FOLDI SHADE INFORMATION & FAQ'S
You have received your Foldi Shade and are ready to unpack. Go ahead and gently unfold your shade into its round or dome shape.
1. If you have a Round Foldi Shade insert the balloon into the small hole at the top of the shade. If you have a Dome Foldi Shade insert the balloon into the shade from the large opening.
2. Blow up the balloon until it has fully popped out of the shade, like the image on your package. You should be sure to REALLY blow it up until it has expanded out of the holes in the shade. (We’ve sent you two balloons just in case you burst one.)
3. Twist the balloon and hold it with fingers or a clothes pin but DO NOT TIE IT yet.
4. COMPLETELY SATURATE the shade with water, especially where it has been folded. We have included a spray bottle with your shade, however we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you use a sink spray nozzle or a shower nozzle instead. This is much faster since you will really want to get it saturated in order to release the fold marks. (It almost can’t be too wet.)
5. After spraying, and before tying the balloon, blow the balloon up again to make sure it is fully blown up. This will make sure the shade comes out perfectly without wrinkles. The initial act of spraying the shade with water causes the balloon to constrict. So you must blow it back up to keep the balloon pushing out against the shade so that no creases or wrinkles occur. (We’ve created hundreds of shades this exact way with zero creases every time.)
6. Lightly spray down the shade once more and tie the balloon.
7. Tie a string around the knot on the balloon and tie the shade up so that it can dry completely. Drying time is usually around 12 hours indoors during warm and dry weather (or as little as 90 minutes outdoors in the hot sun), but it can take as many as 24+ hours during the winter or in cold and dreary conditions. Just make sure that the shade is completely dry before you pop the balloon.
A fold mark will only remain if one of the following occurs:
- You didn't quite fully blow up your balloon during the initial creation of the shade.
- The shade wasn't wetted enough during the initial creation of the shade.
- The ballloon deflated some after you tied it.
Don't worry, if any of these happened to you, you can still fix this issue! All you have to do is "remake" your shade following all the steps in "How to Make Your Foldi Shade".
You will need another balloon to do this, but the good news is that we always include two balloons in every box with your Foldi pendant lampshade. If you have used both of your balloons don't worry. You can go to your nearest party store and get a large 20 inch diameter balloon (for L and XL dome and round pendant lampshades) or a 16" diameter balloon (for small dome and round pendant lampshades).
NO.
Foldi Shades are made for use with LED light bulbs only. Using any other type of bulb would create a hazard for fire.
You will use the small metal piece that has a round base and three prongs sticking up that is included in your Foldi Shade box to hold your pendant lampshade to your pendant light. Those prongs should be sticking upwards and your shade will rest on those points.
Although your Foldi Shade can be used with most all pendant lights that use an e26 base LED lightbulb, we recommend pendant lights that have double ferrules (aka rings) to sandwich this metal piece into place tightly.
But if you don't have a double ferrule style pendant light you can just unscrew your LED light bulb and thread it through this metal piece (again prongs upward) and then screw the LED light bulb into your pendant light socket. Using this type of setup will mean that your shade sits slightly lower than it would with a double ferrule style socket, but it still works perfectly. And if you have the pendant hanging at higher than eye level you likely won't even be able to tell the difference.
Our metal mounting pieces (the part that holds the shade in place on your pendant light) are meant to be used with E26 base LED light bulbs.
With that being said here are the specific E26 LED light bulbs shapes that we recommend:
- If you have any size Round Fold Shade you should use the Matty 25 (a G25 shaped bulb) or smaller sized light bulb due to the opening hole at the top of the round shade. The Matty 40(a G40 shaped bulb) is too large to work with the round Foldi Shade opening. So if you have a round Foldi Shade, choose the Matty 25.
- If you have a Dome Foldi Shade you can choose between either the Matty 25 or the Matty 40 to use with your shade. We prefer the look of the larger Matty 40 with the Large and Round Dome Foldi Shades, as we feel it gives the perfect balance in size since it is viewable from the opening below.
Both of the above bulbs are 2700K color temperature and 5 watts. They give off the exact same amount of light. The only difference is the glass size and how it "displaces" or "shows" the light.
