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How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain | DIY Project

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Website How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain DIY Project

Today I’m going to show you how to build a floating faucet fountain.

This is a pretty cool fountain that creates the illusion of a faucet that appears to magically float on a stream of water above the bucket.

Watch the video below and enjoy the magic of this amazing floating fountain!

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Now let’s see how I build it!

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 1 - Materials needed - Bucket, pebbles, rigid acrylic tubing, submersible water pump, faucet, spigot

For this project you’re going to need a bucket, or any kind of waterproof container, a bunch of natural river rocks, a clear rigid acrylic tube, a small submersible water pump and a spigot or faucet.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 2 - Drilling a hole for the submersible water pump

A submersible water pump is ideal for this project because it is quiet and easy to install. It will be placed at the bottom of the bucket, but I don’t want the cord coming up over the edge of the bucket.

So, I’m going to drill a small hole down into the back of the bucket. The hole should be big enough to fit the cord of the pump, and for this purpose I’m using 6 mm drill bit.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 3 - Adding heat shrink tubing to the exposed wires

Also, I don’t like the look of the red and black wire without outer jacket and I decided to cover them with black heat shrink tubing. The length of the wires is 46 cm, but I cut around 44 cm of the heat shrink tubing, leaving 2 cm of the wires exposed.

For powering this pump I’m using 12 V DC power supply.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 4 - Adding heat shrink tubing to the exposed wires

Using a lighter, I shrunk the heat shrink tubing.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 5 - Running the cord into the hole of the bucket

With that done, I can run the cord through the bucket.

Another piece of heat shrink needs to go through the wires, which I’ll use later in the project.

The ends of the wires are already prepared to soldering, but I need to strip just a little bit more of the insulation of the black wire.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 6 - Soldering the wires onto the power jack

So, I soldered the red wire onto the shorter tip of the DC power jack, and the black wire onto the longer tip of the jack.

After that I used the lighter to shrink the heat-shrink piece I previously added, and insulated the connection.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 7 - Rigid acrylic tubing

This is a clear rigid acrylic tube. It has 20 mm outer diameter and is 50 cm long, which is perfect size for my bucket.

Before gluing the tube to the faucet, I need to drill some small holes in the top of the tube, because I want water to be able to come out of the top easily, which will actually create the illusion we’re going for.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 8 - Drilling holes into the rigid acrylic tubing

I drilled 8 holes equal distance apart with 3 mm drill bit, and made sure they’re really close to the top, only 3 mm away.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 9 - Sanding the burrs on the top of the acrylic tubing

Then I removed all the burrs with a sandpaper both inside and outside, which will additionally help make stronger bond with the glue.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 10 - Applying large amount of epoxy into the faucet, spigot

Two-part epoxy is a great choice for gluing acrylic to metal and it only takes 5 min to cure.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 11 - Attaching the rigid acrylic tubing onto the faucet or spigot

I applied generous amount of epoxy inside the faucet, avoiding the sides, because I want to have enough clear space for the holes of the acrylic tube that I previously drilled.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 12 - Attaching the rigid acrylic tubing to the water pump nozzle

The inside diameter of the acrylic tube is too wide for the nozzle that comes with the pump. But I’ll fix that with hot glue.

First, I applied hot glue around the nozzle. While the glue was still hot, I placed the tube above the nozzle. And then, I applied large amount of hot glue around the tube.

Now the tube is attached to the pump and the faucet and the glue is completely cured, so I can move on with the project.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 13 - Adding natural river rocks into the bucket

At this point, I positioned the tube in the middle of the bucket, and started pilling the river rocks up. The rocks are going to hold everything in place.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 14 - Sealing off the hole at the bottom of the bucket with hot glue

The pump is inside the bucket, the tube is straight up, and the faucet is in the right position, which means that everything is in place. The cord is down behind the faucet, so we can seal off the hole where the cord is running out. I’m going to use some hot glue for that.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 15 - Attaching the water pump to the 12V DC power supply

This is the power adapter that I’m using. I already mentioned that for powering the pump I’m going to use 12 V DC power supply. Now I need to connect the pump to the adapter and plug it in.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 16 - Adding some water into the bucket

The final step is adding some water in the bucket. You can add as much water as you want.

OK. So, let’s plug the fountain in and see how it works.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 17 - Plugging the floating fountain in

The water came up out the holes in the top of the tube and started flowing around the sides. And this is exactly what we need.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 18

The illusion of floating faucet is achieved, which means that I’m done with this project. I really like how it turned out. It looks absolutely amazing.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 20

This was very fun project, and is something you can definitely try at home.

How to Make a FLOATING Faucet Fountain 19

If you like this project give me a thumbs up, leave a comment down below and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes

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Website How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes

In today’s tutorial I’m going to show you how to bend acrylic, which opens a whole new world of possibilities for DIY projects.

