DIY lamp (58 photos): options for tabletop, pendant and wall lighting. DIY chandelier from scrap materials: detailed master classes DIY antique lamp

The lighting system is an integral attribute of the design of any room. This can be explained by the fact that chandeliers and lamps have an amazing ability to change the environment. Of course, the easiest way is to purchase lamps in a store. But it’s much more pleasant to make them yourself.

Materials that can be used to create chandeliers

What can a chandelier be made from? The answer to this question is: “Yes, from anything.” You can make a pendant lamp from:

  • paper;
  • thread;
  • CDs;
  • plastic bottles"
  • cardboard;
  • natural materials;
  • kebab sticks, etc.

Your imagination will help you choose the material. She will also help you choose the right model. To create a chandelier, you can use techniques such as origami, carving, and embossing. In addition, it is appropriate to use knitting and weaving techniques.


Lamp made from kebab sticks

Let's look at step-by-step instructions on how to make an original chandelier using ordinary kebab sticks.

You will need:

  • kebab sticks;
  • organza ribbons;
  • glue.

It is quite easy to make such a design:

We lay out the sticks so that they form a square and connect them with glue. The height of the chandelier depends on your preferences. But remember that you need to take into account the total amount of material available and the height of the ceiling.

We seal the top of the lamp with cut sticks. They can be laid parallel to each other or crosswise. Don't forget to leave a hole of the appropriate diameter for the cartridge in the central part.

After the glue has dried, we begin to decorate the chandelier. For this purpose, we tie colored organza ribbons at the protruding ends of the sticks. The more of them there are, the more beautiful the lamp will turn out.


We hang the resulting structure on a hook in the ceiling. This can be done using the same ribbons. Next, we fix the cartridge in it. The chandelier is ready!

Bottle chandelier

One of original ideas homemade chandeliers is a bottle chandelier. You will need:

  • frame of an old chandelier;
  • plastic bottles (the color palette can be very different);
  • thick steel wire.

Creation instructions:

Cut the bottles. Cut flowers, animals or geometric shapes. Which one to choose depends on your desire.

Attach the cut pieces to the frame of the old ceiling lamp and attach the steel wire. You need to make a “hedgehog” out of it.


To do this, you need to take several wire rods and connect them in the middle using a small piece of wire. Next, you need to cut off the top rod, thereby creating a place for the light bulb.

The last stage is connecting the chandelier to the ceiling. It's not that difficult to do it yourself. This lamp would be appropriate in the hallway or kitchen.

Wooden chandelier

To make a beautiful LED chandelier from wood with your own hands, you need to prepare the following things:

  • Wooden planks – 12 pcs. Door frames will fit. It is optimal if they have a length of 0.3 - 0.45 m.
  • Glass jars with a volume of 1 l – 6 pcs. They will be used as lampshades.
  • Wood paint.
  • Self-tapping screws.
  • A machine for seaming homemade canned goods.
  • White paint.
  • Sandpaper.

Creating a wooden chandelier will require the following steps:

  • You need to sand the planks using sandpaper.
  • Make groove holes for the wire.
  • Drill holes for mounting lampshades. To do this, take three planks and make a hole on each side.
  • Cover the workpieces with paint that imitates natural wood.
  • Assemble the planks using self-tapping screws into a single hexagonal structure.
  • Make holes for the cartridge in the central part of the screw caps. Install sockets with LED bulbs.
  • Roll up the cans.
  • Paint the lids with tone paint, and the jars with light shades of paint. All that remains is to fix the structure to the ceiling.

Cardboard product

A chandelier made of ordinary cardboard can become a very unusual interior decoration. Here is a small master class:

  • Using a stencil, cut out two identical pieces. Don't forget to make slots to secure them in the center. Connect the cut out parts.
  • If necessary, paint the resulting structure.
  • To give greater strength, sew all joints with strong thread or wire.
  • Attaching to the ceiling occurs on a chain. The wire runs through them. It is optimal if they are painted to match the lighting fixture.

You can use a variety of things as decoration - glitter varnish, beads, sequins, lace, rhinestones, artificial flower arrangements, beads.

A plastic chandelier is made in the same way. This product will be more durable. But scissors will not be used to make it the best option. It is preferable to use a jigsaw instead.

Today, the popularity of hand-made interior parts is only growing. A handmade chandelier is a reflection of your personality. It will give the whole atmosphere originality and uniqueness.


On the Internet you can easily find not only many different variations of homemade lamps, but also detailed instructions for repairing hand-made chandeliers.

DIY photo of chandeliers

The coziness and comfort in the room depends on the lighting. Do homely atmosphere You can get the full warmth by making a lamp with your own hands. Ideas that will help you with your own hands and minimum costs to make an exclusive and fashionable lampshade, you can learn from this article.

Pendant lamp in the interior

Preparation

What you need to know before making a lamp:

  1. It is recommended to use LED or energy-saving light bulbs when creating your own designer lamp. Standard incandescent bulbs get too hot and can damage the structure.
  2. If you are disassembling a finished lamp, you need to be extremely careful with the wires, and after finishing, make sure they are intact.
  3. There are light bulbs in several color temperatures. When creating a pendant lamp for your home, you should opt for a “warm” shade.

A clear example for distinguishing color temperature: the higher the number on the box, the higher its temperature, and the cooler the shade of light it has.

Light bulb color temperatures

Frame selection

Before you make a lamp, you need to prepare the base. Most often it consists of a pair of rings to which a cardboard or plastic backing is attached to give it shape.

The following ideas will help resolve the issue of finding the basis for a future lampshade:

  • You can make this type of frame yourself with only wire and pliers on hand.
  • Frames are sold in construction stores or craft stores.
  • It’s not uncommon to find old lamps at flea markets where you can get the frame.
  • Instead of a frame structure, the lamp socket can hold the neck of a 5-liter plastic bottle. Therefore, there is a solution in the figure below.

DIY lampshade

Lamp ideas

There is nothing complicated about decorating a pendant or table lamp yourself. But it’s better to draw a sketch on paper before starting work. The process will be simple and quick, and you can make changes along the way.

"Live" lamp

This designer lampshade is called “Photosynthesis”. It was designed and brought into reality by an author from Tel Aviv. The frame here is represented by a metal mesh, at the base of which a houseplant is placed. As it grows, the flower fills the entire interior space of the lamp and makes the design of the room summery and fresh. There is no need to use a special light bulb here; a regular LED light bulb will do for plants. Creating such a pendant lamp is not too troublesome. You can add variety to its decor, taking into account what accessories and tools will be available.

Hanging living lamp

When making such a lamp with your own hands, you cannot use an overly heavy pot with a plant. Particular attention should be paid to insulating the wiring and running it along the supporting wire.

Making a lamp with your own hands from fabric is an excellent solution, because large selection colors and textures allows you to realize many creative ideas and create decorative lampshades for a room with any interior. First of all, you need to prepare the necessary materials:

  • textile;
  • tape or self-adhesive film;
  • ruler or centimeter;
  • scissors;
  • simple pencil;
  • metal rings for the frame;
  • binders;
  • brush;
  • glue;
  • strip of paper.

Sequence of actions:

  • Before you make a lamp, you need to determine its shape. A cylindrical base is ideal for a fabric product.

