Course overview

Product designer Juliette Goggin will encourage you to think about lighting in a different way, by upcycling some every day, kitchen objects.

Well designed and strategically placed lighting can make a big difference to a room and on this Upcycling Lighting Course you'll learn how to be creative with your lighting.

Many of the items she has chosen to use wouldn’t be the most obvious choices, but you will be surprised at how effective these ideas can be in the right setting. These suggestions will be just the start of some really creative ideas of your own.

You can find many different styles of lampshades and there are lots of ways of re-covering them using different fabric options, as well as decorative and printed paper.

The course will help you to remove old lampshade coverings from wire shades and replace them with new ones, using a sewing machine for the more complicated versions, but only a hot melt glue gun and a needle and thread for the simpler version, ideal for those who aren’t comfortable using a sewing machine.

As well as indoor lighting, there is an outdoor option as well featuring a project for re-purposing a metal loaf tin. There is also an architectural scale model transformed as an unusual feature light, using miniature lighting bulbs and a transformer (more commonly used for model train sets and scale models).

After following this course you will have learned how to recover a variety of styles and shapes of wire lampshades, how to work with different materials and trims to give a more professional finish, as well as experimenting with feature accent lights, using architectural models or scale houses or card models.

You'll learn:

what lighting projects you can tackle on your own
when to get professional electrical help with your lighting project
where to find creative inspiration for your next light
how to cover lampshades
application of haberdashery and trim to your lampshades
Outdoor lighting upcycling ideas

The course includes:

1 on-demand video lesson - presented by Juliette Goggin
lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
downloadable lesson notes
practical lighting upcycling project (with tutor feedback available)
access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Time to complete the upcycling lighting course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 3 hours 20 minutes to complete including:

Video lesson: 20 minutes in total
Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
Your lighting project: at least 2 hours
Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

This course includes an optional practical assignment - for which you'll need two lighting upcycling projects to work on - including the lampshade material, decoration and the base you want to upcycle.

Depending on your upcycling ambitions you'll need a sewing machine or a needle and thread or glue to create the lampshades and decorate the shades.

The course is suitable for all levels of upcycling enthusiasts - from beginnners to experts looking for some creative inspiration.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Juliette on your lighting upcycling project and questions.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

Watch course trailer

Lesson summary

Upcycling: Lighting Projects

The course starts with some tips on working with vintage or antique lighting, when to get specialist help from a qualified electrician and what you can tackle on your own. There is lots of inspiration and ideas for repurposing kitchen items such as ceramic jelly moulds, metal colanders and salad shakers as light fittings. This is combined with using contemporary, decorative retro flex and filament bulbs to give a contemporary rustic look. Recovering wire lampshades are shown in detail and in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a drum shade covered with lace doilies, sewn very simply by hand, to more complicated coverings for lampshades using a lining and repurposed silk scarves. The correct application of haberdashery trims are shown to give a more finished appearance to the projects Drawing inspiration from architect’s scale models is the idea behind using a lucky find to create an unusual lighting feature which can become not just a lighting feature, but also a changing miniature stage set Finally, a project to upcycle old metal loaf tins as wall sconces gives the opportunity to experiment with outdoor lighting.

Choose how you want to learn

Expert-level

Develop your learning further with marked assignments and personal tuition:

Start the course whenever you like
Tutor access for personalised assignment feedback & coaching
Certificate of completion and CPD learning hours
Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
Lessons with expert videos & notes
Group chat & direct message with tutor & classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

Peer-level

Get the most from shared knowledge and community study:

Start course whenever you like
Practise what you learn with your peers
Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
Lessons with videos & notes
Course assignments
Group chat & direct message classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

meet the expert

Juliette Goggin

Crafting expert, designer, and author known for upcycled creations and designs with recycled and vintage materials.

Why choose Learning with Experts?

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!

Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.

Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
Downloadable lesson notes
Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes and classroom

If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

Personalised assignment feedback and coaching from your expert tutor
Opportunity to interact with your expert tutor through a private messaging system
Certificate of completion.

What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.

When can I start my course and how long will it take?

You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.

How often can I speak with the Expert?

If you opt for the Expert version of your course, the time you have to interact with your tutor is limited to course length. You will have one week per lesson to chat to your tutor and to have your assignments marked, and during this period you can ask them as many questions as you would like.

To find out the length of each course, head to the product page and look at the Course outline to see how many lessons it contains. e.g. a four lesson course assumes that you will have completed the assignments within four weeks.

Your tutor interaction period will start as soon as you enter the classroom. If you find that you are struggling to complete the assignments in the allocated time or you wish to put this function on hold, just get in contact with one of the team via the support button and we will help you out.

Support and full FAQs

If you need any help with a course, be it one you’ve started already, or one you are looking to purchase, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support email address.

You can also use the orange speech bubble on your page to start a conversation with us.

For privacy or data questions, please contact us here.