Sweater ‘Sleeve’ Lamp by Sara Ebert
by Jill Fehrenbacher, 05/21/09
Would you believe that this eye-catching lamp was made for under one dollar? ‘Sleeve’ by Sara Ebert is a lampshade made from a Salvation Army sweater and a discarded apple juice bottle. Showcased as part of Pratt’s ‘Design for a Dollar’ exhibit at ICFF 2009, ‘Sleeve’ was crafted with an eye toward minimizing energy, labor, materials, and transportation costs and waste. It’s beautiful, smart, and straightforward–exactly the way good design should be.
While researching materials for ‘Design for a Dollar,’ Sara discovered how easily wool can be felted: simply wash sweaters in a hot cycle and the agitation, heat, and pressure produces a denser fabric that can be cut and reshaped easily and without unraveling. Add a discarded bottle and a light source, and you’ve got an award-winning design that is as light on the environment as it is heavy on talent.
We’ve been continually impressed by Pratt Institute students throughout the course of this busy month of designer showcases, so it was no surprise to find ourselves wowed by yet another Pratt creation. A senior in Pratt’s undergraduate industrial design program, Ebert hails from rural Virginia. Because she draws inspiration from cultural, environmental, and social sustainability, Ebert has been an active force in responsible design initiatives during her Pratt career; she is part of both the Pratt Center for Sustainable Design Studies and the Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation.
+ Pratt Sustainable Design Incubator
What a wonderful idea. Can you explain exactly what is a “pendant light kit”? I Googled it and up came tons of things but they were fairly expensive and seemed to be existing pendant lights.
Is there something you can buy that is a socket that hangs?
Thanks!