When deciding on the height and width, you should make sure that the base is not too close to the light bulb.

  • You need to cut out a rectangle from the adhesive film and a piece of fabric, the edges of which are 5 cm larger. Attach the fabric to the table with the film, front side down.
  • Find the most on the fabric beautiful pattern, which should be on the lamp and use a ruler to draw the corners and dotted line.
  • Align the fabric and stick the film on it.
  • Using binder clips, secure the lampshade to the surface of the frame from the bottom and top.
  • Use a pencil to mark the edges and the side that will be on top. Glue the parts of the lampshade to each other and let them dry.
  • Turn the structure over, apply glue to the edge and insert a wire ring. Secure with binders and let dry. Repeat the procedure at the other end.
  • Glue a strip of paper from the edges. After it dries, glue a fabric strip on top. Do the same on the seam on the side of the lamp.

DIY fabric lampshade

If you make small triangular cuts in the paper while gluing it, it will bend better.

There are other ideas on how to make a lamp with your own hands. Using various materials and accessories, you can create equally impressive decorative lampshades from threads, paper and other available materials.

Photo collage

To make such a designer lampshade-photo frame, you will need:

  • frame, as in the previous example, or a ready-made lamp with a clean white lampshade;
  • several sheets of tracing paper;
  • scissors;
  • PVA glue;
  • simple pencil;
  • printer (recommended to use inkjet).

Choosing your favorites and beautiful photos, using photo editors you need to make a collage. You can collage images by cutting them out of paper. This method leaves a lot of space for creative ideas: any decor can be applied to the lamp, not just a photo: a child’s drawing, a motivating aphorism or a map of your favorite area.

DIY photo collage table lamp

Before you make a lamp from photographs, you should make sure that the paint is dry. You should absolutely not bend paper sheets of tracing paper, because the bend will always be noticeable.

Sun made of ropes

Creating such a designer pendant lamp is much easier than it seems. Required tools:

  • threads;
  • glue (for wallpaper or PVA);
  • petrolatum;
  • balloon.

Initially already inflated balloon lubricate with Vaseline. This is necessary so that threads do not stick to it. The threads are soaked in glue and wrapped around the ball. After the product dries, it is blown off and put away. The making of the rope sun is completed.

What needs to be done to make the decor of the lamp as successful as possible: firstly, you should first get your hands on it and make a couple of small lamps for testing. Secondly, before winding the threads on the ball, you need to mark the place where there should be no threads. Through this hole the ball will be removed and the light bulb will be inserted.

Making a lamp

Decorating the lamp is half the battle. The main thing is quality work done without sad consequences. Therefore, it is imperative to take into account the following factors:

  1. If a lamp hanging from the ceiling is connected, the junction of the wires and the product itself must be covered with a protective cap.
  2. If the light bulb gets very hot during operation, the designer lampshade surrounding it should not be too close. This is why it is worth using small incandescent light bulbs.
  3. If the product is heavy, it is strictly forbidden to hang it on wires. For this purpose, special rods, cables or brackets are provided for mounting on walls or ceilings.
  4. To illuminate a room with high humidity: a bathroom, sauna or bathhouse, it is better not to implement your ideas for making a lamp with your own hands, but to buy and install a special product that contains protection from moisture.
  5. During installation of the lamp, the wiring must be insulated to eliminate the possibility of injury to the master and his loved ones.

With my own hands. Video

This video will tell you how to create an LED lamp with your own hands from scrap materials.

Decor made from paper, photographs, threads, fabric and any other means has its own advantages over finished products purchased in a store. With a minimum of cost and time, decorative lamps not only decorate the home, but also emphasize the originality of its owner. Personalized modeling of lighting fixtures is an opportunity to realize your creativity, decorate the interior and bring relatives together to work together.

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 created. Designer rooms are usually decorated unusual lamps. These can be products with slots, many individual fragments, in the form of a large ball or cube. The same lamps can be made with your own hands, from any material. This is done not only by craftsmen who sell their products, but also by ordinary owners of apartments and houses. Homemade chandeliers can be similar to store-bought ones or made in an unusual way: from trowels, tin cans etc. The form depends on the characteristics of the material and the imagination of the performer.

What can be used as materials

You will need:

  • fat cream;
  • PVA glue;
  • cotton buckle;
  • dye;
  • balloon.

There are several interesting options. From regular threads You will get a beautiful glowing ball. First you need to inflate the balloon and lubricate it with cream. It is placed in a container with water and PVA diluted in it. Then it is wrapped with threads. The structure is left to dry for 24 hours - all that remains is to place the product on the lampshade. The second method is to use straws. The sheets are twisted diagonally, the protruding ends are glued. You will need two hundred tubes: they are glued together into a round or triangular shape. 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: the bottom and neck are cut off. 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 wooden lamps

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, products made from it can compete with others in terms of workmanship and aesthetics. The process of making them will not be the easiest. You will need to carry out complex calculations, work with a large number of tools, and remove a lot of garbage. Lighting fixtures are made from saw cuts, branches, veneer, wooden slats, wooden boxes and frames, wheels, logs, beams, etc. A lamp made of wood is perfect solution for an antique-style interior. It can be made from a piece of trunk or from processed 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, grinding machine, hacksaw, LED strip (2 m), brushes, wood varnish, glue, matte plastic pipe. First, the trunk is cut into slices of equal thickness - about 2 cm. Then a template is made in the center of one of the cuts. It and all other sections are drilled according to the markings. Measurements must be taken carefully; due to poorly marked fragments, the entire process will have to be started again. After this they need to be sanded. The next stage is strengthening with glue and laying on pads to dry. After this, the log houses are varnished. At the same time, you can prepare a matte tube - a rod for the structure. Its surface is processed to maximum effect dullness. The cuts are put on the tube and after that there is only one more step left to do. The last thing to do is install the tape. It needs to be folded in your hands and placed in this form in the tube.

Add to list necessary materials and tools include: screws, drill, chipboard, brush, acrylic varnish, electrical block, 4 cartridges and 7 two-meter slats. You need to cut out blanks from chipboard, and paste over their edges with edging. The slats are assembled into a single structure in the form of a cross with a diamond shape in the center. A base is cut from a 5 mm sheet of plywood. In places where the slats create intersections, pieces of bamboo sticks or dowels are installed. It is necessary to drill 8 holes in the base: 4 are for the ceiling, and the same number for the main part of the lamp. From a 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 cross-shaped structure is screwed with confirmations.

It can be made from twelve strips. For the inner part, take a smaller one - 60 cm, for the outer part - 70 cm. The strips are made from sheets: they are cut along the fibers with a steel ruler and a knife. On a large sheet of paper you need to draw a circle with a diameter of 350 mm. It is divided into sectors of 30°. On the left and right sides 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 disk with a small hole is prepared to place the strips. They are glued clockwise in the shape of snowflakes, first three short ones, then three long ones. After the glue has dried, you will need to make a hole about 1 cm wide in the structure of the strips. A wire is inserted 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, knee socks, damaged dresses, etc. Products are decorated with bows, pockets, threads with beads. In almost all cases, the fabric must be placed on some kind of frame. You can also make it yourself. It is better to choose metal, sometimes wood, as a material. The basis for a homemade fabric chandelier can be factory lamps, both new and old. The fabric of a regular old lampshade can be removed and replaced with a modern one with stylish patterns. To create and decorate 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 from hardened threads look interesting. In addition to them, twine or ropes are also used. They go well with different fabrics and papers.

