Lamps are easy.

If you can think it, you can make it

Make your own design has never been easier.

It all begins with an idea. Perhaps your own or perhaps something you have seen. If you can think of it than you can make it.

Lamps are easy.

Lamps in the shops can be very expensive.

Be friends with the local do it yourself store. Parts for lamps are sold separately and are very easy to put together.

The lamp shades and stands are what makes a difference to the way a lamp looks. You can make your own or buy a shade in the market.

Materials used hanging lamp with denim shade

  • wood bracket

  • denim material for the shade

  • sawing circle

  • electrical cables + bulb holder + switch + socket plug

Make It

Standing lamps are as easy to make as desk lamps.

This lamp is made out of wood planks that were left over, electrical cables and a denim shade.

 
 

Standing wooden lamp with a denim shade

  • Wood

    Denim

    Sawing circles

    Double sided type/glue/hot gun pistol

    Bulbs

    Electric cables

    Power plug in

    Switch

    Screws

    1. Measure how tall you want your lamp to be and cut the main piece of wood to that length.

    2. Fix 4 shelve brackets with screws to the main wood. Handy tip - have someone holding it for you or lean the wood against the wall. Also possible - tape the brackets first before affixing it.

    3. Drill two holes with a wooden drill size 8 in order to use for cables.

    4. Affix bracket on the top of the standing main wood.

    5. Lead a cable through the bottom hole. Connect the lower end of the cable to the power plug. And then connect upper part of the cable to one side of the switch.

    6. Pull a second cable through the second hole and through holes on the upper bracket. Connect the lower end of the cable to the switch. Then connect the upper end of the cable to the bulb holder.

    7. THE SHADE: Cut denim material about 2 cm longer than the diameter of the sawing circles. Use double sided tape to fix the the denim together and create a circle. Then use double sided tape to fix the denim material on the top and the bottom to the sawing circle. Decide on the length of the shade holder, cut accordingly and connect both sides of the denim circle by pulling the strings between the inner and outer part of the sawing circle. Finally hang the shade on the top of the lamp leg.

  • If the light is not on after you’ve done all the above steps and screwed in a bulb - try a different bulb.

    If that did not fix the light then you will have to check and reconnect all connections.

    CAUTION: Only do that while lamp is not plugged into the outlet!

This lamp uses a pre-made shade from a DYI store.

The leg of the lamp is made by pouring white modeling paste into two empty plastic containers. The containers were connected by a duct tape and you can still it in the middle.

 
 

Desk lamp out of modeling paste

  • Duct tape

    Modeling paste

    2 plastic containers

    Electrical cables + bulb holder + switch + socket plug

    1. Find containers that fit your design. Make a hole in the plastic and place the lamp cables so that the bulb sits on the top and the cable exits at the bottom.

    2. If needed fix everything in place with duct tape.

    3. Mix the modeling paste according to the instructions on the box and pour into the container.

    4. Wait 24 hours (or as long as instructed on the modeling paste box) and remove the plastic container.

  • If the light is not on after you’ve done all the above steps and screwed in a bulb - try a different bulb.

    If that did not fix the light then you will have to check and reconnect all connections.

    CAUTION: Only do that while lamp is not plugged into the outlet!

Wooden brackets are your best friend.

Brackets cost typically between 2-7 Euros in a market. They have a variety of uses and do not need any special knowledge or skill to hang.

In this lamp all it took is to drill through the bracket, thread the cable through the created holes and affix on the wall.

The shade is created out of a plastic empty shampoo bottle with a piece of old stockings pulled over it and fixed with a double sided tape.

 
 

Hanging lamp with a black shade

  • Empty bottle

    Electrical cables + bulb holder + switch + socket plug

    Wood bracket

    Old stocking

    1. Drill a hole through the bracket and pull the electric cables through to the desired length.

    2. THE SHADE: Cut off the bottom of the plastic container with a knife. Cut a piece from an old stocking that covers the length of the container and pull the stocking over the empty bottle.

    3. Pull the electric cable through the top of the the bottle BEFORE affixing the bulb holder.

    4. Hang on the wall.

  • If the light is not on after you’ve done all the above steps and screwed in a bulb - try a different bulb.

    If that did not fix the light then you will have to check and reconnect all connections.

    CAUTION: Only do that while lamp is not plugged into the outlet!

Lamp leg out of concrete

The shade is bought as is in the store.

This lamp is made by filling a can of Pringels with concrete.

 
 

Standing wooden lamp with a denim shade

  • Concrete mix

    Electrical lamp components (cable, bulb holder, switch and socket plug)

    Empty can of Pringles

    1. Connect electrical components

    2. Make a hole for the cable at the bottom of the Pringles can. Fix the bulb holder on the top of the can.

    3. Mix the concrete as per instructions on the product and pour into the Pringles can.

    4. Wait the prescribed amount of time for the concrete to harden and then cut the can open to free your new lamp.

  • If the light is not on after you’ve done all the above steps and screwed in a bulb - try a different bulb.

    If that did not fix the light then you will have to check and reconnect all connections.

    CAUTION: Only do that while lamp is not plugged into the outlet!

The shade is made out of chop sticks and the leg is a Chilly’s bottle container. Any nice shaped container out of paper or cardboard can be used.

The easiest lamp to make.

 
 

Chilly’s container with a chopstick shade

  • A nice container - in this case Chilly’s bottle container

    30+ Chop sticks

    Electrical lamp components (cables, switch, bulb holder and socket plug)

    1. Connect electrical components

    2. Make a hole for the cable at the bottom of the Chilly’s contaner. Fix the bulb holder on the top of the can.

    3. THE SHADE: Use double sided tape or hot glue gun to glue each chop stick around the circular shade structure. TIP: Switch the direction of each chop stick pair to create an even distance on the top and bottom of the shade.

    4. Place the shade on the top of the bulb holder and screw a bulb into the holder.

  • If the light is not on after you’ve done all the above steps and screwed in a bulb - try a different bulb.

    If that did not fix the light then you will have to check and reconnect all connections.

    CAUTION: Only do that while lamp is not plugged into the outlet!