Also, I’ll share with you a few useful tips I’ve learned along the way that will help you make clean and professional-looking shapes out of acrylic.

Watch the video below, where I get into more details about this method of bending acrylic.

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bending acrylic is one of the coolest things I’ve learned recently.

There are so many different methods of bending acrylic. Some of those methods include using a strip heater, a heat gun, a soldering iron, or a propane torch. Some people are even using their kitchen oven or hair drier for this purpose. However, all these methods have one thing in common, which is heat bending. It is actually the process of heating acrylic until it softens enough, and then bending it into different shapes.

The method that I chose works on the same principle, but it is very cheap, simple, and it doesn’t require power tools, which means that everyone can try it at home. Now, I’m going to show you how to make different shapes out of acrylic with some practical examples.

So, let’s get into it!

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 1 - Cutting Acrylic with Hacksaw

I have 5 mm thick acrylic sheet, so I’ll cut a few pieces with a hacksaw. I’ve cut different sizes, in order to show you how the size of the acrylic affects the process of bending.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 3 - Peeling off the protective film of the acrylic

Before heating up the acrylic, I peeled off the protective film on both sides. If you do not remove the film, it will melt and will be nearly impossible to remove it from the acrylic.

Then I wiped the dust off of the surface, because when exposed to heat it can stick to the acrylic.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 5 - Using a portable gas stove to heat up the acrylic

The heat source that I’m using is a portable gas stove. This is common heat source in almost every household, and it can be very useful for small-scale DIY projects. It is recommended for outdoor use, but you can use it indoors as well if you provide adequate ventilation.

Remember to wear heat-resistant gloves for protection against flames or heat. You could also wear a mask to limit your exposure to fumes.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 8 - Placing acrylic piece above the gas stove at 15 cm or 6 inches distance

So, I turned the gas stove on and reduced the heat as much as possible. Then, I took one acrylic piece and placed it above. The distance between the acrylic and the heat should be at least 15 cm (or 6 inches).

Here, I tried to apply even heat along the bend line and waited for about 3 minutes until the acrylic softened enough. You know that it is time to bend the acrylic, when it starts to bend by itself without applying any pressure to it. And this happens once it reaches around 130°C.How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 11 - Bending the acrylic using scrap wood pieces as a jig

Now I can bend the acrylic piece away from the heat source. To make straight bend, I used 2 scrap wood pieces to hold the acrylic in place, and one piece to apply pressure and make the proper bend.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 12 - Making 90 degree angle out of acrylic

So, I made a very simple 90-degree angle. If you have additional bends to make with the same piece of acrylic, repeat the process.

When you’re done bending, allow the bend to completely cool before doing anything else, so that you do not lose its new shape.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 13 - Making a phone stand

To make a phone stand I took larger acrylic piece. In this case I need to make two bends. This is much larger surface, so it took me around 5 minutes for each bend until the acrylic softened enough.

Heating is a slow process, and requires a lot of patience. But, you really need to make sure that you get a straight bend, which is in fact your final goal. The softening time depends on the thickness of the acrylic, as well as the size of the surface that we need to bend.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 14 - Making a phone stand with two bends

With these two bends I created a phone stand in less than 15 minutes, which is pretty awesome.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 9 - Air bubbles appeared onto the acrylic

Why you need to keep 15 cm distance between the acrylic and the heat source?

The answer is very simple: to avoid air bubbles which could damage the acrylic. In the picture you can see how those bubbles look like. In the beginning, I kept the acrylic too close to the stove, and you can notice that after a few seconds a lot of bubbles appeared on the surface, and the acrylic softened a lot more than needed.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 10 - Not applying heat evenly to the bend line and breaking the acrylic

Also, if you stay in one spot for too long it means you don’t apply heat evenly to the bend line. This will again create bubbles into the acrylic that cannot be removed, which is something you really don’t want to happen.

And if you don’t apply heat evenly to the bend line, you won’t get a straight bend, or in the worst case, you’ll break the acrylic.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 15 - Curved wood and acrylic LED desk lamp with concrete base

I’ve already used this method of bending acrylic in two of my previous videos. In the first video I’ve made Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base, where I’ve bent one large piece of acrylic that needed to be a perfect fit for the wooden body of the lamp.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 16 - Concrete and Acrylic LED Lamp with a wooden base

In the second video I’ve made Concrete and Acrylic LED Lamp with a Wooden Base, where I’ve bent tiny acrylic pieces which then I inserted into the concrete. So, you can check those videos out for more details.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 18 - Using a can to make a round shape or circle

If you want to make round shapes, for example circle, you actually have much larger surface for bending, so to soften the whole surface, you need to slowly move the acrylic piece back and forth for longer period.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 19 - Making a round shape or circle

I suggest using a can or something similar, and when the acrylic piece is soft enough, wrap it around the can.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 22 - Making a Lamp out of acrylic

Using the can, I slightly bent another long acrylic piece, and added a light source underneath. This way, I made a cool looking lamp.