NOTE: You can also use any A19 sized bulb (the common/normal size light bulb that your accustomed to seeing your whole life) with either the round or the dome Foldi Shade. We don't carry A19 sized bulbs at the time because we feel the MATTY 25 and MATTY 40 work much better to "show off" your shade.
Note that you CAN use the MATTY 40 bulb with the small Dome pendant light shades. However, if you use this bulb be aware that the bottom of the bulb will be lower than the bottom of the pendant light shade. We actually think this give a cool Mid-Century Modern vibe to the shade, but some others may not like this look.
Small: 10 inches in Diameter - About the size of a small frying pan
Large: 14 inches in Diameter - The size of your typical large pizza
Extra Large: 16.5 inches in Diameter - About the size of the metal tire rim on that ridiculously tall 4x4 truck you just passed 🙂
No (but possibly yes if you use them in dry covered areas).
These aren't made for the outdoors. And because of how they are made they will lose their shape when they get wet. However, we have seen our lampshades used in covered areas that remain dry. And in outdoor situations where there is light moisture after they were first sprayed down with a hardening epoxy. But, "buyer beware" on this as it's very case dependent.
The short answer is NO. We currently offer 16 colors only. And we don't have the ability to create "one off" colors or sizes.
The long answer is maybe. If you are a retailer or customer looking for a specific color and are open to to a MOQ of at least 500 shades in any one color and size email us at info@foldishades.com and let's talk!
The short answer is NO. We currently offer 3 sizes only. And we don't have the ability to create "one off" sizes.
In addition, we don't have the ability the make shades larger in size than our XL shade. This is because the larger sizes create problems with carpel tunnel syndrome for our artisans. And because we are committed to doing what's best for our artisans we refuse to have them make these.
The long answer is maybe. If you are a retailer or customer looking for a specific size (smaller than our XL) and are open to to a MOQ of at least 1,000 shades in this size email us at info@foldishades.com and let's talk!
There are two styles of Foldi Shades, “Round” and “Dome”.
For the “Round” shades, you need the proper size light bulb in order for it to be small enough to fit inside the top hole. (We suggest buying the Matty 25 led light bulb, and it is guaranteed to work perfectly.) All you will need to do is screw the light bulb into the socket and then place the pendant light shade over the bulb and onto the prongs of the metal mounting piece. (You should have already put the metal mounting piece in place between the ferrules before screwing in the light bulb, see instructions above if you need help with this step.)
For the “Dome” pendant lampshades, you may choose between the Matty 25 or the larger Matty 40 light bulb (We think the Matty 40 looks best with the Large and XL Dome pendant light shades).
If you choose the larger Matty 40 light bulb for your Dome pendant light shades then you will need to place the shade on the metal mounting bars first, and then screw the light bulb into the light socket. (The Matty 40 will not fit through the top hole.)
FOLDI PLUG-IN PENDANT LIGHT & FOLDI CEILING LIGHT INFORMATION AND FAQ'S
Our Foldi Plug-in Pendant Light is a handmade plug-in pendant light made to be your easiest and fastest solution for hanging and using your Foldi Shade. Just like it says in the title, this pendant light has a plug on one end so that you can just plug it straight into your wall outlet. It's as easy as that.
It comes with a plug on one end, an inline on/off switch that is located 2 feet from the plug end and a double ferrule socket (aka a socket with rings to hold your Foldi Shade metal mounting piece.) It's made from luxury Italian cloth covered wire and handmade at the time of your order. It really is the best and most beautiful plugin pendant light in the world!
You can choose from either a 12 feet long or 16 feet long option.
Probably so. But the length you need is really dependent on how far your wall outlet is from where you want to hang your plug-in pendant; how tall your ceilings are; and how far you want the light to hang down.
Remember you need to plan to run your plugin pendant lamp from the outlet, up your wall, across your ceiling, and then have it hang down.
Note that it's almost always better to get one that is longer than you need rather than shorter. You can always wind up any extra cable that your plugin pendant may have.
Absolutely!