Master class: spherical lamp made of threads

To create this product you will need:

  1. The base is from a table lamp.
  2. Glue.
  3. Thick threads (up to 4 balls).
  4. Balloons.

First, the balloons are inflated. It's better to have several, 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 stand with a light bulb will be inserted through a hole of this size. The ball is placed on oilcloth. An adhesive solution is being prepared. You need to wear rubber gloves on your hands to dip the threads into it. When they are saturated with the solution, they are taken out; then the glue clumps are removed. The end of the thread is tied to the knot of the inflatable ball. After this, it is wrapped around the entire ball; this must be done evenly over the entire surface, but chaotically. It is advisable to use several threads of different colors. The ball is then suspended until the structure dries. Then they burst it and cut off the knot. The ball is removed through big hole, into which you will then need to insert a socket with a light bulb.

DIY fabric lampshade

You will need thick paper, glue, fabric, threads to match the color of the fabric, pins, ruler, pencil, 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 after the desired fragment is selected. Then the material is secured to the template with pins (its edges need to be folded). After this you need to use a sewing machine. The treated fabric is ironed. After this, it is glued to the base. Unprocessed sections are hidden. The seam is made so that the base is covered by the stitched edge.

Plastic chandeliers and lamps

Plastic has become one of the most popular materials in modern interiors. This also applies to lamps - a wide variety of models are sold. You can make a chandelier with your own hands, which will be in no way inferior to finished products. The lampshade of a lighting fixture can be constructed from anything. These can be disposable cups, various sticks, painted plastic bottles. They are sometimes decorated with decorative devices: figurines, luminous details. As auxiliary material You can use various metal frames. The easiest way to make a table lamp. You can use cut-out parts and shapes with holes. Instead of throwing away unnecessary plastic items (used disposable tableware, etc.), it is better to try making a small lamp out of them that can decorate the room.

Master class: making a lampshade from plastic spoons

Need to find large number identical plastic spoons, up to 200 pieces. It will be more difficult to construct a product from entire devices, but if you cut them, everything will work out quite quickly and simply. The handles of the spoons need to be cut off and removed, leaving only the scoop. Next, you can use the finished lampshade to cover the elements or cut it out of the eggplant. They make it out of it bottom part 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 design. The upper surfaces of the cups will create a shell-like pattern, and the lower surfaces will create a “scaly” surface. If you choose the second option, then you need to glue jumpers to the eggplant. First, the top part is finished, laying out rows of spoons one after another. When the process reaches the open part, you need to calculate everything so that the last row hides the cut edge of the eggplant.

The following can be used as fastening:

  • 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. Leaves need to be cut out of bottles different sizes and forms. Fragments in the form of birch leaves and other leaves with a more or less compact shape are ideal. This will result in a larger number of elements. It is better to process sections simulating plates 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 appearance. Since the bottles are cylindrical in shape, the blanks will have a 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 through the figure eight. As many sheets as possible are put on each one. Then the flexible wires are securely twisted into a frame made of steel wires.

You need to 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 needed: rubber feet, silicone sticks, fluorescent lamp, fiberboard circle, CDs. You will need tools such as a triangle ruler, pencil, compass, glue gun, screwdriver, pliers, pliers, drill. In a round form made of fiberboard, a hole is made in the very center, and twelve sectors are drawn on it. On the lines that separate them, drill one at a time small hole. Steel wires will be stretched through them, each of which will house a stack of disks. The design will be quite heavy, so metal wires are needed. A wire with a socket is inserted into the hole in the fiberboard circle, and a light bulb is inserted into it. From the disks you can also make a polyhedron lamp, a lampshade in the form of a ball, petals, or a ring lamp.

Ways to create lamps from paper

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 round shapes. Paper lamps performed in the form of plants, animals, abstractions. Some people like to make patterns and cutouts. In some Eastern countries, chandeliers made of rice paper are widely used. To make a lamp, you can use the origami technique. Paper lamps are created in two main ways, namely by using one or more large sheets or by gluing together a large number of paper elements. Over the past ten years, table and floor lamps have gained popularity. You can make lamps, carved pumpkins and houses from paper. This material is also suitable for creating a traditional lampshade:

  • conical;
  • cylindrical;
  • elliptical.

Made from rice or parchment paper

Rice paper is useful for creating a Chinese lantern. Additionally, you will need thread, an awl, a stationery knife, a ruler and a pencil. First you need to make markings on paper. The flashlight design consists of many diamond-shaped sectors. Half of them are filled with vertical intermittent markings. After this, the sheet is folded into an accordion. He curls up into a circle. Painted lids can be glued to the top and bottom. To make a parchment paper lampshade, you will need a marking board, a compass knife, two sheets of parchment paper, two rolls of wax paper (similar to parchment paper), scissors, silk ribbon, and a hanging frame. Strips of satin ribbon 18-20 cm long and 40 cm long are attached to the frame structure. The final stage consists of pasting circles of parchment and wax paper onto ribbons. They need to be attached with an overlap.

Origami chandelier made from paper bags

To make such a lamp with your own hands, you will need a wire with a switch, led lamp, two paper bags with a pattern. First you need to learn how to make simple origami. The next thing to do is cut off the bottom of the bags and remove the handles. They are glued together into one large paper bag. It is folded in half. Both parts are “turned” into accordions. You need 16 identical stripes. The outer 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 room for regulation. The second one will be open. The LED light bulb is connected to the socket, the top of the lampshade opens and closes back. This kind of lighting is necessary; incandescent lamps cannot be used. The wire is fixed on a high branch decorative tree- the product is ready.

Products made from corrugated paper look very original, which is why the material has become so popular. You will need an LED lamp, cable, thread, glue, knitting needle, ruler, piece of corrugated paper 44x88 cm. First of all, you need to take a ruler and pen and mark the paper on a line with the same width. Using the drawn lines as a guide, you need to make an accordion out of a flat sheet of paper. Using a knitting needle, it is folded diagonally at one end, then returns to its original position and folds on the other side. The paper needs to be unfolded again - the diamond shapes should stand out on it. The entire sheet now consists of double shapes. The first and subsequent folds must be made corresponding to the width of the stripes, otherwise the appearance of the paper will deteriorate. The workpiece is twisted into a spherical shape, and its upper part is fastened with thread.

Butterfly chandelier

There are two ways to create such a lamp:

  1. One big butterfly.
  2. A “swarm” of small moths of different sizes.

For children preschool age I'd rather like the lampshade in the form of many hanging figures. Individual parts of the lamp can be lowered up to one and a half meters from the ceiling. An old lampshade or its frame is used as the basis. If there are no such blanks, then you can use a rim made of metal or wood or thick wire twisted into a circle. You need to prepare sheets with butterfly templates to select butterflies of the required sizes and shapes. It is recommended to make moths of at least five different sizes. Then the structure will be visually larger. Butterflies are cut out with small scissors or a stationery knife. It is advisable that the paper be thick. The cut out figures are painted with different colors and decorated with sparkles, but on some templates the butterflies may already be colored. To finish the product, the butterflies are fixed on fishing lines and attached to the base.