You can also make different shapes freehand. I’ve made a bow out of a tiny acrylic piece and a spiral out of a larger one. I think they turned out pretty good.

This method might not be useful for larger pieces of acrylic, or for making some complex shapes and angles. However, if you don’t have an appropriate bending tool, it is definitely worth trying.

How to Bend Acrylic and Make Amazing Shapes 23 - Different shapes out of acrylic

There are so many different DIY projects you can make using this simple method of bending acrylic. Plus, you can combine different materials like wood, concrete and some LED lights to bring your projects to a whole new level. Just use your creativity and make something amazing.

I hope you find this tutorial useful and you learned something new. If you have any questions or suggestions leave a comment down below. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp | Simple DIY Project

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Featured Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project

In this video I’ll show you how I made an exploding sun LED lamp out of Styrofoam and optical fibers. The lamp might seem a bit complicated at first glance, but it is actually very simple project that can be done in a day.

Also, it requires just a few basic tools that everyone has at home, so I encourage you to follow my instructions and make your own outstanding piece of art.

Don’t forget to watch the video below, where you can see the full process of creating this magical lamp:

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This project was inspired by the designer Rutger Oomkes. You can check out his Instructable to see how he created such lamp.

Now, let’s get started!

Related: DIY Concrete and Acrylic LED Lamp with a Wooden Base

Making an Opening for the Light Bulb Socket

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 2 - Measuring the opening for the light bulb socket

For this project I used a Styrofoam sphere with 20 cm diameter, consisting of 2 pieces.

The socket needs to be placed in the center of one half of the sphere, hence I need to make a hole to fit in the socket. The diameter of the socket is around 40 mm, but I couldn’t use the socket itself to draw a circle, because it is bell shaped, and it is much wider on the end.

Luckily, the electrical tape that I have has exactly 40 mm diameter, so I took it to outline the circle.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 4 - Cutting the opening for the light bulb socket with utility knife

The opening I made with a utility knife, which works pretty well on Styrofoam. I tried to follow the line very carefully, making sure I don’t remove more than I needed.

The opening perfectly fits the socket, and now I can move on to the next step.

Making Tiny Holes into the Styrofoam for the Optical Fibers

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 5 - Making holes into the Styrofoam with medical needle

I have around 100 m of optical fibers, that need to be inserted into the sphere. But first, I’ll use a medical needle to make tiny holes into the Styrofoam, in order to be able to insert the fibers easily.

I made as many holes as possible on both halves of the sphere. The hub of the needle served as a handle, thus it was very easy to make those holes.

Related: Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base | Bending Acrylic

Attaching Neodymium Magnets

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 6 - Neodymium magnets

Once I’m done with the holes, I need to attach magnets to the sphere to keep the two halves together. Instead glue, I decided to use magnets, because that way I can easily remove one half of the sphere and replace the bulb if needed. I have 4 neodymium magnets with size 20 by 10 by 4 mm. They’re pretty large, so I’ll attach them vertically, which means they’ll attract each other with the smallest surface of 10 by 4 mm.

The neodymium magnets are very strong, and they’ll hold the two halves together pretty well.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 7 - Gluing the neodymium magnets inside the sphere with 5 min epoxy

To attach the magnets onto the Styrofoam I used 5 min epoxy. But, if you choose different type of glue, you might want to test it first, because it can melt or dissolve the Styrofoam. Also, when gluing the magnets, make sure they attract each other on both sides.

Painting the Styrofoam Sphere

Now it is time to make the sphere more vibrant and add some color to it.

At first, I wanted to spray paint the sphere, but after spraying a scrap piece of Styrofoam, I noticed that it started to melt.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 9 - Mixing up some color

That’s why I went with acrylic paint, and combined white as a primary color, with a few drops of yellow and red tint in order to get a color that will remind of the Sun.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 11 - Painting the sphere with yellow paint

Cutting Different Lengths of Optical Fibers

While the paint was drying, I continued with the optical fibers. I cut different lengths of the fibers with scissors, the shortest are 5 cm, and the longest are around 60 cm. This will actually give the effect of explosion of the Sun.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 12 - Cutting different sizes of optical fibers

Related: DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp

Inserting the Optical Fibers into the Sphere

Before I started inserting the fibers, I noticed that I actually needed more holes into the foam, therefore I took the needle and made a bunch of other random holes. This additional step didn’t affect the color at all.

