Do you want to transform your interior, adding a touch of originality and modernity to it? It's time to learn how to make a lamp with your own hands, because thanks to this piece of furniture your home will stand out from the rest and become unique. The creative process itself will be very interesting and useful, so if you wish, you can invite children and create your masterpiece together. Dekorin has selected for you the most beautiful lamps and lampshades that can be made from paper and other improvised means.
1. Paper lamp: how to make it yourself?
From such a simple material as paper, everyone can make incredibly beautiful and modern lamps with their own hands. In the photo below, we presented several unusual options for homemade paper lamps. Happy viewing!
Chinese lanterns: do-it-yourself paper lamp
Thanks to such a simple and at the same time interesting piece of decor as Chinese lanterns, you can add some brightness, lively colors and a sense of celebration to the interior.
The materials you will need for this:
- Colored or white paper;
- A cartridge that you can remove from an old lamp or buy;
- LED light bulb (note that you should not use a heated light bulb, because we make the lamp out of paper);
- Pencil and ruler;
- Stationery knife;
- Thread;
- Awl.
Making a lamp with your own hands (step by step with a photo)
First, on the back of the paper, you need to draw lines that will create the relief of the lamp. Below is a drawing according to which it is proposed to make markups.
We fold the paper along the marked lines in order to get a kind of accordion. At this stage, it is important not to rush and do everything carefully so that the lamp comes out smooth and beautiful.
Now we create a lampshade for the paper lamp around the cartridge. At the junction, the sheet can be glued with ordinary PVA glue or joined in any other way. Please note that without gluing the edges, it will be easier for you to change the light bulb in this lamp.
Our Chinese lanterns are ready! In the photo below you can see what happened in the end.
For more ideas on how to make a paper table lamp or pendant lamp, see our article.
2. How to make a wooden lamp with your own hands?
From such a simple material as wood, you also have the opportunity to make a very creative lamp with your own hands. It is enough just to look around: nature itself inspires us with its extraordinary forms for creativity. Each of us at least once in our lives noted the beautiful shape of a branch or snag. Dekorin proposes to reflect their beauty in interior design as an original and functional lamp.
Using a branch, you can make a lamp out of wood yourself without the use of special tools and skills. You can easily find the necessary material in the forest or near the house. The main thing is that this snag should be already dry, but not too rotten, because it will have to hold the weight of the shades and at the same time last you as long as possible.
DIY floor lamp from a wooden branch (photo)
In fact, depending on your wishes, you can make a floor, table or ceiling lamp from a branch. Here we will consider the option of manufacturing a floor lamp.
First of all, you need to make a solid base for the floor lamp (for example, pour cement mortar into any container and insert our branch for a wooden lamp into it). After a while, the container can be removed, after which a reliable and stylish cement base and lamp leg will remain. Also read how you can make a simple cement mortar.
At the next stage, it is necessary to attach a cord with a cartridge and a light bulb to the snag using improvised means. Our floor lamp is ready!
Ceiling and even wall lamps from a branch will also look very beautiful in the interior. You can decorate them with both ordinary light bulbs and vintage shades or lampshades. Examples are in the photo below.
3. How else can you make a lamp with your own hands from improvised materials?
Do you have a favorite lamp that you do not want to part with, but the appearance of its ceiling leaves much to be desired? Don't worry, we'll fix it! Dekorin will tell you how to make a lampshade for a lamp with your own hands. Just look at the photo: what original and even intricate lampshades for lamps you can make yourself!
Also read:Do-it-yourself vases from glass and plastic bottles
How to make a lampshade for a lamp with your own hands from threads
Such a lamp will become a creative and unique decoration of your interior. It will easily fit into both the kitchen and the bedroom with the living room.
So, what you need: a balloon (you need to take into account the size and shape of the inflated balloon, because the shape of the lampshade will depend on this), thick cotton threads (twine is better), PVA glue about 250 gr., A cord-suspension that will hold the lampshade, an energy-saving lamp, scissors, a needle, any cream, a brush, a cotton pad, and a cotton swab.
Step 1. Inflate the balloon to the desired size and tie it securely.
Step 2 Using a cotton pad, lubricate the ball with any cream so that later it is easier for the threads to detach from the base.
Step 3. Thread the needle and pierce the glue bottle through. Wind the thread around the ball as you see fit, however, do not pull it too tight.
Step 4. When all the threads are wound, go over the glue a little in those places where it is not enough. Now the lampshade is almost ready and should be removed to dry overnight.
Step 5. In the morning, take a dried lampshade and start pressing the ball with a cotton swab to help it separate from the threads. Carefully and most importantly, slowly blow off the ball, because by doing it quickly, you risk creating a dent on the lampshade with your own hands.
Step 5. Mark the future hole and make 4 cuts in all directions so that the bulb with the cartridge can enter the lampshade.
Finally, you need to insert a cartridge with a light bulb, and carefully attach the lamp holder between the threads. The lampshade is completely ready, now it remains only to hang it in the room that you have chosen and enjoy the results of your creativity.
How to make a lamp with your own hands: 15+ ideas and photos updated: March 27, 2017 by: Oksana Krutsenko
To create a lighting device, they use almost everything that can be found at hand: wooden sticks, pieces of plinth, containers, wood cuts, metal sticks and pipes, glass products, fabrics. Homemade lamps are made futuristic, classic, glamorous, minimalist. For each type, several step-by-step master classes have been invented. It is customary to decorate designer rooms with unusual lamps. These can be products with slots, many separate fragments, in the form of a large ball or cube. The same lamps are made with their own hands, from any material. This is done not only by craftsmen selling their products, but also by ordinary owners of apartments and houses. Home-made chandeliers can be similar to store-bought ones or they can be made in an unusual way: from graters, cans, etc. The shape depends on the characteristics of the material and the performer's imagination.
What can be used as materials
You will need:
- fat cream;
- PVA glue;
- cotton buckle;
- dye;
- Balloon.
There are several interesting options. From ordinary threads you get a beautiful glowing ball. First you need to inflate the balloon and grease it with cream. It is placed in a container with water and PVA diluted in it. Then it is wrapped with threads. The design is left to dry for 24 hours - all that remains is to put the product on the ceiling. The second way is to use tubes. The sheets are twisted diagonally, the protruding tips are glued. It will take two hundred tubes: they are glued together into a round or triangular figure. The next option is a wire lampshade: it is twisted into a spiral or conical shape. You can also create a lamp from plastic bottles: they cut off the bottom and neck. You will need wire, acrylic paints, sealant and a marker. There are many other techniques for creating a lamp with your own hands.
Options for creating lamps made of wood
Making a lamp with your own hands is primarily an art, not an economy. Despite the fact that wood is a simple and inexpensive material, wood products can compete with others in terms of workmanship and aesthetics. The process of their manufacture will not be the easiest. You will need to carry out complex calculations, work with a large number of tools, remove a lot of garbage. Lighting devices are made from saw cuts, branches, veneer, wooden slats, wooden boxes and frames, wheels, logs, beams, etc. A wooden lamp is an ideal solution for an antique-style interior. It can be made from a piece of wood or from worked materials, for example, in the form of a complex geometric structure of sticks, a ring, a cylinder, or a square created from four or eight bars.
Master class: how to make a lamp from wood cuts
You will need a tree trunk, grinder, hacksaw, LED strip (2 m), brushes, wood varnish, glue, matte plastic pipe. First, the trunk is cut into sections of the same thickness - about 2 cm. Then a template is made in the center of one of the cuts. He and all other sections are drilled according to the markup. Measurements must be carried out carefully, because of poorly marked fragments, the whole process will have to be started anew. After that, they need to be sanded. The next step is strengthening with glue and laying on pads to dry. After that, the log cabins are varnished. In parallel, you can prepare a frosted tube - a rod for the structure. Its surface is processed to the maximum effect of haze. The saw cuts are put on the tube and after that it remains to take one more step. The last step is to mount the tape. It must be folded in your hands and in this form placed in the tube.