If your shade has an opening from 1 5/8 inches to 2.25 inches in diameter then our Foldi Shade will most probably work with it.
Additionally, you can always use these plug-in pendant lamps without any shade at all and just match it with a beautiful light bulb. (Note we highly recommend Bulb Statement led light bulbs such as the MATTY 40 and MATTY 25.)
Plugin pendant lamps are the quickest way to hang your Foldi Shade. It only takes a few minutes before you have "instant light". Get started by first locating the nearest electrical outlet to where you would like the Foldi Shade to hang.
Next Measure the distance from the outlet, up the wall, across the ceiling (accounting for any cable draping), and down to where the shade will be. This is to make sure you have a long enough plugin pendant for the job.
We highly recommend you use our swag hooks and fairleads to hold your plug-in pendant light in place. (If you've ordered our Foldi Plug-in pendant bundle it comes with 1 hook and 2 fairleads. If you didn't order our bundle you can always purchase those here on our site separately.) To use these, all you do after you have determined and measured where you want your plug-in pendant light to hang is screw the “swag hook” into the ceiling exactly where you want the light to hang down. Then, begin screwing the “fairleads” into the wall and/or ceiling where you would like the cable to be held in place.
Next plug in your pendant light into the wall outlet.
Now you'll want to look back to the light bulb socket at the other end of your plug-in pendant and unscrew the bottom ferrule (ring) that's on the socket. Thread the metal Foldi Shade mounting piece, with the prongs pointed up, onto the socket. Then screw the bottom ferrule back into place "sandwiching" the metal mounting piece.
If you have a round Foldi shade you'll now want to screw in your LED light bulb. Then gently put your round Foldi Shade into place by inserting the bulb (now attached to the socket) into the shade and then making sure the mounting piece is holding your round pendant lampshade.
If you have a dome Foldi Shade you'll want to hang the shade on the metal mounting piece first. Then you'll screw in the LED Light Bulb after your dome pendant lampshade has been mounted.
Turn the power on and you'll have either a beautiful round or dome pendant lampshade ready to go!
Our Foldi Ceiling pendant light is a handmade, hard-wired pendant light that is made to use where you have electrical wires coming out of a junction box on your ceiling (or even walls). It is made to work perfectly with your Foldi Shade. Just like it says in the title, this ceiling mounted pendant light is made to work and replace your current ceiling light. It's as easy as that.
It comes with a 4.7" diameter canopy on one end (that you attach to your ceiling); and, depending on your selection, either 2 feet or 4 feet of luxury Italian cloth covered wire; and a double ferrule socket (aka a socket with rings to hold your Foldi Shade metal mounting piece.)
All of our Foldi Ceiling Pendant Lights are handmade at the time of your order. It really is the best and most beautiful plugin pendant light in the world!
We offer two options:
- a 2' long ceiling pendant light
- a 4' long ceiling pendant light
The length of these ceiling pendant lights is measured from the bottom of the ceiling canopy to the bottom of the light bulb socket.
Yes!
You can shorten the length of the cable by loosening the small grub screw on the cable clamp that is connected to the canopy. Once you do this all you have to do is gently push and twist the cable up into the canopy.
If you need to significantly shorten the length of your cloth covered cable and must cut it follow these steps. (We recommend you practice this first on the wire closest to the end so you make sure you can properly cut the area that needs to be cut.)
First, use clear "Scotch" tape to tightly wrap around the cloth covered wire where you will be cutting. Next, very gently use sharp scissors, or better yet a razor blade, to score around the center of where you taped. When you do this you should press hard enough for the tape, the outer cloth fabric to be fully cut through.
Now you want to only press hard enough to barely cut through the white outer pvc jacketing of the wire. Be very careful here. You only want to "score" this outer jacket enough that you can bend it and fully cut through this white outer jacketing. DO NOT press so hard that you cut the black, white or green wires inside!!!
Once you have the white outer jacketing cut remove it from the inner three cables by twisting and pulling slightly.
BEWARE, DO NOT nick the green, white or black cables on the inside of the pvc jacketing. Doing so can create a fire hazard. If you do nick these you will need to start over and cut the outer jacketing down further.