Now I can move on to the most time-consuming part of the project, which is inserting the fibers into the holes.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 14 - Inserting optical fibers into the sphere

This type of optical fibers perfectly transmits the light from one end of the fiber to the other. It took me around 2 hours to do that.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 15 - Finished inserting the optical fibers into the sphere

Applying Hot Glue onto the Optical Fibers

To keep the fibers in place, I applied hot glue onto the fibers inside the sphere. I used toothpick to apply a small amount of hot glue on each fiber. This process also gave the glue time to cool down just a little, because when applied directly it melts the fibers.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 16 - Gluing the optical fibers from the inside with hot glue and toothpick

You need to be very careful here and avoid applying glue directly onto the end of the fiber, since you don’t want to prevent the light transmission.

Installing the Light

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 17 - Installing the light bulb socket

Next, I moved on to the socket. I cut around 20 cm cable and removed 2 cm of the jacket with a utility knife. I used wire strippers to remove the insulation off of the ends of the wires. Then, I attached the wires into the socket interior, and screwed on the shell.

I chose warm white LED light bulb. It is very important to use LED bulb, because it produces very small amount of heat.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 18 - Installing the LED light bulb onto the lamp

Related: How To Build A Wooden Desk Lamp | DIY Project

Mounting the Exploding Sun LED Lamp onto the Ceiling

Now that I’m done assembling the parts, I can mount it onto the ceiling.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 19 - Mounting the lamp onto the ceilling

Finally, I can attach the other half of the sphere, turn the light on and enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of the lamp.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 20

This is very simple and unique project, and I think it is perfect for both indoor and outdoor.

Exploding Sun LED Lamp Simple DIY Project 21

There are no limits on how you can make this Exploding Sun LED Lamp. You can use larger or smaller sphere, you can add more optical fibers, you can even change the color of the sphere and on the light, it’s all up to you.

I hope you enjoyed this project. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the notifications bell to never miss another video.

DIY Concrete and Acrylic LED Lamp with a Wooden Base

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DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base Website

Today I’m going to make a color-changing concrete lamp with a wooden base.

I always want to challenge myself to try new things, and combine different materials in order to make something unique.

So, in this project I’m not only going to use a concrete, but also I’m going to try to embed tiny acrylic pieces into the concrete. The acrylic pieces guide the light from the LED light source on the bottom to the polished concrete surface.

Be sure to watch the video for full experience:

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Related: Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base | Bending Acrylic

Cutting the Acrylic

I started with the acrylic. This acrylic piece is 5 mm thick, which is enough for this project. First, I removed the protective film because I need to cut tiny pieces, and the film could make cutting the acrylic harder.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 1 - Cutting the Acrylic

Then, I placed it onto the crosscut sled, and started cutting. While cutting acrylic, I’ve learned two important things: first, the table saw blade needs to be set higher, and second,  the crosscut sled needs to be moved faster, which will prevent the acrylic from melting.

From this acrylic piece I got around 60 tiny pieces in total.

Making the Mold

Next, I can move on to the mold. I used 10 mm thick Styrofoam board, but you can use thicker, it doesn’t really matter.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 2 - Cutting the Styrofoam Board

Before cutting, I measured and marked all the dimensions. Then, I cut the Styrofoam to size. For more precision I’m using a metal ruler and a utility knife. This is the best and easiest way to cut Styrofoam.

Combining acrylic and concrete is the trickiest part of this project. The thing is that I need to insert all the acrylic pieces into the Styrofoam, and then to assemble the mold.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 3 - Making Holes into the Styrofoam with a Hot Screwdriver

So, I created random holes into the Styrofoam with a hot screwdriver. I heated up the screwdriver onto a portable gas stove and made perfect holes without damaging the Styrofoam.

I repeated the same process onto all Styrofoam pieces and got pretty nice holes where I’m going to insert the acrylic.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 4 - Inserting the Acrylic Pieces into the Styrofoam

Inserting the acrylic into the smallest Styrofoam piece, which will be the bottom of the mold, was very simple because all I needed to do was to push them straight into the holes. To keep the acrylic pieces in place I tied them up with zip tie.

But, this was not the case with the other 4 Styrofoam pieces. Here, I needed to bend the acrylic in order to get the desired shape of the mold.

I used the gas stove, turned it on, and reduced the heat as much as possible. Then, I took one acrylic piece, placed it above the gas stove and waited for about 20 seconds until it softened so that I can easily bend it and make whatever shape I want.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 6 - Inserting the Bent Acrylic Pieces into the Sides of the Mold

This way I bent all the acrylic pieces and inserted them into the Styrofoam. Bending the acrylic is the most important step that will make assembling the mold possible. When I was done, I tied them up with zip ties.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 7 - Securing the Acrylic with a Hot Glue

Some acrylic pieces are so tiny which makes some of the holes a bit loose, so I need to secure them in place. I used a hot glue for that purpose.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 8 - Applying Cooking Oil over the Styrofoam Surface

In order to prevent the concrete from sticking to the mold, I applied cooking oil all over the surface. I did it with a brush, making sure I don’t miss a spot.