The finished Chinese lamp can be used as a basis for other products. They are cheap. You will need a perfectly round model. The first option: cut circles of different colors from fabric and glue them overlapping. From a Chinese ball you can make something like a round plate-shaped cone. Second method: circles are cut out of square-shaped sheets of paper. They are connected in the center, the edges are raised until it turns out perfect flower. 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 ramekins. Some people 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 loft style

Non-functional water pipes with taps can be mounted 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 finishing element in the loft style. Lamps in the steampunk style are created from large and small pipes. This complex designs, without special training it will not be possible to make them. However, it is possible to design a small robot with a “head” shaped like a light bulb. Beautiful ceiling chandeliers are made from pipes. In addition, there are various models of lamps from metal pipes. The material often used is brass. Chandeliers are created in the form of compositions from several tubes. Pipes, as a rule, are made in one piece, but lamps with various patterns and openings are also produced. 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 original chandelier you will need 20 pipes: 10 short (6 cm), 5 medium (12 cm) and the same number long (25 cm). Need to find a few long workpieces, mark them and cut them with a jigsaw. After this, you need to start sanding with sandpaper so that the edges of the tubes are perfectly smooth. Then the fragments are collected onto thick wire or twine. First, horizontal rows are created: the bottom of five short ones and the middle one of the same number of medium tubes. Then they are connected by five more short tubes. Upper part The design is made from five long fragments that need to be combined with the already prepared part. Long pipes do not come together completely; the cartridge must be secured in this place.

Lamps made from plumbing pipes

It is necessary to prepare such devices as an electrical cable, electrical tape, adhesive tape, various screwdrivers, two-core wire, cartridges, hinges, fittings that match the parameters of the pipes. One of the tubes should be larger - it will serve as an attachment to the ceiling. The assembly process is quite complex. You need to create a diagram on paper, and only then get down to business. At this stage, the design configuration is determined. The splitters must be connected correctly. All parts of the structure being prepared 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 this, all the pipes are assembled together. Light bulbs are screwed onto them. The last stage 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 jars Can be hung by metal chains. Glassware is also suitable as a lampshade. A lamp made from many glass fragments can imitate a crystal chandelier. Broken glass objects find a new purpose in the form of an original lighting fixture. Glasses and wine glasses make beautiful table lamps. Various glass boxes, glass from old wall sconces, headlights, and interior doors may come in handy. A homemade glass chandelier can be painted with watercolor or stained glass paints. You will get beautiful stained glass windows. To create pendant lamps, craftsmen use a variety of decorative containers made from oils and perfumes. Unlike wood and paper, glass has high fire safety.

Add to list necessary equipment includes wire cutters, screwdrivers, screws, glass cutter, silicone, rag or brush, stain, pine boards, hooks, chain, ten light bulbs, wiring, wine bottles. The first step is to process the containers. Labels and remaining glue are removed from the bottles. Using 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. The cracks must be tapped with a hammer until the bottom falls off. After this, the electrical wires are placed in bottles and connected to the cartridges. Light bulbs are screwed into them. Now you need to prepare the boards. In the lower, larger one, holes are drilled for necks and wires. The top one will collect them in one bun. 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, and handles for cans. Containers must be equipped with handles. They will need to be tied with threads attached to a pre-prepared iron frame. Electrical wires with sockets and light bulbs are lowered into the jars - the chandelier is ready. You can make an option for the garden - threads are tied around tree branches, and candles or small lanterns are placed inside the jars. Containers wrapped in multi-colored threads or decorated with patterned napkins look beautiful. The inside of the cans can be painted white, and while it is still wet, apply a drawing in the form of chaotic lines. Some people paint the outside of the container with different paints, and paint an image on top using glitter shadows. Banks can also be lined with small broken glass.

Chandelier / lamp in shabby chic style

Beautiful decorative items are created from beads and fabric, including lamps characteristic of this style. Decorating in the shabby chic style means that the room is designed to accommodate a girl or woman. You will need beads, beads, threads, chains, a socket with a lamp, a finished wooden or metal frame. The first step is to paint the base in one of the soft shades. After this you can wrap it decorative elements or cloth. The top of the lampshade is wrapped with smaller beads, but in larger quantities - up to 40 beads need to be strung on one thread, while on the lower threads - about 20. 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 pink fabric. All decorations are hung so that they flow down.

Conclusion

A chandelier is the single most important element at the top of a room and can create symmetry and other geometric accents. To hang a beautiful, stylish, designer lamp in your room, you don’t have to buy it in a store. Every home has enough items and tools to do everything yourself. In most cases, a blank, scissors, paper, glue, thread, frame, varnish and paints are enough. Sometimes you may need the help of a professional 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 provide high-quality lighting to the room. It should be designed wisely.

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 series - - the general requirements for quality, methods of generating a luminous flux, as well as how to choose a light source and - safety first - the rules for connecting a stationary lamp to the electrical network, were considered. From the previous article we learned how to make the main lighting parts of a lamp -. Now it's time to get to grips with the solid, reliable and beautiful structural foundation of it all.

About LEDs

LEDs as lighting sources are becoming increasingly popular: they are very economical, durable, and almost do not heat up, which provides ample opportunities for independent construction and design. In addition, low voltage power makes LED light sources safe. Therefore in this article A significant portion of the material is devoted to how to make an LED lamp yourself.

However, the quality of light from LEDs has not yet reached ideal: its spectrum is quite harsh. It can be softened using various lighting techniques, which was discussed in previous articles. But thanks low voltage supply a street or garden LED lamp can be made independently without special precautions, and can also be autonomous; then there is no need for extensive excavation work and cable laying on the site. In this section, we will focus more on LED lamps.

Some examples of what can be achieved by using lighting equipment with your own hands are shown in the photo. Anyone who knows how to use the Internet can create a similar collection “for ideas” or “for inspiration.” And here we will deal with things that are not so aesthetic: how to translate all this into material. Cheap, reliable and practical. Preferably at home, “on your knees.”

Materials, tools, equipment, technologies

To make a good lamp, you don’t need expensive and/or hard-to-find materials. Previous technologies are focused on incandescent lamps, which get very hot and consume a lot of current. Today's homemade products have economy lamps and LED lamps that emit little heat, which allows them to simplify the design.

To make 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 sheets 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. Processing wood for a complex lamp is a special case, and we will not ignore it.

Note: Good old glass should not be discounted either. Take a look, for example, at this master class: diy.ru/post/3916/. This is what you can achieve by working at home with such difficult material. There is just one small “but” - what the author of the product (a man, no doubt, very skillful and shrewd) calls cutting is actually edging. However, what to call it is a matter of literalists, but for the master it is enough for the thing to turn out good.

Quite simple, but tasteful

Examples of excellent lamps made from scrap materials, namely scraps of wood and paper, are the 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 base is most often a slatted frame covered with paper, pos. 1. For the frame of the one in pos. 2, thin bamboo sticks (you can split an old fishing rod into strips) or the ends of modern fiberglass fishing rods are better suited; sold in fishing stores. The joints are wrapped with thread and glued. After pasting, the paper (preferably rice paper) is lightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle. Once dry, it will stretch. After this, the paper is varnished for strength.

