If you find your light fixture a bit boring or if you wish you have something a bit more unique and original, here are some DIY projects to customize or make your own light fixtures.
You don't have to be an expert in arts and crafts because anyone can make it!
These DIY light fixtures are not only extremely easy, but very cost efficient which is important to many of us in this delicate economy.
Some of these projects started as experiment of using materials, complex for processing and recycling but they all are excellent examples of how to turn ordinary items into design object.
Here are some of my favorites DIY lamp projects.
# 1 DIY RUFFLED CHINESE LANTERN:
You can use cupcake or muffin cups or coffee filter (depending of the effect that you like better, I find that the coffee filter have a smoother and softer look than the cupcake cups) either way, here are a couple of instructions:
- All you need is to glue the muffin cups to the lantern, I think that this thick and fluffy ruffled effect is very nice so don't be cheap on the muffins cups (the amount will depend on the size of the latern - you will need about 400 muffin cups of a lantern with 36" diameter)
- Glue the muffin cups section by section on in thigh clusters, they need to old when they will start to expand as they dry so don't be cheap the glue (or they will start to fall off as they dry)
- Allow them to dry properly.
- Hot glue will dry faster, but it will not dry completely transparent and you will see glue blobs when the lantern is lit from within, so try to be precise with your hot glue gun technique.
- For more dimension you can make some blossoms by rolling the trimmings and gluing them in the center.
# 2 DIY ARTICHOKE PENDANT LAMP
This one I found on DesignSponge it's a DIY light project that graphic designer Gabrielle Guy created for a friend.
I found it really stunning, so simple to make, expensive looking when really it cost close to nothing.
Click here for detailed tutorial
# 3 DIY TEXTURED FELT PENDANT LAMP
Here is an other DIY Light project by DesignSponge, also very easy to make instead of a chinese paper lamp this one is based on a inexpensive pendant lamp IKEA's Melodi lamp and you simply need to glue on circular pieces of felt.
As you can see, the end result is quite amazing!
# 4 DIY TURQUOISE BEADED CHANDELIER
I have to share with you this other DIY Lamp Project, this gorgeous beaded chandelier is by Gus And Lula.
This one is a bit more ambitious but the materials are also easy to find; the structure of chandelier can be made from a iron hanging basket planter and the beads can by bought by the roll, they are usually available in a multitude of colors.
The end result is really stunning and very similar to the inspiration.
Click here for detailed tutorial
Inspiration Chandelier - Turquoise Empire Chandelier by Majorie Kousas Design # 5 DIY SPOON LAMP
I'm steel collecting DIY light fixtures projects, I found this lovely Spoon Lamp by Futur Now Magazine that I found very cool looking and again very easy and inexpensive to make.
This Spoon Lamp, made from plastic spoons and bottle became the winner in "Ecology and Design" nomination of the «FutureNow» mafazine in 2010.
# 5 DIY DOILY LAMP
I fell in love with this beautiful doily lamp by Dos Family, it's looks so delicate and I just love the shadow effect of all the different crochet techniques of the doilies.For this one we will simply need a large ballon, a collection of old doilies or lace tablecloths, wallpaper glue or wood glue and a light bulb cord for pendant lights.
# 6 DYI ARTICHOKE PENDANT LIGHT
Here an other eco-friendly project that I found very interesting, made by Allison Patrick who is a lightning designer who
recently graduated from architecture school, began Zipper 8 Lighting after experimenting with using repurposed materials.
All lamps are available on Etsy. Here is my favorite are shaded that use discarded book pages, I find it quite poetic. You can buy them here or try to create something similar...
Now she makes pendant and table lamps with unique shades that incorporate tossed away objects such as soda can tabs and plastic bags—lighting that we might term green.
Here is another my favorites; this fantastic pendant light shade made from soda can tabs also by Zipper8Lighting.
This one I will definitely try to reproduce, I found it quite stunning I love the armour effect conferred by the juxtaposition of all the silver tabs.
# 7 DYI PRINT YOUR ONW PATTERNED FABRIC
The mission: To find a patterned fabric in a color as close to my freshly painted walls as possible. The problem: Everything I found was totally over my budget.
The solution: Printing my own pattern using basic cotton fabric, leftover latex paint, and a stencil.
You can make your own stencil (it's quite easy to make) or you can buy a pre-cut stencil. For the paint you can use any leftover paint that you may have from other paint project, you can use flat latex paint from painting your walls or you can buy a specific paint.
NOTE: You will plenty our scrap paper to place under your fabric to protect your floors from the paint bleeding out through the fabric. Do a couple of test stencils before starting to print your fabric.
# 7 DYI PRINT YOUR ONW PATTERNED FABRIC
The mission: To find a patterned fabric in a color as close to my freshly painted walls as possible. The problem: Everything I found was totally over my budget.
The solution: Printing my own pattern using basic cotton fabric, leftover latex paint, and a stencil.
You can make your own stencil (it's quite easy to make) or you can buy a pre-cut stencil. For the paint you can use any leftover paint that you may have from other paint project, you can use flat latex paint from painting your walls or you can buy a specific paint.
NOTE: You will plenty our scrap paper to place under your fabric to protect your floors from the paint bleeding out through the fabric. Do a couple of test stencils before starting to print your fabric.