Finally, I can assemble the mold. I cut a bunch of toothpicks in half, which will serve as dowels. I’ve used toothpicks before, and I can say they’re pretty effective.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 9 - Filling the Gaps on the Joining Parts with a Hot Glue

There are some gaps between the joints, so I decided to fill them up with hot glue. That way I’ll prevent the water from getting out of the mold. Additionally, I secured the mold with an adjustable corner clamp, a masking tape, and a duct tape.

Related: DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp

Mixing up some Concrete

The mold is ready, and now I can make the concrete mix.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 10 - Mixing up Some Concrete

I mixed one part sand and one part cement, and added water until I got nice and thick consistency.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 11 - Pouring the Concrete into the Mold and Vibrating by Hand to Release the Air Bubbles

When I was satisfied with the consistency, I poured the concrete into the mold, by constantly vibrating the mold by hand in order to fill in all the voids.

I poured the concrete until it reached around 20 cm height. Then, I additionally vibrated the mold to release the air bubbles.

Once I was done, I let the concrete cure for 48 hours before removing the mold.

Removing the Mold

After 2 days I removed the mold. I was so excited to do that, because I had no idea how it will turn out. Removing the mold was easy, the only difficulty I had was with the hot glue which stuck onto the acrylic.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 12 - Removing the Mold

But, using a utility knife made everything much easier.

Luckily, the cooking oil prevented the concrete from sticking to the mold. I highly recommend using cooking oil in any concrete project.

Cutting the Acrylic Flush with the Surface and Sanding

Now I need to make all the acrylic pieces flush with the concrete surface. So, I’m going to cut all the parts of the acrylic that are sticking out of the concrete with a coping saw.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 13 - Cutting the Extra Length of the Acrylic with a Coping Saw

Also, I cut the extra length of the acrylic pieces that will go into the wooden base, and left around 3 cm of it, which will be enough to guide the light from the bottom to the concrete surface.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 14 - Sanding the Concrete with an Orbital Sander

Then, I used my orbital sander to sand the concrete surface, in order to make it smooth and to remove all the imperfections.

Making the Wooden Base

Now it is time to move on to the wooden base. I use a beech wood, and cut 4 identical pieces on my crosscut sled. Their size needs to match the size of the concrete form.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 15 - Cutting the Wood to Size

I want to make a small box with a clean look, because I want the focus to be on the concrete and the acrylic.

To achieve a clean look, I’m going to cut all the pieces at a 45 degree angle. So, I made this super easy jig to crosscut at an angle.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 16 - Making the Wooden Pieces Flush with the Concrete Sides

After that, I checked if the wooden pieces match the concrete form. Here, I realized that the ends of the acrylic were closer to the edge, and the wooden pieces couldn’t stay flush with the sides of the concrete.

So, I needed to make some adjustments onto the wood. In fact, I decided to remove parts of the thickness of the wooden pieces onto the crosscut sled. I measured and cut, adjusting the blade all the time in order to remove just as much wood as needed, not more nor less.

That way, I made enough space for the acrylic to fit inside the wooden base.

On the bottom of the base I plan to attach a fiberboard piece, to hide the controller and the LEDs. I’m going to make rabbets on each wooden piece, 5 mm wide and 7 mm deep, so when I attach the fiberboard later, it won’t be visible.

Before assembling the base I need to make a space for the LED controller.

First, I drilled two holes, one for the infrared receiver, and the other for the power plug.

On the other side of the same wooden piece I made a space for the controller using a Forsther bit and a chisel.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 17 - Gluing the Wooden Base

Now, I’m going to glue up the mitered corners. Using masking tape as a clamp when gluing mitered corners together works really great.

Related: How To Build A Wooden Desk Lamp | DIY Project

Applying Finish to the Concrete and the Wood

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 18 - Spray Painting the Concrete Surface

While the base is drying, I can apply finish to the concrete. I cleaned the acrylic, and wiped the dust off of the concrete surface with a wet cloth, and then I applied clear spray paint for concrete.

With this done, the concrete form is completely finished, so I can go back to the base.

One of the corners had a gap on the joint, so I needed to fill in the gap. I used a combination of wood glue and saw dust, which turned out to be much better than a wood filler.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 19 - Applying Finish onto the Wooden Base

Once it has dried, I sanded the base with 120, and then with 220 grit sandpaper. And then, I applied one coat of transparent finish to protect the wood.

Installing the Light

Next, I can move on to the light. I cut around 1 m of this RGB LED strip on the predetermined cutting points. It should give a strong light, which is exactly what I need.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 20 - Soldering the Controller onto the LED Strip

Then, I stripped off the wires on the connector, and soldered them onto the LED strip appropriately.

For this project I’m using 12 V power adapter. Before installing the light into the base, I checked if everything works properly.

