How to create a lamp with recycled parts

This post has been written by Carol Botín, DIY and decoration expert, founder of Hadas y Cuscus, a blog dedicated to DIY content.

DIY, an ally of the circular economy

The concept known as DIY (Do It Yourself) consists of manually manufacturing or repairing objects from elements that can be easily found in the home.

People usually repair objects themselves in order to save, but there are other benefits such as developing creativity through an interesting, motivational activity, and learning by doing for greater repair and rebuild skills.

When we create our own design pieces to decorate our house and do it with materials that we would normally throw away, we help the planet by reducing the waste we discard; and give objects a second useful life, by creating something from scratch with our own hands, save money and contribute to the circular economy.

How to turn plastic bottles into a lamp?

On this occasion, we are going to create a lamp reusing plastic bottles found in any house. We will also need other materials to make it functional and, incidentally, we will learn a little more about how the lights in our home work.

The materials we will need to create our DIY lamp are the following:

3 big soft drink plastic bottles (not necessarily the same size).
Macramé or cord thread of different colours.
Utility knife.
Double-sided, thin adhesive tape.
Cable ties.
Lamp cord with socket.
Terminal block to connect the three cords to the mains.

Step 1: Shaping our lamp

Start by thoroughly cleaning the inside of the bottles, rinse them with a bit of water and remove any labels.

Cut the first bottle with the utility knife, in a bit more than half. And cut the neck off. The diameter after cutting must be smaller than the diameter of the bulb cap, so that it doesn't come off.

After you cut the 3 bottles, you decorate your pieces with the macramé thread.

Step 2: Decorating

Apply double-sided adhesive tape throughout the piece to stick the thread on. So please use plenty of tape.

Apply the tape vertically from top to bottom of the bottle, and as tightly together as possible to avoid leaving blank areas. With the tape in place, it's time to decorate. Wrap the thread around the entire piece. Be careful to place the thread close together but without overlapping.

This is where you will bring out your creativity, since you can mix different colours, and even draw things with them. Or you can opt for just one colour, depending on the decoration and style that best fits your home.

We wanted to combine different neutral tones such as ecru, light grey and yellow for a matching piece.

Since the piece is curved, it will be harder for the thread to stick in some areas. So be a bit more patient and careful in those sections to get a clean result.

Step 3: Connecting the wiring

After the 3 pieces are covered in thread, it is time to put the wiring in. This will be the final step for your lamp to work.

So far, you have created three individual lamps for one set. Join the three cords, placing them at different heights to create cascading shape. Use the tie for secure the cords together.

Next, wrap the cords with the macramé thread you used before for a unified look. Your lamp is now almost ready. There is only one step left: connecting it to the mains.

Step 4: Electricity

The first step is to lower the differential to avoid accidents and work safely. Next, for a connection to the lamp, get a terminal block and connect the 3 cords. Strip the cords by removing the plastic insulation and leaving the copper wires visible, interlace the copper wires and introduce them into the same end of the block.

Keep in mind that you should always join wires of the same type in terminal blocks.

Blue wires always in the blue phase.
Neutral colours (brown, black or grey) with the neutral colour phase.
And the grounding (yellow or green) with the phase of the same colour.

It is very important that you never mix the colours since this can lead to short circuits and major failures in the power grid.

After you insert the wires in the right place, make sure that the screws are tight so that the wires do not come out. Next, do the same to connect the outlet on the ceiling.

So, insert the right wire in the corresponding top block, and in the block to the side.

Tighten the screws, raise the differential again and your most original lamp is ready – made from recycled plastic bottles!

Let there be light

For bulbs, it is best to use LED, which will help you reduce your energy bill. Some, as in our case, have a remote that allows you to adjust their brightness and colour for different atmospheres depending on the occasion.

Creating a DIY lamp is a fantastic idea to start creating your own decorations, stimulate your curiosity and creativity, redefine the style of your home in a sustainable way, and help you save with original and unique creations.

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How to create a lamp with recycled parts

DIY, an ally of the circular economy