Absolutely!
If your shade has an opening from 1 5/8 inches to 2.25 inches in diameter then our Foldi Shade will most probably work with it.
Additionally, you can use these plugin pendant lamps without any shade at all and just match it with a beautiful light bulb. (Note we highly recommend Bulb Statement LED light bulbs such as the MATTY 40 AND MATTY25.)
First attach and wire your pendant light to the junction box on your ceiling. Be sure to keep the power off.
Now you'll want to look back to the light bulb socket at the other end of your ceiling pendant and unscrew the bottom ferrule (ring) that's on the socket.
Thread the metal Foldi Shade mounting piece, with the prongs pointed up, onto the socket. Then screw the bottom ferrule back into place "sandwiching" the metal mounting piece. If you have a round Foldi shade you'll now want to screw in your LED light bulb.
Then gently put your round Foldi Shade into place by inserting the bulb (now attached to the socket) into the shade and then making sure the mounting piece is holding your round pendant lampshade.
If you have a dome Foldi Shade you'll want to hang the shade on the metal mounting piece first. Then you'll screw in the LED Light Bulb after your dome pendant lampshade has been mounted. Turn the power on and you'll have either a beautiful round or dome pendant lampshade ready to go!
Ceiling pendants are the most common way to hang a light, but they do require some caution. Unless you are experienced working with electricity we recommend you hire a qualified electrician. What is written here is for informational purposes only and should not be undertaken without proper experience. Please do not attempt to attach your pendant light if you are not qualified.
You will one would need to make sure power is off at the breaker!
After making sure that the power is off at the breaker, one would attach the metal crossbar, that comes with the pendant, to the junction box where the ceiling pendant will be. Next, one would will be attaching the electrical wires from the pendant to the wires in your junction box.
One would use the included WAGO clips. Two of these clips will be 2-port and one of these clips will be a 3-port.
Connect the hot wire (black) from the pendant light cable to one of the ports in the 2 port WAGO Clip and connect the hot wire from the junction box to the the other port in the same 2 port WAGO clip. (ONLY HOT WIRES GO INTO THIS CLIP.)
Do the same with the neutral wire (white). Connect the neutral (white) wire from the pendant light cable to one of the ports in the 2 port WAGO Clip and connect the neutral wire from the junction box to the the other port in the same 2 port WAGO clip. (ONLY NEUTRAL WIRES GO INTO THIS CLIP.)
Now all one has left is a 3-port WAGO clip. Connect the ground wire (green), from the pendant light cable, to one of the ports in the 3-port WAGO clip. Then connect the ground wire from the junction box to one of the ports on that same WAGO clip. Finally, connect the ground wire from the crossbar to one of the ports on that same 3-port WAGO clip.
Now the pendant light is wired up and one is ready for the final step. There are two screws that attach the ceiling canopy to the crossbar and hold it in place. Attach those now. After you do that, screw in a light bulb and turn the power back on at the breaker.
That's the answer to "how do you wire up a ceiling pendant light".
SWAG HOOOKS, FAIRLEADS & WALL MOUNTS FAQ's
Swag hooks are used to drop a light from anywhere on the ceiling.
You will screw the “swag hook” into the ceiling where you want the light to hang down. Then, just push the cable into the cut out notch on the side and let it hang. The notch is made to work with the cable of our plug-in pendant lamp and ceiling pendant cable. It fits tight enough that you can create swags in the cable and also keeps the cable from slipping down.
These are very simple and very helpful ceiling hooks to use for your lighting needs.
These ceiling light swag hooks are roughly 1 - 1/8" tall and 3/4" in diameter. (The diameter is roughlty the size of a penny.)
Unfortunately, we've never had these officially tested for their weight bearing capacity. However, we have unofficially used these to hold up to 15 pounds when used with separately purchased wood screws and screwed directly into a solid wood surface. Note that these ceiling light swag hooks come with a complimentary anchor and screw, HOWEVER, the included screw and anchor are not sufficient to hold any weight more than roughly a pound. So if you are going to use these ceiling light swag hooks to hold weight over 1 lb be sure to purchase the proper anchor and screw for the surface you are mounting it to.