A Chinese lantern can be made entirely of wood: chopsticks or table skewers (wooden rods on which shish kebab and kebab are served to the table). Both are made from light wood that reflects light quite well. And its slightly rough surface effectively scatters light, which softens it.

From chopsticks, placing their widened heads alternately left and right, side light-transmitting panels are assembled, pos. 3. And from table skewers you can make 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 let's get back to the materials, we're not done with them yet. Excellent parts for chandeliers, table lamps and floor lamps (cups, caps, see below) are obtained from reusable plastic dishes– bowls, glasses, saucers: the edge 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 is “velvet” and polished with felt and 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 very original lamp(see picture) – 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 kneaded. To speed up and facilitate softening, you need to put 3-4 drops of vegetable oil on the block, and begin to knead it when it is absorbed.

Lampshades are made from soft plastic on a frame greased with Vaseline. Immediately, if necessary, fill in the texture with a brush, at the bottom right in Fig. To obtain an openwork lampshade, cut off the tip of the package and squeeze out the mass into a sausage. After about a day, the product will dry, then you can, without removing it from the mandrel, cut out figures, scallops, and frills. The product dries completely in 3-7 days.

Bar plastic is used to make lamp stands. After molding the workpiece, it is baked in the oven at 120-130 degrees. When a brownish crust forms on the product, turn off the gas to a minimum and “bake” for another 1-3 hours, depending on the size of the part. It should cool completely in the oven, which is not advisable to open. The baked workpiece can be cut, sawed, drilled, polished, and painted. In this way, lamp bodies are sometimes not just original, but also quite piquant (see figure), and even frivolous to the point of decency, or even beyond it.

Ceramics

Since we're talking about stands, let's try to make a lamp from a bottle. Ceramic drink vessels designed by in-house designers deserve best 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 filled 2/3 or 3/4 into the bottle. To solve the second, it seems that you need a tubular diamond drill, which is expensive, wears out quickly, and requires a high-speed drilling machine. And we can do without all this:

  • Let's select a copper tube of a suitable diameter.
  • We will securely fix the vessel that we are going to drill so that the drill enters normally (perpendicular) to its surface in this place.
  • Around the site of the future hole we will mold a roller 4-6 mm high from plasticine.
  • Let's rub a couple of pieces of fine sandpaper against each other over a tray to get about a teaspoon of corundum powder.
  • Pour it into the hole and add 3-5 drops of machine oil - you can drill.

For drilling, it is better to place a drill with a copper tube clamped in a chuck in a stand that turns it into a tabletop drilling machine. Such beds are sold in tool stores; the prices are divine, the benefits to the craftsman are invaluable. Moreover, you can buy a rotary table with a degree scale for the frame.

They drill into ceramics using copper and corundum using pushes: press a little - lift - press again - lift. The abrasive particles first eat into the copper and drill, but then immediately break off and crumble. Pulse drilling constantly renews the corundum “sputtering” on copper, and the oil prevents the powder from scattering and speeds up the work. The main thing is that the tube falls exactly into the already selected groove with each feed.

Electrical fittings

For a novice lighting technician, it is probably best to use sockets for lamps for a regular E27 base with fastening with union shaped nuts (threaded flanges); its designation begins with E27Н, and the drawing is shown in Fig. It will not be possible to attach such a cartridge, or a regular one with a skirt, with a threaded fitting in the lid: if you find an M10x1 or M12x1 die, then at home, using a hand crank, cutting a thread on a thin-walled tube without cutting through it or twisting it is very difficult, even with lubricant. For fastening with flanges you will have to make a fastening ring, as described in the article about lampshades, this is much simpler.

Note: if you are making a wall lamp in which the lamp is located along the base, then sockets with a side strip are usually used, see figure, but they are more expensive. In this case, you can also get by with a flange cartridge: bend an Ω-shaped clamp from the wire and attach it 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 ease of installation, but also according to safety requirements: suddenly the chandelier breaks, its thinner wires will break out of the terminal block, and the ceiling wiring will not be damaged, which will prevent an accident and ceiling-slotting repair work.

It is better to take the terminal block of the “comb” type, see figure:

These are compact, reliable, prevent accidental short circuits, and by cutting jumpers between sections, it is easy to get a connector for the required number of wires. It is allowed to insert 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 no more than 1 single-core, regardless of the cross-sectional area of ​​its current-carrying core.

About wooden lamps

Wood, on the one hand, is easy to process and looks solid when finished. On the other hand, to make an elegant wooden lamp, you will have to use some special technological techniques. Which we will consider.

Cable channels

The first problem that arises when making a wooden lamp is how to make cable channels in long parts. To do this, without special equipment, “on your knee,” you can use a wood drill with a narrowed 6-sided shank, see fig. A metal tube is tightly placed on it, crimped, and the opposite end is bent in a T-shape to form a hand crank; To make work easier and more accurate, it is better to take a double-band drill.

Through axial holes in long wooden parts are drilled in advance, before bending:

  1. At both ends of the workpiece, blind holes of the required 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;
  2. Drill with the described hand crank alternately from both ends, each time going through no more than 3-4 thicknesses of the part;
  3. Chips from the holes are carefully removed after each pass;
  4. After the connection, the jumpers pass through the hole twice, from one end and the other. This is necessary to remove the step inside, on which the cable could get caught when tightening.

How to bend wood?

Bent lamp wooden parts it is quite possible to do it yourself: seasoned fine-grained wood softens under heat without delaminating, and when it cools, it retains its given shape. The easiest to bend are bamboo, walnut and soft wood, eg. linden. More difficult is wood of medium hardness: maple, ash, hornbeam. For bending oak, beech, rowan, etc. hard rocks It’s better for a novice cabinetmaker not to try it. MDF also bends well.

They bend wood either steamed in boiling water or heated dry to more than 150 degrees. The first method is simpler, but is suitable, except for bamboo, for few species. The second is more difficult, but more accurate, because The wood does not swell and, accordingly, does not shrink when cooling.

To bend wood, you need a piece of steel pipe: with a welded end for steaming or with both ends open for dry bending. The steaming pipe is installed obliquely, the workpiece is placed in it, filled with water and boiled. The boiling water should be vigorous so that the workpiece is bathed in bubbles of steam. The process is continued for 10-120 minutes, depending on the thickness, species and condition of the tree. You can remove the workpiece for a few seconds to check its readiness, but you only need to add boiling water to replace the boiled water. Dry bending, blowing the workpiece in the pipe construction hairdryer. First, you need to check on a sample of wood what temperature it can withstand without charring or cracking.

How to tighten cables?

The cables are tightened into the tubular parts of the lamps using a guide rod - a “fishing rod” - made of copper wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm. The “fishing rod” must be completely level; Even a smoothly curved wire wound from a reel can become crumpled in a narrow channel. The wire of the “fishing rod” is straightened by pulling it through a rag held tightly in the fist. The best guides are made from enameled winding wire, which is smooth and slippery.

The “fishing rod” is inserted from the far end. Before doing this, its tip is bent tightly, see figure, so that it is rounded. The rod is pushed into the curved channels by slightly pushing and turning. When moving from channel to channel (see below), the running end is guided with thin long tweezers or a screwdriver.