After that, I secured the controller into place with hot glue. I did the same with the infrared receiver.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 21 - Gluing the Controller and the LED Strip into the Base

I peeled off the tape cover on the back of the LED strip and stuck it into the base.

Joining All the Pieces Together

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 22 - Covering the Bottom with a Fiberboard

This is a 3 mm thick piece of fiberboard, which I’ll use to cover the bottom. To attach it to the bottom I used only 2 screws, so that I can easily remove it when needed.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 23 - Gluing the Concrete Form with the Base with Epoxy

The concrete form and the wooden base are completed, so now I can join them together with epoxy. I applied a generous amount of epoxy onto the wood, and then placed the heavy concrete form above it, which will make a strong bond, without using any additional weight.

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 24 - Attaching Silicone Pads on the Bottom of the Lamp

Lastly, I attached silicone pads on the bottom of the lamp to avoid scratching of the surface where it will be placed on.

Related: Exploding Sun LED Lamp | Simple DIY Project

Turn the Concrete Lamp on and Enjoy

DIY Acrylic and Concrete Lamp with a Wooden Base 0

Now I can turn this concrete lamp on and enjoy this hypnotizing effect. This project was really challenging, and I had so much fun in the entire process of creating this lamp.

If you like this lamp share it with your friends and family, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack

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DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack Featured Website

Today I’m going to make a wine rack. This wine rack is designed to hold 1 bottle and 3 wine glasses.

It is made out of pine wood and a copper pipe. The design is actually quite simple, and consists of 4 copper pipe pieces with different length and 3 wooden pieces with different shape, joined together.

Make sure to watch the video for more details:

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Related: How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique

Drawing and Cutting the Shapes.

In the first place, I drew the design onto 3 separate pieces of paper, including all the holes and cuts that need to be done onto each part.

Here’s the template:

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack Template

A pine was my choice for this project because it is very easy to work with, and I don’t mind covering it with paint since it is cheap and soft wood.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 1 - Gluing the Paper onto the Pine Wood

I applied all-purpose glue stick onto the paper and glued it onto the wood. Therefore, I can easily cut the desired shape.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 2 - Cutting the Shape with a Jigsaw

Then, I clamped the board onto the table, and started cutting with a jigsaw, making sure to cut outside the line. Later, I’ll make some adjustments with a rasp. Onto the jigsaw I installed clean cut blade, which helped me avoid tear outs and get clean cuts.

Once I was done with the first piece, I moved on to the second one, and repeated the same process.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 3 - Making an Opening with a Coping Saw

When I got to the smallest piece, I needed to make large opening in the middle, and here’s how I did it:

First, I made a 15 mm hole in the middle with a Forstner bit, which is enough space to fit the coping saw blade. Then, I installed the coping saw there, and made the opening.

There was too much extra wood that I needed to remove in order to get a perfectly round opening. Hence, I took a rasp and spent some time until I finished.

The opening is done, so I can make the final cut with a jigsaw.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 4 - Making some Adjustments with a Rasp

Now I have all three wooden pieces cut to size. Additionally, I need to make some more adjustments with a rasp until I’m happy with the final shapes.

Related: DIY Glass Bottle Home Decor – 3 Simple Ideas

Making Space for the Wine Glasses.

On the piece that will go on the top of the wine rack I need to make 3 holes for wine glasses. Also, I need to make 3 channels that will lead the glasses into the holes.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 5 - Drilling Holes for Wine Glasses

The holes I made with a 25 mm Forstner bit, which is enough space for the wider glass bottom. For the channels I used a coping saw. The width of the channels is around 13 mm, and it is enough to fit the glass stem.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 6 - Making Channels for Wine Glasses

In fact, having thinner channels and wider holes will keep the glasses in place once I hung them onto the rack.

Cutting the Copper Pipes to Size and Drilling Holes for Them into the Wood.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 7 - Cutting the Copper Pipe to Size

Out of 2 scrap pieces of copper pipes I’ll cut 2 pieces 21 cm long, and 2 pieces 11 cm long. For this purpose I used a hacksaw, but you can use a pipe cutter if you have one.

The shorter copper pipes will support the smaller wooden piece in the middle, and the longer copper pipes will support the larger wooden piece on the top.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 8 - Drilling Holes for the Copper Pipes

Next, I’m drilling holes on the pre-determined points, where I’ll insert the copper pipes. I’m using 15 mm Forstner bit, and drilling halfway through the wood.

Before drilling these holes double check their position, and make sure the holes on the bottom are parallel with the holes above them, because the copper pipes need to be perpendicular to the wooden pieces.

Sanding All the Parts.

Now that I’m done with all the cuts and holes, I can peel of the paper. Actually, it came off very easy.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 9 - Sanding the Wooden Pieces

The next step is sanding. I used 120, then 220 grit sandpaper, to make the wood as smooth as possible.

Spray Painting the Wooden Pieces.

