliable enough to conform. It is much easier to work with the ears and glass globe if you place the globe into a bowl so it won’t roll around while you are positioning everything.
Finishing Your Mickey Mouse Inspired Light Fixture
Can you believe you have almost finished your first Magical DIY project? All that is left is to load your glue stick into your hot glue gun set on high heat. Once you test to see if the glue is hot enough, put a ring of glue around the open part of the ears where you molded it to conform to your glass globe light fixture. Hold the ear firmly in place until the glue sets. Repeat this process on the opposite ear. Now stand back and admire your beautiful, custom, homemade dash of Disney Magic.
Hungry For More Magical DIY?
If you love all things Disney as much as our family, you will definitely want to bookmark this page and check back often. I will be posting as we transform our downstairs into a Moana and Maui-inspired gym, Pandora/Avatar-inspired t.v. gaming area, and Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired board game area. There is much more pixie dust heading your way. Also, I always sneak a couple of Disney easter eggs into every blog (even the ones that are not Magical DIYs.) Have fun testing your Disney knowledge with those and see if you found them all when they are revealed on the weekly Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube post.
I believe in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun! Until next time.
~Lora Lea