When the end of the thrust appears opposite side, it is cleaned to 20-30 mm and serviced. The cable wires are stripped and tinned for the same amount, up to 3 per 1 “rod”. Then everything is rolled together and soldered. The twist is bent in the opposite direction to the tightening direction so that it does not snag. Tighten by alternately feeding the cable and tightening the guide. When tightening, the cable in the channel should not be tensioned all the time! If it gets caught, pull it back a little, turn it a little and pull again.

Note: into a straight metal tube with an internal diameter of 12 mm, you can tighten up to 4 2-wire cables in double insulation with a copper core cross-section of up to 0.5 square meters. mm. In a channel of the same diameter in a tree there is only 1 cable of the same type.

Starting from the ceiling

Hanging a lamp from a ceiling or wall is the most critical and vulnerable part. Hanging lamps at the 1st point is only allowed 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 anchor of the lamp must press on the material from above, i.e. the ceiling must work in compression, pos. c) – d).

A chandelier weighing up to 5 kg is suspended using a mounting strip, see fig. 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 suspended, then the suspension is lowered from the main ceiling to the decorative level using wooden or metal profile crosses or plywood slabs at the top there. How to make a suspension in some other cases, we will look further.

The main requirement for hanging is that the lamp should under no circumstances hang on wires. It should be held by either a rigid rod, or a strong cord/rope, or a cradle made of chains or the same cords. Under the top cap of the suspension, the power cable should lie in a loose loop and should not be pulled, crushed or pinched anywhere.

How to make a lamp?

Now he will try to combine the information received into a solid product, at the sight of which the guests will gasp as soulfully as the master expressed himself while working. We will be guided by the following principles:

  • We avoid complex and/or technological operations requiring special skills in every possible way.
  • We use adhesive or soldered joints only as auxiliary joints that hold the joined parts from moving. A product assembled without gluing or soldering must, in the absence of external influences remain intact in the normal position for an indefinitely long time.
  • For additional tools, we will try to make do with a hand-held electric drill and a small removable bench vise with a screw clamp for fastening 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, you will have to additionally drill 4 holes in the lampshade mounting ring (see article on lampshades); marked in green at pos. 1a. Cord knots must be knitted so that they do not slip or unravel, for example. any fishing hooks. Cord - any rot-resistant cross lay (for example, linen) with an untensioned diameter of 8 mm. Spiral cords and ropes are not designed for long-term tensile loads!

The most important part is the suspension hook (red gearbox). It must be bent from steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm; a hook made of 6 mm wire rod will support a weight of up to 35 kg. Of course, if you buy a ready-made hook for a chandelier, it won’t be any worse.

Suspension rods with the same weight are made of 4 mm wire; with a weight of up to 5 kg you can get by with a 1.5 mm one, and with a weight up to 12 kg - 2.5-3 mm. The ring is made of galvanized sheets 0.4 and 0.8 mm, respectively, or, for weights up to 35 kg, 1.4 mm.

Note: the technology for soldering steel at home is described in.

Secure the top cup from sliding into in this case better with a rubber ring, because the spring washer can crush the cable running underneath it. A good pallet is made from a computer disk. Depending on whether the lamp is in the lampshade or in the shade, it is turned downwards, respectively, with the painted or mirrored side. Radial cuts are made in the tray for the lampshade extensions.

The upper cup and cap are made of plastic dishes, see above. The cap lies freely on the pallet. Glue – any assembly glue.

Note: The lower nut securing the cartridge should fit into the hole in the pan, and not press it. Otherwise, there may be difficulties when repairing or cleaning the chandelier.

On the phone

In a chandelier suspended on a rigid tubular rod (item 2), firstly, it is not necessary to bend the suspension rods so that it is convenient to tie a knot at their crosshairs. Secondly, the number of pulls can be anything from 3. Accordingly, the ring can 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 0.5-0.7 mm narrower than the outer diameter of the tube and making an oblique cut on the side at 45 degrees to the axis of the washer, a round link in a plastic chain with the same cut, etc. p.

The eyelet for the hook in the suspension rod is obtained by flattening the tube and drilling a hole in the resulting lamella (petal). After this (and not before), a hole is drilled for laying the cable, otherwise dangerous mechanical stresses may remain in the material. A rod for a lamp weight of up to 15 kg can be made from the following types of pipes:

  1. Solid drawn steel – internal diameter from 6 mm, wall thickness from 0.5 mm. Finishing – painting or covering with heat-shrinkable tube (HERE) in the desired color.
  2. Steel with seam – internal. diameter from 8 mm, wall thickness from 0.7 mm. The finishing is the same.
  3. Copper gas in a plastic shell - internal. diameter from 8 mm, wall from 1 mm. No finishing is needed, and it will shine like copper for years. You cannot solder; under the adhesive joint you need to remove the plastic covering in that place.
  4. For air conditioning systems made of oxygen-free copper – internal. diameter from 10 mm, wall from 1 mm. Very easy to solder and glue. To preserve the copper shine, you need to coat the finished rod twice with transparent acrylic varnish on water based, diluted twice with distilled water.
  5. Simple red copper – internal. diameter from 12 mm, wall from 1.5 mm. It is soldered after stripping, you need to use flux paste with borax. It darkens over time and under the coating, so it is better to make retro-style lamps from such tubes.
  6. Plumbing propylene ones are very durable, but do not glue and, of course, cannot be soldered with solder. There is no use in finishing it, the design turns out horrifying in any case.

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, if their number is even, are connected in pairs with through threaded rods 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 have horns, incl. if there is an odd number of them, fasten them with pairs of small metal screws, but then you need to tighten the cables very carefully so as not to tear the insulation on the protruding inwards sharp ends hardware.

Note: complex/extended bends of tubes are formed in sections, gradually moving a 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 their connection with the bar with a cap lying on the lower cup (shown by the dotted line in position 5). In addition, then the laying of cables will be much simpler: a terminal block will be placed under the hood, in which the cables from the horns will converge, and only one 2-wire will go up in the rod.

Multi-arm chandeliers are most often made with switchable light. The diagram for connecting lamps to a 2-section switch is shown in pos. 6. Don’t forget - SB switches (switches) must be connected to the phase wire! And also, it is extremely important: if the house is equipped protective grounding, Never use a grounding wire as a neutral (zero, N) regardless of the power supply circuit (solidly grounded or isolated neutral)! The ground electrode is always in yellow insulation with a longitudinal stripe, and the neutral insulation in properly arranged wiring is black. But anyway, before we start electrical installation work you need to find zero and phase with a phase indicator!

About phases, zero and ground

Safety regulations (STB), electrical installation devices (EPI) and Codes of Rules (SP) for electrical installation work for related industries (for example, construction) clearly regulate the color of insulation of only grounding wires - yellow with a green stripe; The colors indicating phase wires A, B, C and neutral are only recommended. The reason is that in countries where the only acceptable power supply system is a power supply system with an insulated neutral (Germany, Japan, etc.), it is customary to designate phase A in white or light gray. Therefore, select suitable cables from the commercially available ones to make apartment wiring “without a knot, without a hitch" is not always possible.

The chandelier is heavy...

For ceiling lamps weighing 15 kg or more, fastening to the first 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 lamp with a 3-fold margin.