Once I finished sanding, I can paint the wooden pieces with white spray paint. I chose white because it matches copper really well.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 10 - Spray Painting the Wooden Pieces with White Spray Paint

I applied 3 coats of paint, which was enough to get a nice white color. Then waited at least one hour between each coat.

Cleaning the Copper Pipes.

While the paint is drying I can prepare the copper pipes that I previously cut.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 11 - Cleaning the Copper Pipes with Salt and Vinegar

To clean them I used salt and vinegar. I placed the pipes into a plastic container and added a little salt and more vinegar until I completely covered the pipes. After a few minutes, I removed the pipes and wiped them off using a clean cotton cloth.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 12 - Difference between Clean and Tarnished Copper

Here you can see the huge difference between tarnished and clean copper. The result is amazing.

Related: DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table / End Table

Assembling the Wine Rack.

Now all the parts are ready for assembling.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 13 - Connecting all the Pieces Together with an Epoxy

I’m using epoxy to secure the copper pipes into the holes. To keep everything clean, I applied epoxy into the holes, and then inserted the pipes. The epoxy will make a strong connection between the copper and the wood.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 14 - Making sure the Pipes are Perpendicular to the Wooden Pieces

Additionally, I made sure the pipes are perpendicular to the wood, and left them to dry out.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 15

Finally, I can place a bottle of wine and hang wine glasses onto this wine rack. And that’s pretty much everything about this project.

DIY Copper and Wood Wine Rack 16

If you enjoyed this project make sure to hit the like button, share, comment down below and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape

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Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape Website

Exactly one year ago, in my first video, I made a simple wall clock, and this year I decided to make another, more complex wall clock to celebrate my first anniversary!

In fact, I’m going to make a layered plywood wall clock with a tree ring shape.

Be sure to check the video below for more details!

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Related: How To Make A Modern Wooden Clock | DIY Project

Now let’s get started!

Creating the Shape of the Wall Clock.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 2 - Cutting the plywood sheet

To make this wall clock I’m using 21 mm thick plywood. It is a pretty large and heavy sheet of plywood, so I measured and cut one piece 60 by 40 cm to make the drawing of the clock much easier.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 3 - Drawing the tree ring shape

Then, I started drawing the tree ring shape. Initially, I drew 6 rings in total, all with different size, with a nice transition between them. Later you’ll notice that while cutting, I made another, seventh layer, which will improve the complete look of the clock.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 5 - Cutting the final shape with a jigsaw

Once I was satisfied with the shape, I took the jigsaw and cut, following the outline of the last, largest layer. This way I got the final size of the clock, which is 55 by 35 cm.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 7 - The final size of the clock

There are some tear outs on the top of the plywood face, but it doesn’t matter because the router will clean everything.

Routing out all the Layers of the Clock.

Now, I can move on to revealing all the layers of the plywood with a router. Each layer will be 3 mm high.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 8 - Routing out the second layer

The first layer is already shaped with the jigsaw, which means that I’ll start routing out the second one. The total thickness of the plywood is 21 mm, so in order to get 3 mm high layer, I need to set the cutting depth of the router bit to 18 mm.

This layer was the slowest and the hardest to rout out, due to the fact that it is larger and also I needed to remove 18 mm off the plywood with one pass.

For the third one, I set the router bit to 15 mm cutting depth.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 10 - Routing out the last layer

As I mentioned earlier, when I thought I almost finished, I realized I needed to create one more layer, in order to make all the layers 3 mm high. In the beginning I thought that it would be more compelling to make the last, smallest layer 6 mm high, instead of 3, but I was wrong.

Now I have 7 layers with 3 mm height. There are some imperfections, and knots here and there, but I think they actually give a character to the clock.

Related: DIY Colorful Rectangular Wooden Wall Shelf

Making Space for the Clock Mechanism.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 13 - Drilling hole for the threaded shaft of the clock mechanism

Next, I determined the center of the clock mechanism, and drilled a hole for the threaded shaft to pass through.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 15 - Making space for the router with a Forstner bit

Then, I positioned the clock mechanism on the back side of the clock, and traced the outline. 18 mm of the thickness of this opening need to be removed, so that when the clock mechanism is installed it will stay flush with the surface.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 15 - Making space for the router with a Forstner bit

In order to be able to insert the router, I enlarged the hole with a Forstner bit. With this hole done, now I can rout out the opening with the router.

Drawing and Engraving the Numbers.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 20 - Using the clock hands to mark the points for the clock numbers

Next, I placed the clock mechanism, and installed the hands. The goal here is to use the hands to mark the exact points for the clock numbers.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 21 - Drawing the clock numbers with a pencil

When it comes to the numbers, I wanted to draw them close to the edge of the layer in an interesting order and with different size.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 23 - Engraving the numbers with a Dremel rotary tool

To engrave the numbers I chose a Dremel rotary tool, and inserted the flex shaft with the appropriate engraving bit. I made sure I go deep enough, so that when I sand the surface, the numbers will be still visible enough.

