Tag Archives | diy

Creative Ways of Hanging Paper Lanterns Indoors: Plus DIY Lamp Ideas, and Where to Buy Everything

By aidenjbarry on in DIY Lighting, Home Lighting

Below are some unique ways to hanging paper lanterns indoors, creative DIY projects that have used paper lanterns, and resources for where to buy the materials for all of this.

1. Creating a floor lamp

A long bent branch can be used as a stand to create an arc floor lamp. It can be planted into a pot of sand or soil, or cement can be used to create a solid base. The lightweight paper lantern then hangs off of the end of the branch, while the cord is wrapped around the branch and plugged into a wall. Another option is to use a fishing pole. Have a look at the photos below:

Idha Lindhag via Desire to Inspire

2. The branch wall light

In Anne-Claire’s bedroom we see piece of driftwood has been attached to the wall above the bed. A pendant light has then been wrapped around the piece of wood and hangs down. The same can be done with a paper lantern.

3. Creating a paper lantern chandelier

A paper lantern chandelier

This can be done in a number of ways. If you have track lights with hanging light fixtures, then paper lanterns can be simply fitted onto these lights. Another idea is to hanging a number of paper lanterns around a ceiling light fixture. That the light from that one fixture will make the lanterns softly glow. The best option, one that will require some electrical work, is to have a number of lights hanging down from the ceiling in one area which you can then fix one lantern to.

You can also hang a branch and have paper lanterns hang off of it

DIY Projects

Because paper lanterns are so light weight and inexpensive there are a wide range of different and unique DIY projects based on them. Here are some creative DIY projects that have been done using hanging paper lanterns:

Resources

Here is where to buy all the supplies to create your own paper lantern lighting indoors:

Where to buy:

You can find a range of paper lanterns here.

And you can find electric cords at the link on the left.

How To Make Paper Lamps: Simple and Elegant DIY Ideas

5 DIY Oil Lamp Ideas: From Shadow Projectors to Wine Bottle Tiki Torches

By aidenjbarry on in DIY Lighting

Here are 5 DIY oil lamp ideas. 3 of the ideas have already been made with links to the tutorials while the last two are designer oil lamps that are begging to be done DIY style.

Light Bulb Oil Lamp

Light bulbs seem to be an area where a lot of DIY lamp ideas stem from. Maybe it is the idea of repurposing an electric light to an oil one that makes the idea so intriguing. Having been amazed after seeing the $650 Sergio Silva light bulb oil lamp, it was a great to see that Magnelectrostatic over at Instructables went out and created his own DIY oil lamp light bulb, for only $10. Have a look here for the materials and step by step instructions.

DIY Wine Bottle Tiki Torch

The great thing about tiki torches is that they can be fueled with citronella oil which will act as an organic insect repellent. So here is a great outdoor DIY oil lamp idea – turning elegant wine bottles into citronella burning tiki torches. The images are from Rrriles of Flickr who followed the step by step wine bottle oil lamp DIY project originally found at Gerardot.

The materials you'll need to make your own DIY tiki torch

A DIY Wine Bottle Tiki Torch

Shell Oil Lamps

Malcom of Play 2 Survive, has written up a detailed post on how to create scallop shell oil lamps by using only natural materials. Have a look here for the step by step instructions on how to create the oil lamps seen in the picture below.

A DIY shell oil lamp made out of all natural materials

–

Lastly here are two designer lamps that can be used as inspiration for DIY oil lamp projects. There aren’t any instructions on how to recreate these gems, so creating these lamps will need some experimentation:

Duo Design Flicker Oil Lamp Sticks

The simplicity of these oil lamps is what makes them so elegant and enchanting. Thin metal straws house the wick and the oil. Source: NotCot

Duo Design's Flicker Oil Lamp Sticks

Lumen Shadow Projectors by Adam Frank

Adam Frank has created a series of oil lamps that double as shadow projectors. Made out of stainless steel, 6 different designs are available at adamfrank.com for $48.

Adam Frank oil lamp shadow projector: Bloom

Adam Frank oil lamp shadow projector: Magnolia and Cedar

Adam Frank oil lamp shadow projector: Nest

Related Article: If you rather go for electric powered lights have a look at our DIY Lamp Ideas post, the ideas range from using string lights in wine bottles, to using Lego bricks.

Outdoor Party Lighting Ideas To Decorate an Event

By aidenjbarry on in Event Lighting

When deciding to hold a festive event or party outside, there are a number of different outdoor party lighting ideas available to help set the type of mood the occasion calls for.

Outdoor String Lights Create Enchanting Backdrops

String lights are the best way to go. They can come as the standard electrical kind, or as solar powered making them easy to set up. There are a wide variety of decorative outdoor string lights that can be used to decorate an outdoor party. They come in miniature pumpkins, hearts, flowers and snowflakes to suit different themes. You can even create your own themed DIY party lights by using string lights and origami paper shades (check out the tutorial on how to create your own cheap outdoor party lighting: DIY Lighting: Paper Origami and Outdoor String Lights).

Using strings with bulbs that are all the same color will add a magical touch to the outside area. The two most popular colors to use to create a magical outdoor environment are blue and white. White bulbs are often used when celebrating an anniversary or holding an outdoor wedding reception.

String lights can be wrapped around railings, posts or tree branches, to create a special effect. A number of them can be hung side by side to create a curtain of lighting, or they can be hung overhead from wall to wall creating a starry night effect.

Have a look at our photo gallery on string lights for inspiration on different ways to use them to decorate a party: L&L Look Book: Beautiful Uses of String Lights [Photo Gallery]

The Glow of a Flame: Fire Based Outdoor Lighting Ideas For A Party

If the party is going to have a garden or tropical theme, there are a number of torches and candles that you can use to create a festive atmosphere. Citronella tiki torches are a simple way of adding outdoor party lights. These are inexpensive and readily available at large department stores or even hardware centers. These tiki torches are just like any other tiki torches, but they are fueled with citronella oil. This oil is bought separately, and will burn with less smoke and act as an organic insect repellent.

The softer glow of candlelight often creates a subdued, relaxed atmosphere, rather than a boisterous festive one. The great thing about candles is that they can be used alongside accessories such as feathers, polished pebbles, and candle holders to create decorative pieces. Our article on wedding candle centerpieces goes over a whole host of ideas on using candles to light up a space: from lanterns to floating candle centerpiece. Enchanting Wedding Candle Centerpieces – Ideas Collection

Mixing Lights and Balloons

A unique way of adding backyard lighting for a party would be to use LED balloons. These can be bought online at Amazon, or can be simply made at home. All you need are LED lights that come with a battery and balloons. You can even fill the balloons up with helium. Have a look here for more on using balloon lighting: Balloon LED Lights

photo credits: Wit & Whistle iko

2 DIY Lace Lighting Projects: A Doily Lamp and Ceiling Lights

By aidenjbarry on in DIY Lighting, Home Lighting

Combining lace with lights will make for beautiful light fixtures that will create detailed shadows. Here are two DIY projects, using lace to create a doily lamp and also to create DIY ceiling lights.

For the first DIY project on creating a lace lamp, all you will need is a jar, crochet doilies / lace, and a battery powered LED light. Follow along with the slide show below for a step by step guide in creating the lamps, created by kootoyoo.

Lace Lamp Tutorial

The second project uses lace to create DIY ceiling lights. Follow the steps here on how hemp lights were created, using clear drying glue to harden the hemp twine, that was wrapped around a bouncy ball. Replace the hemp with lace to make the DIY pendant lights created by Shannon South.

DIY pendant light by Shannon South

By Shannon South

← Previous 1 2

Navigation