The cradle is attached to the ceiling using a triangular or square load-bearing steel plate 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 required: without it, if one of the corner fasteners becomes too loose, the mechanical load will “slam” onto the next weakest one, the pendant will break out like a domino and the chandelier will “all of a sudden” collapse.

The corner attachment points must be located on a conventional circle (red dotted line) with a diameter in centimeters of at least 0.85 of the chandelier’s weight in kilograms. In any case, the smallest distance between the centers of the holes in the concrete ceiling should be 9 times their diameter, as with a 2-point suspension on a plank, see above. Eyelets or hooks under the cradle branches are welded to the supporting plate. Homemade lugs can be made from 6mm wire rod.

... and ultra-light

Hobbyists 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 socket in the lampshade/shade using the same kebab sticks, see fig. In this case, take the cartridge E17 or E10 with lugs, see fig. left. Using a sewing needle, the “ears” of the cartridge are simply tied to the crosshairs of the sticks with thin thread copper wire or fishing line.

Secondly, the suspension of a super-light lamp can also be made into a cradle, but from 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 (remember, it should not be stretched, pinched or crushed anywhere) is twisted or twisted in 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 basically an inverted chandelier on a rigid rod with some differences, pos. 3 in Fig. above with lamp designs. First: the rod (which is already a stand) is made of a steel pipe with an internal 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, the lower support of the floor lamp must provide a sufficiently heavy and extensive structure for attaching the bottom of the stand. A crosspiece of approximately 450x450 mm made of oak timber 100x100 mm will fit under a standard type floor lamp. A blind hole with a depth of 75-80 mm is drilled in the center along the outer diameter of the rack, and it is glued into the socket with mounting glue. They also glue the stand into the shelf of the floor lamp. It will be useful, both in terms of 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) onto the adhesive. The described design allows an amateur to do without custom-turned parts when making a floor lamp.

Desk lamp

A working table lamp based on our construction principles is even simpler than a floor lamp, pos. 4: quite massive and solid foundation(wood, plastic) with a stepped through hole along the axis. The lampshade ring is placed on the step and secured with self-tapping screws. Then it will at the same time press the tendrils of the lampshade and it will not dangle.

Note: For the base of a table lamp from ceramic or glassware, you need to make a knob top with a stepped hole that fits onto its neck. The most suitable material for this is plastic.

For outdoor lighting

External 220 V lamps will be left 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 will be quite simple, see fig. And if the light source is powered from a current stabilizer, then no short circuit will be scary.

However, it may not come down to electricity: for temporary lighting in the garden or at a picnic, even in the 21st century, an ordinary candle is often more convenient and cheaper, and 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 video:

Video: DIY candle lantern from a coffee can

This lamp is also suitable for a light bulb; then there is no need for ventilation holes and the carrying handle can be attached to the lid, which is more reliable.

A permanent outdoor lamp must already be electric. The main problem in this case is reliable sealing. Here again, glassware with a screw-on lid comes to the rescue: a jar makes a good outdoor lighting fixture. In this case, because a more powerful light source is required, it is better to take a container from conservation. The cable entry pipe is made by piercing the cover with a round pointed rod. To ensure a complete seal, aquarium silicone is applied to the inside of the lid rim once and for all before screwing it on.

A “once and for all” lamp involves the use of very reliable and durable light sources. Requirements for its quality and spectrum fade into the background, because It is not the living or working space that is illuminated. Taking these conditions into account, 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 provide sufficiently bright lighting with a negligible electricity consumption. For an example of making such a lamp, see:

Video: DIY garden lantern in 15 minutes


In the garden and in general on the site, high brightness of lighting is no longer needed, here, in general, just so as not to leave the path and see the door to the bathhouse, cellar, barn or bathroom. But it is very, very desirable to have a garden lamp that is autonomous: the issue here is not the cost of electricity, but of the cable, and who would like to ruin a well-groomed area with trenches?

Garden lamps powered by solar panels (SB) and a backup battery (Battery) are on sale, but they are either expensive or short-lived. Let’s try to figure out whether it’s possible to do this on our own, especially since it’s quite possible:

  • 4 white LEDs with a current of 20 mA each in a lampshade made of milk glass or a frosted plastic bottle will illuminate a circle with a diameter of 4-5 m more or less acceptable for garden needs. With a current of each 10 mA in the light spot it will still be possible to see where the stone is, and where is the hole? Total average 60 mA.
  • The battery, taking into account weak recharging in winter and reduced capacity in the cold, should provide maximum current to the lights for at least 30 hours. AA batteries for 2500-3500 mAh, frost-resistant down to –20, available for sale. We take the minimum permissible battery capacity of 2500 mAh.
  • Voltage drop across the luminous diode is 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, so the total battery voltage is 6 V.
  • The SB, taking into account the energy efficiency of the Ni-Cd battery at 74%, should produce a current of approx. 75 mA. For winter in mid-latitudes, we take a rated current of 100 mA.
  • Also, taking into account the energy efficiency of the battery and voltage losses during charging, we take the battery voltage to 9 V.
  • To ensure that the battery life does not decrease due to overcharging, the recharging 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, and even more so with a battery capacity of 3500 mAh. That is, instead of an expensive and complex charge controller, you can simply install a silicon rectifier diode.

A diagram of an autonomous garden lamp, built taking into account the described conditions, is shown in Fig.:

Despite its simplicity, the battery in it is never brought to the point of degradation of the active medium due to overcharging and only in exceptional cases can it achieve a deep discharge; therefore, its resource remains normal when used in harsh conditions temperature conditions. The “highlight” here is SB. Their internal resistance is large and nonlinear, according to a power law, and increases with increasing load current, as a result of which the short-circuit current of the SB is only slightly greater than the rated one. From this point of view, in this circuit it is more profitable to use less expensive polysilicon SBs.

The control device CU closes the switch S when the SB voltage drops to the “twilight” level. By that time, VD1 will have already closed and the battery will stop charging. The control unit is connected to the battery only for power supply. Switch - diode or transistor optocoupler or electromagnetic relay; in this case, a reed switch is better, because a conventional one with a low-voltage coil will draw 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 here is constant, the thyristor, once opened, will not “stop” until it completely drains the battery.

About aquarium lighting

To illuminate aquariums, special linear fluorescent lamps are used. Not the same as phytolamps for flower shelves: the range of aquarium lamps is tailored to the optical properties of water and vital needs aquatic plants. Both lamps are unsuitable for general indoor lighting: light that promotes photosynthesis is not always beneficial for human vision.

Today, a chandelier is not just a source of lighting. It is one of the main elements of room decor. The most popular lamps are self made, because they personify the individuality of the homeowners and their extraordinary creative abilities.

Undoubtedly, handmade creativity is a rather difficult task, requiring a lot of patience and accuracy. However, doing something with your own hands is always quite exciting and educational. The topic of this review is how to make a chandelier with your own hands.

Choosing material for a homemade chandelier

In order to make a handmade lamp, a variety of materials are used:

  • glass;
  • tree;
  • plastic.

In addition, sometimes very unusual things are used to make a chandelier at home:

  • paper;
  • cardboard;
  • disks;
  • straw;
  • branches;
  • wine bottles and more.

When choosing this or that material, you need to take into account your own preferences and the style used in the design of the room.