The list of necessary materials and tools includes: self-tapping screws, a drill, chipboard, a brush, acrylic varnish, an electric block, 4 cartridges and 7 two-meter rails. From chipboard, you need to cut blanks, and glue their edges with an edge. Reiki is assembled into a single structure in the form of a cross with a diamond shape in the center. The base is cut out of a 5 mm plywood sheet. In places where the slats create intersections, pieces of bamboo sticks or dowels are installed. At the base, it is necessary to drill 8 holes: 4 are intended for the ceiling, and the same number for the main part of the lamp. From the tin you need to bend 4 corners with beveled edges. They are mounted with self-tapping screws so that the open parts of the corners are directed inside the lampshade. The entire wooden frame is varnished twice, with a break for drying. At the end, the cruciform structure is screwed on with confirmations.
It can be made from twelve strips. For the inner part, they take a smaller one - 60 cm, for the outer one - 70 cm. The strips are made from a sheet: they are cut along the fibers with a steel ruler and a knife. On a large paper sheet, you need to draw a circle with a diameter of 350 mm or more. It is divided into sectors of 30°. On the left and right side of the lines separating the sectors, parallel lines are drawn along the perimeter of the circle to determine the desired position of the veneer strips. Then a disc is prepared with a small hole in which to lay the strips. They are glued clockwise in the form of a snowflake, first three short ones, then three long ones. After the glue dries in the strip construction, you will need to make a hole about 1 cm wide. A wire is pushed through it, and a sleeve is attached to the disk. The hanging ends of the strips are fixed with a flange and bolts.
Lamps made of textiles and threads
To create a lampshade, you can use old clothes: jeans, golfs, spoiled dresses, etc. Products are decorated with bows, pockets, threads with beads. In almost all cases, the fabric needs to be put on some kind of frame. It can also be made by hand. As a material, it is better to choose metal, sometimes wood. The basis for a homemade fabric chandelier can be factory lamps, both new and old. The fabric of an ordinary old lampshade can be removed, and a modern one with stylish patterns can be fixed instead. To create and design homemade chandeliers, threads of different thicknesses are used. They wrap various jars and frames, connect parts of the lamp and hang the structure. Lampshades made of hardened threads look interesting. In addition to them, twine or ropes are also used. They are successfully combined with different fabrics and paper.
Master class: spherical thread lamp
To create this product you will need:
- Table lamp base.
- Glue.
- Thick threads (up to 4 balls).
- Air balloons.
First, the balloons are inflated. Several are better, because they can burst. Their shape should be perfectly round. On each of them, a ten-centimeter circle is drawn with a felt-tip pen. A light bulb stand will be inserted through a hole of this size. The ball is placed on the oilcloth. The adhesive solution is being prepared. Wear rubber gloves on your hands to dip the threads into it. When they are saturated with a solution, they are taken out; then the glue clots are removed. The end of the thread is tied to the balloon knot. After that, it is wrapped around the entire ball, this must be done evenly over the entire surface, but randomly. It is advisable to use several threads of different colors. The ball is then suspended until the structure dries. Then they burst it, and the knot is cut off. The ball is removed through a large hole, into which you will then need to insert a cartridge with a light bulb.
DIY fabric lampshade
You will need thick paper, glue, fabric, threads to match the color of the fabric, pins, a ruler, a pencil, an iron. You will need to make a template to calculate the required amount of fabric. If the frame for the lampshade should have a cylindrical shape, then measure the circumference and height and alternately draw the corresponding lines, creating a right angle. The opposite sides of the rectangle are drawn. The desired shape is cut out of paper. It is applied to the fabric. From it you need to get a larger rectangle. It is cut out after the desired fragment is selected. Then the matter is fixed on the template with the help of pins (its edges must be bent). After that, you need to use a sewing machine. The processed fabric is ironed. After that, it is glued to the base. Raw cuts are hidden. The seam is made so that the base is closed with a stitched edge.
Plastic chandeliers and lamps
Plastic has become one of the most sought-after materials in the modern interior. This also applies to lamps - a wide variety of models are sold. You can make a chandelier with your own hands, which will not be inferior to finished products in anything. The plafond of the lighting device is constructed from anything. It can be disposable cups, various sticks, painted plastic bottles. They are sometimes decorated with decorative devices: figurines, luminous details. As an auxiliary material, various metal frames can be used. The easiest way to make a table lamp. You can use cut-out parts and molds with holes. Instead of throwing away unnecessary plastic items (used disposable tableware, etc.), it's better to try to make a small lamp out of them that can decorate a room.
Master class: we make a ceiling lamp from plastic spoons
You need to find a large number of identical plastic spoons, up to 200 pieces. It will be more difficult to construct a product from whole devices, but if you cut them off, then everything will work out quite quickly and simply. The handles of the spoons must be cut off and removed, leaving only the scoop. Then you can use the finished lampshade for pasting the elements or cut it out of the eggplant. They make the lower part of it and make a hole for the light bulb, or cut off the top of the neck, leaving a fairly wide hole. Next, you need to decide on the pattern. The upper surfaces of the cups will create a shell-like pattern, while the lower surfaces will create a "scaly" surface. If you choose the second option, then jumpers need to be glued to the eggplant. First, the upper part is trimmed, laying out rows of spoons one after the other. When the process reaches the open part, then you need to calculate everything so that the last row hides the cut edge of the eggplant.
As a fastener, you can use:
- glue;
- office plasticine;
- Scotch.
You will need steel wire for the frame, thin wire, a soldering iron, scissors, ten plastic bottles of various shades of green. From the bottles you need to cut out leaves of different sizes and shapes. Fragments in the form of birch leaves and other leaves with a more or less compact shape are ideal. Thus, more elements will be obtained. Slices imitating plates are best processed with a soldering iron to make them slightly bent. You also need to make veins with the edge of the sting: the leaves will take on a more natural look. Since the bottles are cylindrical, the blanks will be with curvature. Holes for thin wires are pierced with a hot needle. You need at least two on each leaf, but four is even better to thread the wire in a figure-of-eight. As many sheets as possible are put on each. Then the flexible wires are securely twisted around the frame of steel wires.
Handle the soldering iron as carefully as possible so as not to burn your fingers or burn the leaves.
You can make several types of such lamps. Materials you will need: rubber feet, silicone sticks, fluorescent lamp, fiberboard circle, CDs. Tools such as a triangle ruler, pencil, compasses, glue gun, screwdriver, pliers, tongs, drill are needed. In a round form, a hole is made from fiberboard in the very center, twelve sectors are drawn on it. On the lines that separate them, one small hole is drilled. Steel wires will be stretched through them, on each of which a stack of disks will be placed. The design will turn out to be quite heavy, so metal wires are needed. A wire with a cartridge is inserted into the hole in the circle of fiberboard, a light bulb is inserted into it. You can also make a polyhedron lamp, a ceiling lamp in the form of a ball, petals, a ring lamp from disks.
Ways to create paper lamps
This material is popular because of its flexibility. You can design an interesting figure or fold sheets of paper several times and make flowers. Folded paper sheets are joined into rounded shapes. Paper lamps are made in the form of plants, animals, abstraction. Some people like to make patterns and cutouts. In some countries of the East, rice paper chandeliers are widely used. To make a lamp, you can use the origami technique. Paper lamps are created in two main ways, namely using one or more large sheets or gluing a large number of paper elements. Over the past ten years, table and floor lamps have gained popularity. From paper you can make lamps, carved pumpkins and houses. This material is also suitable for creating a lampshade of a traditional shape:
- conical;
- cylindrical;
- elliptical.
Rice or parchment paper
Rice paper is useful for making a Chinese lantern. Additionally, you will need a thread, an awl, a clerical knife, a ruler and a pencil. First, you need to make a markup on paper. The flashlight circuit consists of many diamond-shaped sectors. Half of them are filled with vertical intermittent markings. After that, the sheet is folded into an accordion. He curls up into a circle. Painted covers can be glued to the top and bottom. To make a parchment paper cover, you will need a marking board, a circular knife, two sheets of parchment paper, two rolls of waxed paper (similar to parchment), scissors, silk ribbon, a hanging frame. Strips of satin ribbon 18-20 cm and 40 cm long are attached to the frame structure. The final step is to paste on the ribbon circles of parchment and wax paper. You need to attach them with an overlap.