If you do use an alternate screw and anchor for your ceiling light swag hooks note that the hole in the swag hook is made to accept a #6 screw, but depending on the screw, you may also be able to use a #8 as well.
Fairleads are used to fix a cable to the wall or ceiling to keep the cable tight against a surface. Our customers generally will use these on the wall with the outlet where they have plugged into their plugin pendant lamp. You generally use at least two of them on a wall to make a night tight "line" with your cable up the wall before "swagging" it over to your swag hook. However, you if you are making multiple turns you may want 3 or more of these fairleads.
These are different than our swag light ceiling hooks, in that these are lower profile and don't have as much weight bearing capacity. You will screw the body of the “fairlead” to the wall or ceiling. The cable runs through the “fairlead”, and you screw the cap over the cable. This holds the cable to the wall or ceiling and allows for endless possibilities.
These ceiling light swag hooks are roughly 5/8" tall and 3/4" in diameter. (The diameter is roughly the size of a penny.)
While we've never formally tested the maximum weight our wall fairleads can hold, we do not recommend that you hold anything over 1 pound with these.
These are made from thermo-injected plastic.
These are made in Italy from Italian poplar wood
Shipping & Payments
Returns
There is a one day processing time for us to pack and ship your order. Once your order ships, you’ll receive a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number.
After shipment, orders generally take from 2 to 7 business days in transit via the Free Shipping option or 2-5 days via the FedEx option to arrive at your door.
We ship within the continental United States (Free for orders over $30), to Hawaii and Alaska for $19.99, and to Canada & Mexico ($29.99).
We do not currently ship to any other destinations
All prices are in USD.
You, our customer, are.
Canada Specific Information:
You are responsible for all Duties and Taxes on all shipments. These will be charged upon delivery or the shipping company WILL NOT release your package.
This tax table below is provided as a courtesy and for informational purposes only. For current tax rates and specific guidelines, visit the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec.
5% Alberta, 12% British Columbia, 13% Manitoba, 15% New Brunswick, 15% Newfoundland and Labrador, 5% Northwest Territories, 15% Nova Scotia, 5% Nunavut, 13% Ontario, 15% Prince Edward Island, 14.98% Quebec, 11% Saskatchewan, 5% Yukon.
Other fees may exist that we are not aware of. We are unable to help you if you owe these fees with your country or local customs office.
You will NOT be refunded shipping cost to or from us for any reason.
We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.
YES. At Foldi Shades we pride ourselves on our dedication to each customer, because to us, customer satisfaction is everything.
Because we stand by our quality products, Foldi Shades offers a 1 year warranty on all our products. If your light is damaged or stops working within 1 year of the purchase date, send it back (return shipping not included) and we’ll send you a refurbished unit.
A 90-day Money Back Guarantee is also offered to qualifying customers. If you are not satisfied for any reason with your product you can return it within 90-days of purchase date (receipt required) and receive a full refund, no questions asked.
The cost of the products will be issued to the original credit card used for purchase.
A refund will be processed within 3-5 business days after we receive your items. (It can take up to 2-3 billing cycles for your refund to be visible on your card.)
At this time, Foldi Shades is unable to refund shipping fees and return shipping costs.
Please use the box that you received your product in.
If you no longer have the box, we recommend either a 10X10X10 box for small shades, a 12x12x4 inch box for large shades, and a 16x16x4 box for XL pendant light shades.
If returning bulbs an 8x8x8 box works well for single bulbs. Be sure to mark the box as fragile and fully pad the interior of the box between the wall of the interior bulb box and the exterior shipping box.
You can pickup most of these boxes at your local shipping supply store.
If the item(s) is damaged during shipping or malfunctions for any reason we will send you a pre-paid return label and all you have to do is stick it to the box.
If you want to exchange or simply return your products for any other reason than due to to a malfunction or damage during shipping, you are responsible for the costs associated with shipping your item(s) back to us.
Please email us at info@foldishades.com and let us know why you are returning your light.
We will then send you the proper return information. You are responsible for shipping the product(s) back to us, and for the costs associated with that shipment.