In addition to the material, devices may differ in manufacturing techniques. The most common are:

  • Japanese origami;
  • macrame;
  • weaving;
  • thread;
  • knitting;
  • applique;
  • embossing

Ideas for creating a chandelier with your own hands - step-by-step instructions

Nowadays, there are many unusual ideas on how to create a beautiful lamp for an apartment with your own hands. Let's look at those that are more popular.

Chandelier made of plastic spoons

Ordinary disposable plastic spoons are the simplest and most affordable type of material to make a chandelier. The advantages of such raw materials are:

  • low cost;
  • variety of color solutions;
  • durability.

To make a lamp, you will need:

  • 5 liter plastic bottle;
  • disposable spoons;
  • PVA glue;
  • light bulb socket;

Procedure:

  1. Prepare the bottle. To do this, remove the label, cut off the bottom, wash the workpiece thoroughly and dry it.
  2. Prepare the spoons by cutting off the handles.
  3. Cover the entire bottle with scoops with the convex part facing out.
  4. Secure the cartridge in the made lampshade.
  5. Attach the chandelier to the ceiling and connect it.

Chandelier made from plastic bottles

An interesting solution from a decorative point of view would be a lamp made from plastic bottles.

  1. We take scissors and cut out different patterned shapes and unusual figures. We will assemble a chandelier from them.
  2. We attach several thin rods to the frame of the old lamp and connect them, removing the central one. At this stage, the lighting fixture takes on the shape of a hedgehog.
  3. We fix all the prepared figures and forms onto the frame of the chandelier. The product is ready!

Let's consider special example– the process of creating a lamp in the form of leaves:

  1. Cut blanks from bottles small size imitating leaves. Usually birch leaves are chosen.
  2. Using a soldering iron, slightly melt the sections of the leaves and draw out the veins - this way they will look more impressive.
  3. Make holes in the stem of each leaf using a heated thin needle.
  4. Use wire to form branches. Screw them to the frame of the future chandelier.
  5. Attach leaves to the branches. Ceiling lamp original design ready!

Chandelier with paper butterflies

A lamp with paper butterflies. This model looks very impressive and luxurious, although it is quite simple to manufacture.

Sequence of actions:

  1. The role of the base is played by the frame from an old lamp or a simple rim made of metal or wood.
  2. Take paper and cut out butterflies from it according to pre-prepared templates.
  3. Secure the cut insects to a fishing line or nylon thread.
  4. Attach the resulting threads to the frame of the future chandelier and decorate it.

Fabric chandelier

This type of lighting fixture is also based on a solid frame or thick wire. First of all, prepare the base, and only then can you start cutting out the material to create the lampshade.

The length of the finished product depends on your wishes, and the width must correspond to the size of the frame. After completing the pattern work, be sure to try it on. The next step is to sew the fabric to the base of the chandelier.

In order for the lampshade to retain its shape, you need to choose the material wisely. If you use light material, then the lower part of the lampshade should be weighted.

You can use fringe, braid or lace as decoration. But try not to overdo it with the decor.

Lamp made of threads and a balloon

To create such an original lampshade you will need to prepare:

  • thick threads or rope about 1 m long;
  • old cartridge;
  • petrolatum;
  • glue and brushes;
  • balloons – 1 – 2 pcs.

Manufacturing process:

  1. Inflate the balloon to the required volume, and use a felt-tip pen to mark the boundaries of thread winding.
  2. Coat the entire surface of the ball with Vaseline using a brush.
  3. Pour the glue into a wide container and begin to process the threads with it as you wind it around the ball.
  4. After you fill the ball with threads to the marked boundaries, it should be left to dry.
  5. After a day, burst the balloon and remove it.
  6. Cut a hole in the top for the cartridge and insert it. You also need to cut a hole at the bottom of the lampshade - this will make it easier to insert the light bulb. The product is ready!

Wine bottle chandelier

This chandelier is more labor-intensive to create than the options described above. It's quite difficult to make. This requires patience and attention. But the effort is worth it!

Required materials:

  • wine bottle;
  • cartridge;
  • cable;
  • sandpaper;
  • base made of metal or wood.

The tools you will need are a glass cutter.

Manufacturing procedure:

  1. Preparatory stage. Wash and dry the bottle, remove the labels, mark with a marker a line along which to cut the bottom using a glass cutter.
  2. Sand the cut with sandpaper.
  3. Insert the wire through the neck of the bottle and attach the socket.
  4. Attach the bottle to a pre-prepared frame.

The number of shades for a chandelier depends on you - you can leave one or make five or six.

Chandeliers made from laser discs

If your apartment has accumulated a large number of old CDs, do not rush to throw them away. They make a pretty creative lamp.

To make an unusual accessory from laser discs, you will need to prepare a couple of round boards. Their size should be slightly larger than the size of the disks. Also needed:

  • fluorescent light bulb;
  • steel or wooden racks;
  • old magnetic starter;
  • a lot of CDs.

Take a board that is thicker and make a hole in it for the starter. Connect everything to the lamp. Then start stringing CDs onto it while simultaneously mounting the racks. At the end, attach the second board. The work is completed.

Wooden chandeliers

Wood is the most common material for various types of crafts. The chandelier is no exception.

To make such a lamp, you need:

  • wooden planks 0.4 m wide;
  • glass jars with a volume of 1 liter for lampshades;
  • sandpaper;
  • self-tapping screws

Procedure of manipulations:

  1. Sand the slats with sandpaper.
  2. Make recesses in them on the back side for mounting the wire and three holes for the lampshades.
  3. Cover the planks with varnish.
  4. Attach the sockets, screw in the light bulbs.
  5. The lampshades will be ordinary liter jars painted white.

Choosing a lamp for a homemade chandelier

To make a chandelier made by you from scrap materials look even more attractive, you need to choose the right light bulbs for it. The following recommendations will help you:

  1. Choose a lamp of suitable power. Remember that overly powerful products can cause a fire.
  2. Look at the number of lumens. The larger it is, the more natural the lighting.
  3. Consider whether the shape of the light bulb matches your device. Some chandelier models require bulbs of a strictly defined shape. Only then will they work efficiently and correctly reflect light rays.
  4. Be sure to look at the expiration date. If you plan to use the lamp frequently, then take a closer look at the lamps with the longest life expectancy.
  5. Ask what kind of light the lamp will glow - cold or warm. For your home, it is better to purchase an option with a warm shade of light. This will make the atmosphere seem more comfortable.
  6. Don't ignore the energy consumption of a light bulb. Products with low energy consumption are considered the best choice.
  7. Check for mercury in the lamp - this will determine how it is disposed of. Products containing mercury cannot simply be thrown into the trash. They must be handed over to special collection points.

Decorating the product

You can use a variety of things to decorate homemade chandeliers and lamps:

  • paints and varnishes;
  • lace;
  • satin ribbons;
  • fringe and braid;
  • beads, beads, rhinestones, stones.

Good decorations include artificial or dried flowers, feathers, and butterflies cut from fabric. In general, how to decorate the finished product depends only on you. You can use any available means that your imagination indicates.

In conclusion, we note that such a homemade lighting device as a chandelier will definitely bring a touch of freshness and style to the decor of the room. Your loved ones and guests will definitely note the originality of the accessory and your skill. In addition, a hand-made lamp is an excellent gift for a friend or colleague.

Original photo ideas for homemade chandeliers