Paper bag origami chandelier
To make such a lamp with your own hands, you will need a wire with a switch, an LED lamp, two paper bags with a pattern. First you need to learn how to make simple origami. The next thing is to cut off the bottom of the bags, remove the handles. They stick together in one big paper bag. It is folded in half. Both parts are "turned" into harmonicas. You need 16 identical strips. The outermost ones are folded diagonally. A hole is pierced with an awl. One of the two open sides is securely fixed with a thick thread. It is necessary to leave the possibility of regulation. The second will be open. The LED bulb is connected to the cartridge, the top of the lampshade opens and closes back. Such lighting is necessary, incandescent lamps cannot be used. The wire is fixed on a branch of a tall decorative tree - the product is ready.
Corrugated paper products look very original, which is why the material has become so popular. You will need an LED lamp, a cable, thread, glue, a knitting needle, a ruler, a piece of corrugated paper 44 × 88 cm. First of all, you need to take a ruler and a pen and mark the paper on lines with the same width. Focusing on the drawn lines, you need to make an accordion out of a flat sheet. With the help of a knitting needle, it folds diagonally from one end, then returns to its original position and folds on the other side. The paper needs to be unfolded again - rhombuses should stand out on it. The entire sheet now consists of double shapes. The first and subsequent folds must be made according to the width of the strips, otherwise the appearance of the paper will deteriorate. The workpiece is twisted into a spherical shape, and its upper part is fastened with a thread.
Butterfly chandelier
There are two ways to create such a lamp:
- One big butterfly.
- "Swarm" of small moths of different sizes.
Preschool children will like the lampshade in the form of many hanging figures more. Separate parts of the lamp can be lowered up to one and a half meters from the ceiling. An old lampshade or its frame is taken as a basis. If there are no such blanks, then you can use a metal or wood rim or a thick wire twisted into a circle. It is necessary to prepare sheets with butterfly templates in order to select the butterflies of the required sizes and shapes. It is recommended to make moths at least five different sizes. Then the design will be visually larger. Butterflies are cut out with small scissors or a clerical knife. It is desirable that the paper is thick. Cut out figures are painted with different colors, decorated with sparkles, however, on some templates, butterflies may already be colored. To bring the product to readiness, the butterflies are fixed on the fishing lines and attached to the base.
The finished Chinese lamp can be used as a basis for other products. They are cheap. You need a perfectly round model. The first option: cut out circles of different colors from the fabric and glue them with an overlap. From a Chinese ball, you can make something like a round lamellar cone. The second way: circles are cut out of square sheets of paper. They are connected in the center, the edges are raised until a perfect flower is obtained. The elements are attached to the ball in ordered rows. Paper sheets make beautiful tartlets. They should be filled with something. The paper is also folded into square envelopes that can be turned into four conical molds. Some use an old wall map instead of paper. A newspaper lampshade with printed images in gray or brown will look stylish in any interior.
Lamps made of metal pipes and tubes in the loft style
Non-functioning water pipes with taps can be assembled into a single structure, equipped with light bulbs and thus create a stylish and useful thing. It is better to place it on the wall. This is a very popular loft style decoration element. Steampunk lamps are created from large and small pipes. These are complex designs, without special preparation it will not work to make them. However, it is possible to construct a small robot with a "head" in the form of a light bulb. Beautiful ceiling chandeliers are made from pipes. In addition, there are various models of lamps made of metal pipes. Brass is often used as a material. Chandeliers are created in the form of compositions from several tubes. Pipes, as a rule, are made in one piece, but lamps are also produced with various patterns and openings. They are not inferior in popularity to lamps in the loft style.
You can make a beautiful product in the form of diamond faces. In addition to the pipes themselves, you will need sandpaper, a jigsaw, twine or wire, and gloves. To create an original chandelier, you will need 20 pipes: 10 short (6 cm), 5 medium (12 cm) and the same number of long (25 cm). You need to find several long blanks, mark them and saw them with a jigsaw. After that, you need to do grinding with sandpaper so that the edges of the tubes are perfectly smooth. Further, the fragments are collected on a thick wire or twine. First, horizontal rows are created: the bottom of five short and the middle of the same number of medium tubes. Then they are connected by five more short tubes. The upper part of the structure is made of five long fragments that need to be combined with the already prepared part. Long pipes do not come down completely, in this place you need to fix the cartridge.
Fixtures from plumbing pipes
It is necessary to prepare such devices as an electrical cable, electrical tape, adhesive tape, various screwdrivers, a two-wire wire, cartridges, hinges, fittings that match the parameters of the pipes. One of the tubes should be larger - it will serve as a mount to the ceiling. The assembly process is quite complex. It is necessary to create a scheme on paper, and only then get down to business. At this stage, the design configuration is determined. Splitters must be connected correctly. All parts of the upcoming structure can be polished and painted. It is better to give preference to white, red, gold and black colors. You need to wait about a day for everything to dry completely. After that, all pipes are assembled together. Light bulbs are on them. The last step is connection. Since the scheme is complex, it is better to invite a specialist.
Using glass to create lamps
You can hang a composition of several empty liquor bottles on the ceiling. Three-liter cans can be hung from metal chains. Glassware is also suitable as a ceiling lamp. A lamp made of many glass fragments can imitate a crystal chandelier. Broken glass objects find a new purpose in the form of an original lighting fixture. Fine table lamps are made from glasses and wine glasses. Various glass boxes, glass from old wall sconces, headlights, interior doors can come in handy. A homemade glass chandelier can be painted with watercolors or stained glass paints. Get beautiful stained glass windows. To create pendant lamps, craftsmen use a variety of decorative containers from oils and perfumes. Unlike wood and paper, glass has a high fire safety.
The list of necessary devices includes wire cutters, screwdrivers, screws, glass cutter, silicone, a rag or brush, stain, pine boards, hooks, a chain, ten light bulbs, wiring, wine bottles. The first step is processing the containers. Labels and glue residues are removed from the bottles. With the help of a glass cutter, you need to remove the bottom of each bottle: it rests at a height of 1-2 cm, and the bottle rotates around its axis. Cracks must be tapped with a hammer until the bottom falls off. After that, the electrical wires are placed in bottles and connected to the cartridges. Light bulbs are screwed into them. Now we need to prepare the boards. In the lower, larger one, holes are drilled for necks and wires. The top will collect them in one bundle. Hooks for chains are screwed into the bottom board, which will hold the structure. For the kitchen, you can make a table lamp with a bottle base and a wooden shade.
Wooden boards can be stained to give an "antique" effect.
Using old cans to create lamps
Old jars can find a new purpose. Lamps can be created using threads, electrical wires, can handles. Containers must be equipped with handles. They will need to be tied with threads attached to a pre-prepared iron frame. Electrical wires with cartridges and light bulbs are lowered into the banks - the chandelier is ready. You can make an option for giving - the threads are tied around the branches of a tree, and candles or small lanterns are placed inside the cans. Containers wrapped with multi-colored threads or decorated with patterned napkins look beautiful. The inside of the cans can be painted white, and while it has not yet dried, apply a pattern in the form of chaotic lines. Some paint the container on the outside with different colors, and draw an image on top with the help of glitter shadows. Banks can also be pasted over with small cullet.
Shabby chic chandelier/lamp
Beads and fabric are used to create beautiful decorative items, including lamps that are typical for this style. Shabby chic decoration provides that the room is designed for a girl or woman. You will need beads, beads, threads, chains, a cartridge with a lamp, a finished wooden or metal frame. The first step is to paint the base in some of the soft shades. After that, it can be wrapped with decorative elements or fabric. The top of the ceiling is wrapped with smaller beads, but in larger quantities - up to 40 beads must be strung on one thread, while about 20 beads on the lower threads. This is an approximate proportion, it, like the tension of the threads, can be changed depending on the size of the structure. The lamp is usually covered with a pink cloth. All decorations are hung so that they flow down.
