"Bulb Shade" Makes CFL Beautiful

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (or CFLs) may be more energy efficient, but to many people (including yours truly) they're butt ugly. And they give off a harsh glow.

Well, no more. Sustainability Action Group members Michael Mandiberg, Steve Lambert, and friends designed this clever "light bulb shade" out of heat resistant photo diffuser material that make CFLs beautiful.

Links: Bright Idea Shade | Step-by-step instructions at Instructables - via Divine Caroline

Divine,

You shouldn't spend so much time looking at bulbs. You will end up with this orange spot that will follow you where ever you look. :)

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They're ugly... and they're also toxic. But I guess that's just another problem we're supposed to put off until later.

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I still like my cool blue fluorescent tubes better. The eight-foot-long ones.

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Few people know you aren't supposed to dispose of CFls in the regular trash. Here in South Africa one of our food retailers is supplying a box where you can put used CFLs for proper disposal, but the first I knew they required "proper" disposal was when I saw the box!

My husband is an engineer with the local power utility and he advocates using CFLs. I hate them...not only are they, as you say, "butt ugly," they also do not give off the amount of light the labels say they do. When I can see to sew with a 60W incandescent bulb and I cannot see to sew with an "equivalent" CFL, I know the CFL is simply NOT equivalent.

The nasty things are ugly, they cause headaches and eyestrain, and they are toxic. Someone remind me why they are considered superior...

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I think these are super cool!
I was about to ask where to buy them and then saw that you can make one yourself. .... I probably will make one, but wish I could just buy one. ..... hmmmmmm, I guess it would be an affordable but unique Christmas present.