Conclusion
The chandelier is the single most important element in the upper part of the room, it can create symmetry and other geometric accents. To hang a beautiful, stylish, designer lamp in your room, it is not necessary to buy it in a store. Every home has enough items and tools to do everything on their own. In most cases, a blank, scissors, paper, glue, thread, frame, varnish and paints are enough. Sometimes you may need the help of an electrician. Most "handmade" lamps are made of wood, plastic, paper, glass, textiles or metals. There are also more exotic options using different designs, small parts, molds. A homemade chandelier should not only perform an aesthetic function, but also illuminate the room with high quality. It must be designed wisely.
Find out how to make a lamp out of wire, building mesh, so that flowers grow inside it. How to turn a snag into a lamp, and tree branches into a floor lamp?
How to make an original lamp?
A very interesting design item is obtained from the simplest materials, most of which are left over from a picnic. If you went with friends, relatives to nature, you must definitely remove the garbage behind you. This not always desirable job will be made more enjoyable if you ask to fold the plastic spoons separately. If you have children traveling with you, arrange a competition to see who can throw more and faster spoons into a separate garbage bag or bag.
You will also need water canisters. After a fun picnic, after arriving home, after some time, you can make original lamps from the containers left after the feast. Hand them to your friends, leave them for yourself to hang in the hallway, in the kitchen or in the country.
So, here's how such a chandelier is created with your own hands or with the help of your home. First put side by side:
- 5 liter oval plastic bottle;
- disposable plastic spoons;
- cable with cartridge and plug;
- low power LED bulb;
- pliers;
- glue gun;
- screwdriver
- stationery knife.
So that such original lamps do not lead to a fire, take an LED, and not an ordinary Ilyich light bulb.
For information: 4–5 W of LED bulbs correspond to 40 W, and 8–10 W to 60 W of conventional electric ones.
Carefully, so as not to cut yourself, remove the bottom from the canister with a knife.
Also, observing safety precautions, so as not to get hurt, cut off the handles of each plastic spoon completely. Applying a little hot glue from a gun to the cuts of the “blades”, glue them to the bottom tier of the bottle. Usually 17 pieces go here. Then, overlapping, attach the second and subsequent rows, arranging the elements in a checkerboard pattern.
To cover the neck, glue 10-12 spoon blades together, forming them into a ring.
Pass the cartridge with a light bulb and cable through the cut bottom hole in the bottle. If this "electrical" part causes difficulty for women, call the husband. If you don't have one, buy a cable from the hardware store with the socket and plug already screwed to it. You can borrow this working part of the lamp from the old one.
Put a “ring” of spoons on top of the canister, screw on the lid. To do this, let the husband drill a hole in it with a drill, and you yourself can do this manipulation with a hot nail or self-tapping screw, holding it with pliers. The original lamp is ready.
3 models of designer lampshades with your own hands
Ideas are in the air. If you are in the country and this piece of furniture is not there, it is easy to make it yourself from what is at hand. Take:
- hollow dishes;
- wire;
- mounting foam;
- gloves;
- paint;
- brush;
- pliers.
As a basis, you can use unexpected things: an old pot, a planter, an already unnecessary children's pot.
Turn over any of these auxiliary items, put on a plane upside down. Wind the wire, its turns repeat the shape of the future product, should be the same as the lampshade. With your own hands, but with gloves, pick up a can, squeeze a little foam out of it onto the frame, close the wire, let it dry.
After that, make the contours more even with a knife, cutting off the excess. Paint in your favorite color, white looks airy and elegant. Such a lampshade, made with your own hands, will decorate a country gazebo. You can make a few and hang them here. By avoiding big expenses, this way you decorate the space.
This lampshade looks stylish and modern, while the next one has a classic look. For it use:
- thick wire;
- pliers;
- small plastic water bottle.
Now roll the large outer ring from the wire. We will fasten it. To do this, cut 4 identical pieces of wire with pliers, fasten the first end of each to the small, and the second edge to the large ring. The upper part of the lamp is ready.
The size of the lampshade depends on whether it is made for hanging from the ceiling or for a table lamp. The first is greater than the second.
Roll the bottom ring out of the wire, it is the largest. Connect it to the second top five pieces of wire, distributing them evenly. It remains to decorate the frame of the lampshade. To do this, pass the wire through the second ring, twisting it in a wave and twisting it through the base. Do the same for the second ring.
It remains to sheathe it with fabric. Attach the flap from the second top to the bottom ring, cut to size, adding to the seam. Hem the large sides of the resulting rectangle. Sew the canvas on the side right on the frame, decorating this place with braid. That's it, you made a wonderful lampshade with your own hands.
If you want to get acquainted with the most modern ideas on this topic - please! In skillful hands, the construction grid will turn into a stylish lampshade.
With your own hands or, having called on a man, cut a rectangle from it with metal scissors. To fix the cartridge, twist a circle from the wire, fix it on top of the lamp with four pieces of wire.
If you do not have coarse mesh, use pliers to cut off the excess sections so that the distance between the strips of wire becomes greater. Paint the lampshade, and its frame is ready.
And now the magic begins. You can make an original lamp, which will benefit not only people, but also plants. Attach a planter with a flower at the bottom of the lampshade. You can tie, woven using the macrame technique, for the lower turns of the wire with a thick rope. Check that the fastening is secure.
If there is a man and a welding machine in the house, call on this tandem to make a metal ring with "beams" that need to be welded to the bottom of the lamp.
If you have a home climbing plant, such as ivy, pass its lashes between the cells of the lattice. The original lamp will become a house for a flower. It is better not to use ordinary electric bulbs, as they are very hot and can burn the leaves of plants. In addition, the air around the flowers will be too hot. Screw in an LED or fluorescent light bulb.
For such an original lamp, you needed:
- construction mesh or strong wire;
- brush and paint (optional)
- pliers;
- light bulb with cartridge;
- flower.
You can well fix cups with seedlings on such a lampshade, thereby finding an additional place for growing it and conditions for lighting in the evening.
We make a floor lamp, a table lamp with our own hands
Walking in the forest, do not pass by a rolled ornate driftwood. Put it in a bag, take it with you. Wash at home, if there is bark, peel off with a knife. Go over the surface with fine sandpaper, if required. Finish with wood varnish.
In order for the table lamp to hold well, the snag must be screwed with self-tapping screws to a solid pedestal. It should be heavy enough. Oak is suitable for him. If you find a broken branch of this tree in the same forest, saw off a circle 5–7 cm thick from the thick part.
It will also need to be sanded and varnished. When these wooden blanks are dry, connect them with self-tapping screws of sufficient length, first passing them through an oak stand, and then plunging them into a snag. You can also use nuts and bolts.
How to make a lampshade with your own hands, you already know. Therefore, make it and attach it to a snag, wrapping it with wire.
If the old floor lamp stand is no longer happy or you just want to decorate it, also use wood for this. See how good the birch racks look. Attach a branch of this tree to the lamp and see what kind of floor lamp you could make with your own hands.
How to crochet a lampshade?
If you are fed up with an old floor lamp, you can transform it with your own hands, giving it a "zest". Take the openwork braid, sew it on the top and bottom of the fabric lampshade. You can decorate with glitter by gluing them in the form of a pattern, evenly or randomly.
A floor lamp or a chandelier will turn out unique if you knit a lampshade for them with your own hands. This can be done with a crochet or thin knitting needles. For the first option, you will need:
- hook;
- cotton threads;
- pattern for knitting napkins;
- water;
- starch;
- ribbons.
Measure the top circumference of the lampshade, we need its diameter. Tie a chain from the air loops. Next, knit in a circle, based on the napkin pattern. Measure the height of the lampshade and the diameter of its bottom circle. Based on these data, draw a trapezoid or a rectangle (depending on the shape of the lampshade). Crochet this pattern. Sew on the side.
With single crochets, tie the upper circle of the lamp and this trapezoidal or rectangular part.
Boil a glass of water, stirring, pour in 200 ml of cold water, in which 1.5 tbsp is diluted. l starch. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, cool. Drop a knitted lampshade here, soak well, then wring out, let the water drain, and the fabric will dry, but remain slightly damp.
Put it on the plafond. In order for the knitted lampshade to hold well, you can skip several ribbons or ribbons between the loops and tie them.
Plafonds look very nice if they are decorated with crocheted flowers.
A solution of starch or PVA will help shape the knitted lampshade. Put it on the frame, apply glue, let dry.
In the second case (when knitting needles are used), you need to make calculations for knitting, draw a pattern according to the standards of the lamp, knit a trapezoid or rectangular lampshade. Similar models are suitable for floor lamps, chandeliers of a strict form. If you need to crochet a semi-circular lampshade, make wedges first, and then connect them with single crochets.
Here is another openwork chandelier. It is pleasant to make kisei with your own hands and decorate the bottom of the product in a circle. But first you need to create the lampshade itself. The crochet pattern for this beautiful thing is presented right there.
A table lamp will look amazing on the bedside table if there is such a lampshade on it, the knitting pattern of which is also given.
If your son or daughter does not let you finish the work, demanding attention, invite the children to make a lampshade too, let them twist strips of paper into tubes with their own hands. It is better to wind them on a thin pencil or a wooden sushi stick, and then glue the free edge so that it does not unfold.
Now you need to glue the resulting blanks, using an object of a suitable shape as a frame, for example, a 5-liter canister. Having made the first inner layer, let the child move on to the second. There should be several of them to close the gaps. When the PVA is dry, cover a table lamp with this lampshade or hang it from the ceiling. Looks original and extravagant.
If you are interested in other ideas on this topic, watch the video:
A very interesting version of the lamp from the disks:
Handmade items fill the house with special warmth and comfort. Plus, they are exclusive. We offer an overview of lamps that will completely change the atmosphere in the room, turning into an object of envy from the groans of friends and relatives. Moreover, they are made from everyday items that are usually thrown away.
A cardboard bag for juices or other drinks is a common thing in most homes. Most of the time it gets thrown away. But the Malay designer Edward Chu spent a lot of time to cut them into hundreds of strips and build amazing lamps from them without a drop of glue, a simple origami principle.
Yaroslav Olenev proposed to make lamps from disposable plastic spoons and became the winner in the nomination "Ecology and Design" from the magazine "Future Now".
No less original application was found by Natalie Simpson for ordinary wooden hangers. But they look amazing in the form of a chandelier.
Kevin Chempeny must be given credit, not everyone has the strength and patience to string 14 thousand bears to get a chandelier.
Tira Hilden and Pio Diaz have their own vision on the problem of housing lighting. Thanks to their lamps, the room becomes like a forest. All walls come to life and turn into trees.
Talented welder Matt Ludwig was also an excellent designer. For JJ's Red Hots restaurant, he made an incredibly original chandelier from an old drum set.
Texan artists Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock made stunning lamps from old bike parts and hung them in a tunnel under the highway.
It will probably be difficult to find a more original chandelier than a pumpkin from a Polish artist. It carves stunning patterns on the peel that do not repeat.
Felt hat lampshades from Jeeves & Wooster look original and stylish.
Once Heather Jennings saw an amazing Rhododendron chandelier in the store, only it cost more than $ 800. Then the designer decided that she could do just as well with her own hands. To do this, she needed paper molds for cupcakes.
11. Chandelier in the kitchen
A chandelier made of ordinary metal tetrahedral graters will look incredibly beautiful.
Still fresh in my memory are vases and candy bowls made from openwork napkins. Now it's time to knit chandeliers.
Fansois Lego offers a strange option, he believes that the best way to store cutlery is a chandelier.
A large cloud is cut out of wood, but the rest and the switch are made of cardboard.
A few globes can make a wonderful cascading chandelier, a great way to light up a flight of stairs.
In this article we will figure out how to make a complete and safe lamp with your own hands. In the initial publication of the cycle - - the general quality requirements were considered, how to form a luminous flux, as well as how to choose a light source and - safety first - the rules for connecting a stationary lamp to the mains. From the previous article, we learned how to make the main lighting parts of the lamp -. Now it's time to take on the solid, reliable and beautiful constructive basis of all this.
About LEDs
LEDs as lighting sources are becoming increasingly popular: they are very economical, durable, almost do not heat up, which provides ample opportunities for self-construction and design. In addition, low-voltage power makes LED light sources safe. Therefore, in this article a significant proportion of the material is devoted to how to make an LED lamp yourself.
However, the quality of light from LEDs has not yet reached the ideal: his spectrum is pretty tight. You can soften it with various lighting techniques, which was discussed in previous articles. But thanks to the low-voltage power supply, a street or garden LED lamp can be made independently without special precautions, and also be autonomous; then bulk earthworks and cable laying on the site disappear. In this section, we will focus more on LED lamps.
Some examples of what can be achieved by taking on lighting equipment with your own hands are shown in the photo. A similar selection “for ideas” or “for inspiration” will be compiled by anyone who knows how to use the Internet. And here we will deal with things that are not so aesthetic: how to embody all this in the material. Cheap, reliable and practical. Preferably at home, on your knees.
Materials, tools, equipment, technologies
To make a good lamp, expensive and / or hard-to-find materials are not needed. Former technologies focused on incandescent lamps, which are very hot and consume a lot of current. The current homemade ones have housekeeper lamps and LEDs that emit little heat, which simplifies the design.
To manufacture a lamp that is not inferior in appearance or quality to industrial designs, we will need scraps of metal tubes, steel wire with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm, galvanized steel sheet 0.4-1 mm thick and pieces of plastic or inexpensive plastic products, see below. And in many cases, to achieve the desired result, it is possible to get by with unnecessary trash. Wood processing for a complex lamp is a special case, and we will not bypass it.
Note: good old glass also should not be discounted. Take a look at this tutorial for example: diy.ru/post/3916/. That's what can be achieved by working at home with such difficult material. Only one small "but" - what the author of the product (a man, no doubt, very skillful and quick-witted) calls cutting, in fact, edging. However, how to call it is the business of letter-eaters, and it is enough for the master to make the contraption good.
Very simple but tasteful
Examples of excellent lamps made from improvised materials, namely, scraps of wood and paper, are well-known Chinese lanterns, see fig. When using modern light sources, their fire hazard is negligible, much less than that of an electric kettle. The basis is most often a rack frame, pasted over with paper, pos. 1. For the frame of what is in pos. 2, thin bamboo sticks are better (you can split an old rod into strips), or the ends of modern fiberglass rods; sold in fishing shops. The joints are wrapped with thread and glued. Paper (preferably rice) after pasting is lightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle. When dry, it will stretch. After that, the paper is varnished for strength.
A Chinese lantern can also be made entirely of wood: chopsticks or table skewers (wooden twigs on which barbecue and kebab are served at the table). Both are made of light, fairly well-reflecting light, wood. And its slightly rough surface effectively scatters light, which softens it.
From chopsticks, placing them with broadened heads alternately to the left, then to the right, they gain side light-transmitting panels, pos. 3. And from table skewers you get a good ceiling lamp for the kitchen or hallway, pos. 4. The ends of the sticks (they are made of soft wood) are simply pierced with a sewing needle with a fishing line threaded into it.
Plastics
But back to the materials, they are not finished yet. Excellent details of chandeliers, table lamps and floor lamps (cups, caps, see below) are obtained from reusable plastic utensils - bowls, glasses, saucers: the rim on the bottom is carefully cut off or sanded off. Then this place is passed 2-3 times with increasingly fine sandpaper; the last pass - "velvet" - and polished with felt with GOI paste. The decorative, lighting and technological (ease of processing) qualities of such parts are very good.
The second type of plastic, which allows you to make a very original lamp (see Fig.) - polymer clay or just plastic. In terms of lighting properties, it is not inferior to light wood, and in a thin, 2-3 mm layer, it is translucent, like milk glass, i.e. softens the light very well.
Polymer clay is available in various colors immediately-plastic in plastic bags and bars, like plasticine. The latter are quite hard at first, but soften when kneading. To speed up and facilitate softening, put 3-4 drops of vegetable oil on the bar, and start kneading when it is absorbed.
Lampshades are molded from soft plastic on a mandrel lubricated with petroleum jelly. Immediately, if necessary, they fill the texture with a brush, at the bottom right in fig. To obtain an openwork ceiling, the tip of the package is cut off and the mass is squeezed out with a sausage. After about a day, the product dries up, then you can, without removing it from the mandrel, cut out figures, scallops, frills. Completely the product dries up in 3-7 days.
Bar plastic is used for the manufacture of lamp stands. Having molded the workpiece, it is baked in the oven at 120-130 degrees. When a brownish crust forms on the product, the gas is covered to a minimum and “baked” for another 1-3 hours, depending on the size of the part. It should cool completely in the oven, which is undesirable to open. The baked workpiece can be cut, sawn, drilled, polished, painted. In this way, lamp cases are sometimes not only original, but also quite spicy (see the figure), or even frivolous on the verge of decency, or even beyond it.
Ceramics
Since we are talking about coasters, let's try to make a lamp out of a bottle. Ceramic vessels for drinks, worked out by company designers, deserve a better use than garbage, moonshine or recyclables for pennies.
There are 2 problems here: stability and holes for cable entry and a switch. The first is solved with sand, poured into the bottle by 2/3 or 3/4. To solve the second, it would seem that a tubular diamond drill is needed, which is expensive, wears out quickly, and requires a high-speed drilling machine. And we can do without all this:
- We will select a copper tube of a suitable diameter.
- We will securely fix the vessel that we will drill so that the drill enters along the normal (perpendicular) to its surface in this place.
- Around the place of the future hole, we will fashion a roller 4-6 mm high from plasticine.
- Let's rub a couple of pieces of fine skin against each other over some pallet to get about a teaspoon of corundum powder.
- Pour it into the hole and drip 3-5 drops of engine oil - you can drill.
For drilling, it is better to put a drill with a copper tube clamped in a chuck into a bed that turns it into a desktop drilling machine. Such beds are sold in tool stores; the prices are divine, the benefit to the artisan is invaluable. Moreover, you can buy a turntable with a degree scale to the bed.
They drill ceramics with copper and corundum in jerks: slightly pressed - raised - pressed again - raised. Abrasive particles first eat into copper and drill, but then they break out and crumble. Pulse drilling constantly renews the corundum “plating” on copper, and the oil prevents the powder from scattering and speeds up the work. The main thing is that the tube, with each feed, falls exactly into the already selected groove.
Electrical fittings
For a novice lighting engineer, it is best, perhaps, to use cartridges for lamps for a regular E27 base with fastening with union shaped nuts (threaded flanges); its designation begins with E27H, and the drawing is shown in fig. It will not work to mount such a cartridge, or a regular one with a skirt, with a threaded fitting in the lid: if there is an M10x1 or M12x1 die, then at home, with a manual wrench, cut the thread on a thin-walled tube without cutting it and not rolling it, very difficult, even with grease. Under mounting with flanges, you will have to make a mounting ring, as described in the article on lampshades, it is much easier.
Note: if a wall lamp is made in which the lamp is located along the base, then cartridges with a side bar are usually used, see fig., but they are more expensive. In this case, you can also get by with a flange cartridge: an Ω-shaped clamp is bent from the wire and fastened to the base with self-tapping screws.
The second thing you need is a screw terminal connector, or a terminal block, or just a terminal block, to connect the lamp to the wiring. For a chandelier, it is mandatory not only for the sake of ease of installation, but also according to the requirements of safety regulations: suddenly the chandelier breaks, its thinner wires break out of the terminal block, and the ceiling wiring is not affected, which will prevent an accident and ceiling-grooving repair work.
It is better to take a terminal block of the “comb” type, see Fig.:
Such are compact, reliable, exclude accidental short circuits, and by biting the jumpers between sections, it is elementary to get a connector for the required number of wires. It is allowed to enter no more than 2 stranded wires with a copper cross section of up to 1.4 square meters into each terminal. mm in total and not more than 1 single-core, regardless of the cross-sectional area of its conductive core.
About wooden lamps
The tree, on the one hand, is easily processed and looks solidly finished. On the other hand, to make an elegant wooden lamp, you will have to use some special technological methods. Which we will consider.
cable channels
The first problem that arises in the manufacture of a wooden lamp is how to make channels for the cable in long parts. To do this, without special equipment, “on the knee”, you can use a wood drill with a narrowed 6-sided shank, see fig. A metal tube is tightly put on it, crimped, and the opposite end is bent in a T-shape to make a manual collar; to facilitate and greater accuracy of work, it is better to take a two-band drill.
Through axial holes in long wooden parts are drilled in advance, before bending:
- At both ends of the workpiece, blind holes of the desired diameter are drilled, with a depth of 30-40 mm, trying to ensure that they go as accurately as possible along the axis of the part;
- They are drilled with the described manual wrench alternately from both ends, each time passing no more than 3-4 thicknesses of the part;
- The chips from the holes after each pass are carefully removed;
- After the jumper is broken, the hole passes through twice, from one and the other end. This is necessary to remove the step inside, which the cable can catch on when tightened.
How to bend a tree?
It is quite possible to make a lamp from bent wooden parts with your own hands: seasoned thin-layer wood softens under heating, without delamining, but when cooled down, retains the shape given to it. Bamboo, walnut and soft woods are the easiest to bend, e.g. Linden. Harder - wood of medium hardness: maple, ash, hornbeam. For bending oak, beech, mountain ash, and other hardwoods, it is better for a novice cabinetmaker not to take on. MDF also bends well.
The wood is bent either steamed in boiling water, or heated dry to more than 150 degrees. The first method is simpler, but suitable, except for bamboo, for a few species. The second is more difficult, but more accurate, because. wood does not swell and when cooled, respectively, does not shrink.
To bend wood, you need a piece of steel pipe: with a welded end for steaming or with both open for dry bending. The pipe for steaming is installed obliquely, a workpiece is placed in it, poured with water on top and boiled. Boiling water must be violent so that the workpiece is bathed in steam bubbles. The process is continued for 10-120 minutes, depending on the thickness, species and condition of the tree. You can take out the workpiece for a few seconds to check its readiness, but you only need to add boiling water instead of boiled water. Dry bending, blowing the workpiece in the pipe with a building hair dryer. First, on a sample of wood, you need to check what temperature it can withstand without charring and cracking.
How to tighten cables?
The cables are tightened into the tubular parts of the fixtures using a guide rod - "fishing rods" - made of copper wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm. "Fishing rod" should be completely flat; a smoothly curved wire wound from a reel can also be crumpled in a narrow channel. The wire of the “fishing rod” is straightened, stretching it through a rag tightly clenched in a fist. The best guides are made from enameled winding wire, which is smooth and slippery.
"Fishing rod" is introduced from the far end. Before that, its tip is tightly bent, see Fig., To be rounded. The thrust is pushed into the curved channels, slightly feeding and turning. When moving from channel to channel (see below), the running end is directed with thin long tweezers or a screwdriver.
When the end of the rod appears from the opposite side, it is cleaned by 20-30 mm and tinned. The cable wires are cleaned and tinned for the same amount, up to 3 per 1 "fishing rod". Then everything is twisted together and soldered. The twist is folded opposite to the direction of tightening so that it does not cling. Tighten by alternately feeding the cable and pulling the guide. When tightening, the cable in the channel must not be taut all the time! If it is hooked, they pull it back a little, turn it a little and pull it again.
Note: up to 4 2-wire double-insulated cables with a cross-section of copper wires up to 0.5 sq. M can be pulled into a straight metal tube with an inner diameter of 12 mm. mm. In a channel of the same diameter in a tree - only 1 of the same cable.
Starting from the ceiling
Suspension of the lamp to the ceiling or wall is the most critical and vulnerable node. Hanging fixtures at the 1st point is allowed only if the base is a viscous durable material, for example. oak beams, pos. a) in fig. In other cases, you must either use at least 2 suspension points, or the luminaire anchor must press on the material from above, i.e. the ceiling must work in compression, pos. c) - e).
A chandelier weighing up to 5 kg is suspended using a mounting plate, see fig. on right. The distance between the centers of the mounting holes in the plank should be, for a concrete ceiling, at least 9 of their diameters. If the ceiling is plasterboard, or suspended, or stretched, then the suspension is lowered from the main ceiling to the level of the decorative one using wooden or metal crosses or plywood boards, at the top there. How to make a suspension in some other cases, see below.
The main requirement for the suspension is that the lamp should never hang on wires. It should be held either by a rigid bar, or a strong cord / rope, or a cradle made of chains or the same cords. Under the top cap of the gimbal, the power cable must lie in a loose loop, and must not be pulled, pinched or pinched anywhere.
How to make a lamp?
Now he will try to reduce the information received into a single product, at the sight of which the guests will gasp as sincerely as the master expressed himself while working. We will be guided by the following principles:
- Complex and / or technological operations requiring special skills are avoided in every possible way.
- Adhesive or solder joints are used only auxiliary, holding the parts to be joined from displacement. The product assembled without gluing and soldering should, in the absence of external influences, remain intact in its normal position for an indefinitely long time.
- From an additional tool, we will try to get by with a hand-held electric drill and a small removable bench vise with a screw clamp for attaching to the table.
Let's start with a chandelier, as the most complex type of household lamp.
Chandelier
On a cord
The simplest suspension of a chandelier weighing up to 5 kg is on a cord, pos. 1 in fig. In this case, 4 additional holes will have to be drilled in the lampshade mounting ring (see article on lampshades); marked in green in pos. 1a. Cord knots must be knitted that do not slip or unravel, for example. any fishing hooks. Cord - any non-rotting cross lay (eg linen) with a diameter in an unstretched state of 8 mm or more. Cords and ropes of spiral lay are not intended for long-term tensile load!
The most critical part is the suspension hook (red CP). It must be bent from steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm; a hook made of 6 mm wire rod can withstand weight up to 35 kg. Of course, if you buy a ready-made hook for a chandelier, it will not be worse.
Suspension rods with the same weight - from 4 mm wire; with a weight of up to 5 kg, you can get by with 1.5 mm, and with a weight of up to 12 kg - 2.5-3 mm. The ring is made of galvanized sheet 0.4 and 0.8 mm, respectively, or, for weights up to 35 kg, 1.4 mm.
Note: steel soldering technology at home is described in.
In this case, it is better to fix the upper cup from slipping with a rubber ring, because. the spring washer can crush the cable passing under it. A good pallet is obtained from a computer disk. Depending on whether the lamp is in the lampshade or in the ceiling, it is turned down, respectively, with the painted or mirror side. Radial cuts are made under the stretch marks of the lampshade in the pallet.
The top cup and cap are made of plastic utensils, see above. The cap lies freely on the pallet. Glue - any assembly.
Note: the bottom nut of the cartridge must enter the hole in the pan, and not press it. Otherwise, it may be difficult to repair or clean the chandelier.
On the tube
In a chandelier suspended on a rigid tubular rod (pos. 2), firstly, it is not necessary to bend the suspension rods so that it is convenient to knit a knot on their crosshairs. Secondly, the number of pulls can be anything from 3. Accordingly, the ring can also be made without an additional row of holes, such as is described in the article on lampshades.
It is preferable to fix the cap in such a chandelier with a shaped (decorative) spring washer. It can be obtained from a thick plastic button by drilling a hole in the center of it 0.5-0.7 mm narrower than the outer diameter of the tube and making an oblique cut at 45 degrees to the axis of the washer, a round link of a plastic chain with the same cut, etc. P.
An eye for a hook in the suspension bar is obtained by flattening the tube and drilling a hole in the resulting lamella (petal). After that (and not before), a hole is drilled for laying the cable, otherwise dangerous mechanical stresses may remain in the material. A bar for a lamp weight of up to 15 kg can be made from pipes of the following types:
- Seamless steel - inner diameter from 6 mm, wall thickness from 0.5 mm. Finishing - painting or covering with a heat-shrinkable tube (HERE) of the desired color.
- Steel with a seam - vnutr. diameter from 8 mm, wall thickness from 0.7 mm. The finish is the same.
- Copper gas in a plastic sheath - vnutr. diameter from 8 mm, wall from 1 mm. Finishing is not necessary, and so it shines with copper for years. You can not solder, under the adhesive connection you need to remove the plastic coating in that place.
- For air conditioning systems made of oxygen-free copper - int. diameter from 10 mm, wall from 1 mm. Very easy to solder and glue. To preserve the copper sheen, the finished rod should be coated twice with a water-based clear acrylic varnish, diluted by half with distilled water.
- Simple red copper - int. diameter from 12 mm, wall from 1.5 mm. It is soldered after stripping, you need to use flux paste with borax. It darkens with time and under coating, so it is better to make lamps in retro style from such tubes.
- Plumbing propylene - very durable, but do not stick and, of course, do not solder. It is useless to finish, the design in any case turns out to be terrifying.
many-horned
From the tubes, you can make chandeliers with brackets-horns for individual illuminators. The device for connecting the horns with the rod is shown in pos. 5. The horns, with their even number, are connected in pairs with through threaded studs M2.5-M4 with nuts and spring washers. Pairs of holes for the studs are located at different levels, this must be taken into account when calculating the height of the straight part of the horn and making markings on their blanks. You can horns, incl. with an odd number of them, fasten with pairs of small self-tapping screws for metal, however, then the cables must be tightened very carefully so as not to tear the insulation on the sharp ends of the hardware protruding inward.
Note: complex / extended tube bends are formed section by section, gradually moving the manual pipe bender along the length of the future bend.
If the free ends of the horns are without squiggles (sorry - volute), etc. curls, then it is better to cover the knot of their connection with the barbell with a cap lying on the lower cup (shown by a dotted line in pos. 5). In addition, then the laying of cables will be much simpler: a terminal block will fit under the cap, in which the cables from the horns will converge, and only one 2-wire will go up in the bar.
Multi-track chandeliers are most often made with switchable light. The diagram for connecting lamps to a 2-section switch is shown in pos. 6. Do not forget - SB switches (switches) must be included in the phase wire! And yet, it is extremely important: if the house is equipped with protective grounding, never use a ground wire as a neutral (zero, N) regardless of the power supply scheme (grounded or isolated neutral)! The earthing switch is always in yellow insulation with a longitudinal stripe, and the neutral insulation in properly arranged wiring is black. But in any case, before starting electrical work, you need to find zero and phase with a phase indicator!
About phases, zero and earth
The safety regulations (PTB), electrical installations (PUE) and the Code of Practice (SP) for the production of electrical work for related industries (for example, construction) unambiguously regulate the color of the insulation of only ground wires - yellow with a green stripe; colors for phase conductors A, B, C and neutral are only recommended. The reason is that in countries where the only acceptable power supply system is an isolated neutral (Germany, Japan, etc.), it is customary to designate phase A in white or light gray. without a hitch" is not always possible.
The chandelier is heavy...
For ceiling lights weighing from 15 kg, fastening on the 1st rod or cord is no longer considered reliable enough. These need to be hung on a chain or rope cradle of 3-4 branches. 1 branch should support the full weight of the luminaire with 3 times the margin.
The cradle is fixed to the ceiling using a triangular or square carrier plate made of steel with a thickness of 5 mm or more, pos. 7 in fig. The number of attachment points is 4 or 5, respectively. An attachment point in the center is mandatory: without it, if one of the corner fixtures is excessively loosened, the mechanical load will “slam” onto the next weakest one, the suspension will break out like a domino and the chandelier will “all of a sudden” collapse.
Corner attachment points should be located on a conditional circle (red dotted line) with a diameter in centimeters of at least 0.85 of the weight of the chandelier in kilograms. In any case, the smallest distance between the centers of the holes in the concrete ceiling must be from 9 of their diameters, as with a 2-point suspension on a plank, see above. Eyelets or hooks under the branches of the cradle are welded to the carrier plate. Homemade eyelets can be made from 6mm wire rod.
… and ultralight
Fans make a lot of lamps from disposable plastic tableware, PET bottles and paper. Their weight is negligible, therefore, firstly, it is permissible to mount the cartridge in the lampshade / ceiling lamp from the same kebab sticks, see fig. In this case, the cartridge is taken E17 or E10 with lugs, see fig. left. The "ears" of the cartridge with the help of a sewing needle are simply tied to the crosshairs of the sticks with threads, thin copper wire or fishing line.
Secondly, the suspension of an ultralight lamp can also be made cradle, but from a fishing line. Its branches are inserted into the ceiling cap along with the cable, as for a chandelier on a cord. Such a suspension is almost invisible. If the cable (we recall that it should not be stretched, pinched or pressed anywhere) is twisted or twisted into a spiral, then an ignorant guest may at first be dumbfounded: levitation? telekinesis? superconductor and magnets?
Floor lamp
A floor lamp based on the same design and technological principles is, in general, an inverted chandelier on a rigid rod with some differences, pos. 3 in fig. above with fixture designs. First: the bar (which is already a stand) is made of a steel pipe with an inner diameter of 10 mm and a wall thickness of 1.5 mm. Ring - galvanized from 0.7 mm. Second: all joints of steel parts are soldered.
Further, in the lower support of the floor lamp, a sufficiently heavy and extensive structure should be provided for attaching the bottom of the rack. Under the floor lamp of the usual type, a cross will go from about 450x450 mm from an oak beam 100x100 mm. A blind hole with a depth of 75-80 mm is drilled in the center of it along the outer diameter of the rack, and it is glued into the socket with mounting glue. Also glue the rack into the shelf of the floor lamp. It will be useful, both in design and strength, to apply a polished washer with a diameter of 60 mm and a thickness of 2 mm (steel) or 4 mm (aluminum) on the glue. The described design allows the amateur to do without custom-turned parts in the manufacture of a floor lamp.
Desk lamp
A working table lamp based on our principles of construction is even simpler than a floor lamp, pos. 4: a fairly massive and durable base (wood, plastic) with a stepped through hole along the axis. A lampshade ring is laid on the step and fastened with self-tapping screws. Then at the same time it will press the whiskers of the lampshade extensions and it will not hang out.
Note: for the base of a table lamp from ceramic or glassware, you need to make a pommel-knob with a stepped hole mounted on its neck. The most suitable material for this is plastic.
For outdoor lighting
Let's leave outdoor lamps for 220 V purchased: it is impossible to make a "forever" sealed cable gland for mains voltage and also a sealed case with glass at home. We will work with voltages up to 12 V, then the cable entry is quite simple, see fig. And if the light source is powered from a current stabilizer, then no short circuit will be scary.
However, things may not come to electricity: for temporary lighting in the garden or at a picnic and in the 21st century, an ordinary candle is often more convenient and cheaper, it is also more romantic. And you can make a candle lantern with your own hands from a coffee can in just a few minutes, see the video:
Video: do-it-yourself candle lantern from a coffee can
Such a lamp is suitable for a light bulb; then there is no need for ventilation holes and the carrying handle can be fixed on the lid, which is more reliable.
A permanent outdoor lamp should already be electric. The main problem with this is reliable sealing. Here again, glassware with a screw-on lid comes to the rescue: an outdoor lamp works well from a can. In this case, since a more powerful light source is required, it is better to take a vessel from under conservation. The cable entry pipe is made by breaking through the cover with a round pointed rod. For complete tightness, aquarium silicone is applied once and for all to the rim of the lid from the inside before screwing.
The lamp "once and for all" involves the use of very reliable and durable light sources. Requirements for its quality and spectrum fade into the background, because. non-living or working premises are illuminated. Taking into account these conditions, it is better to make an outdoor lamp on the porch or, say, at the entrance to the garage from an LED strip: it will give quite bright lighting with a negligible consumption of electricity. An example of the manufacture of such a lamp, see:
Video: do-it-yourself garden lamp in 15 minutes
In the garden and in general on the site, high brightness of lighting is no longer needed, here, in general, if only not to get off the path and see the door to the bathhouse, cellar, barn or bathroom. On the other hand, it is very, very desirable to have a garden lamp autonomous: here the point is not the cost of electricity, but the cable, and who would like to make trenches in a well-groomed area?
Garden lights powered by solar panels (SB) and a buffer battery (battery) are commercially available, but they are either expensive or short-lived. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to do it on our own, especially since it is quite possible:
- 4 white LEDs with a current of 20 mA each in a milky glass or frosted plastic bottle cover will more or less acceptable for garden needs illuminate a circle with a diameter of 4-5 m. With a current of 10 mA each, in the light spot you can still see where the stone is, and where is the pit. Total average 60 mA.
- The battery, taking into account the weak recharging in winter and the decrease in capacity in the cold, should give the maximum current of the illuminators for at least 30 hours. Finger batteries for 2500-3500 mAh, frost-resistant up to -20, are on sale. We take the minimum allowable battery capacity of 2500 mAh.
- Voltage drop across the luminous diode approx. 2 V. In order to stabilize the total current consumption and the battery discharge mode, on which its resource significantly depends, we give twice as much to the quenching resistors, for a total battery voltage we get 6 V.
- The SB, taking into account the energy efficiency of the Ni-Cd battery of 74%, should give a current of approx. 75 mA. Based on the winter in the middle latitudes, we take a rated current of 100 mA.
- Also, taking into account the efficiency of the battery in terms of energy and voltage losses during charging, we take the SB voltage of 9 V.
- In order for the battery resource not to fall from overcharging, the recharge current through it should not be more than 5% of the hourly discharge current. With a battery capacity of 2500 mAh and a short circuit current of 100 mA, this condition is met, even more so with a 3500 mAh battery. That is, instead of an expensive and complex charge controller, you can simply put a silicon rectifier diode.
A diagram of an autonomous garden lamp, built taking into account the described conditions, is shown in the figure:
Despite its simplicity, the battery in it is never brought to degradation of the active medium due to overcharging, and only in exceptional cases can it reach a deep discharge; therefore, its resource remains normal when operating in harsh temperature conditions. "Zest" here - SB. Their internal resistance is large and non-linear, according to a power law, grows with increasing load current, as a result of which the short-circuit current of the SB is only slightly greater than the nominal one. From this point of view, it is more profitable to use less expensive polysilicon SBs in this circuit.
The CU control device closes the switch S when the SB voltage drops to the "twilight" level. VD1 will close by then and the battery will stop charging. It is connected to the battery only for power supply. Switch - diode or transistor optocoupler or electromagnetic relay; in this case, the reed switch is better, because a conventional one with a low voltage coil will take more current than all LEDs. In this case, it is impossible to use a thyristor optocoupler as an S: in order for the opened thyristor to close, the current through it must drop to a very small value, almost to zero. Since the current is constant here, the thyristor, once opened, will not “quiet” until the battery is completely planted.
About aquarium lighting
For lighting aquariums, special linear fluorescent lamps are used. Not the same as flower shelf lamps: the spectrum of aquarium lamps is adapted to the optical properties of water and the vital needs of aquatic plants. Both lamps are unsuitable for general lighting of premises: the light that favors photosynthesis is by no means always useful for human vision.