Sanding the Surface.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 25 - Sanding the top layer of the plywood face

Once I’m done engraving the numbers, I can hand sand the surface, first with 80 grit sandpaper and then with 180. I want to remove the top layer of the plywood face because it is much brighter than the other layers, and I wanted the clock to have a uniform color.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 28 - A knot appeared when sanding

But, when I removed that layer, a knot appeared exactly below the number 12. At first I didn’t like it, but later I realized that it actually makes the clock so special and unique.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 27 - Sanding all the layers

I sanded all the layers as well, to remove any burnt areas caused from the old router bit.

Coloring the Numbers with a Colored Pencil.

To highlight the numbers I decided to make them darker.

My first thoughts were to burn the wood with a soldering iron. But, after a few tests, I realized that my iron is not appropriate for that purpose, since the tip doesn’t reach high temperature, which is essential for wood burning.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 30 - Coloring the numbers with colored pencil

After spending a lot of time thinking, I came up with the idea to use color pencil.

Fortunately, I still had some color pencils that I used in my school days, and picked the most suitable brown color.

I just needed to repeat a few times, until I got uniform color of the numbers. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how good this came out.

Using color pencil was much easier and faster than wood burning, and I think I achieved the goal. The numbers are visible, and have a really nice color.

Related: DIY Wall Art: Reclaimed Wood Cut-Out with a Picture within

Applying Finish.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 31 - Applying clear coat of polyurethane

To protect the wood I sprayed one coat of clear fast-drying polyurethane. I wanted to keep the natural color of the plywood with all the imperfections on it.

Inserting a D-Ring Hanger.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 32 - Inserting a D-ring hanger on the back side of the clock

Once the spray has dried I secured a D-ring hanger on the back side.

Installing the Clock Mechanism.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 34 - Instaling the clock mechanism

Then, I installed the clock mechanism, and placed the hour, the minute and the second hand in order.

Mounting the Wall Clock.

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 0

Finally, I mounted the clock on the wall, and I’m done with this project! I think it turned out pretty cool!

Making a Layered Plywood Wall Clock with a Tree Ring Shape 00

If you like this wall clock be sure to like, share, comment down below and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique

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How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique Photo

In this article I’ll show you how I made this unique concrete candle holder with a wooden base.

Although this candle holder has an intricate shape, it can be easily achieved with a simple technique for casting concrete.

You don’t need any special tools and materials to make such shape. What you actually need is a thick Styrofoam board, a utility knife and your imagination. There’s no limit to the shape variations you can achieve with this method of casting concrete.

In the video below you can see the entire process of creating this beautiful candle holder.

Materials:

Tools:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dimensions:

  • Concrete form: 28 x 13 x 5 cm
  • Wooden base: 36 x 14 x 2 cm

So, let’s get started!

Related: Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base | Bending Acrylic

Shaping the Mold for the Concrete.

To make the mold for the concrete I took a 5 cm thick Styrofoam board.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 1 - Gluing the Paper onto the Styrofoam

On a piece of paper I drew the desired shape of the concrete form, and then stuck it onto the Styrofoam board with a duct tape to prevent any movement while cutting.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 2 - Cutting the Styrofoam with a Utility Knife

I found the sharpest utility knife and started cutting, making sure I follow the lines and keep the knife straight.

After that I removed the paper, and the two cut-outs as well. Actually I got a rectangle which consists of two parts, and a wavy form in the middle that divides the rectangle.

Creating Holes for the Aluminum Pipe.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 3 - Marking the Spots for the Aluminum Pipe

To get more complex shape of the candle holder, I predetermined three spots where small pieces of this aluminum pipe will be inserted. Those pieces will be a connection between the two concrete parts.

In order to be able to insert the aluminum pipes I need to cut the middle part and return it back later.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 4 - Making Holes for the Aluminum Pipes

Here’s how the holes for the pipes are made:

First, the pipe needs to be positioned on the foam and rotated very carefully until it has some grip. After that it needs only moderate pressure while rotating, making sure to keep the path of the pipe straight.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 5 - Cutting the Aluminum Pipe into Three Pieces

Using a hacksaw I cut the aluminum pipe into three short pieces.

Gluing All the Pieces of the Mold Together.

The candle holder needs to have three holes for the tea lights, which are actually the purpose of this project. So, in my workshop I found a small piece of 1 cm thick Styrofoam, which I used to make circles with the same size as the tea lights.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 6 - Adding Styrofoam Circles

After I found the right spots for the circles, I hot glued them in place. To secure them better I inserted toothpicks into each circle that will serve as dowels.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 7 - Cutting Fiberboard

I used a fiberboard for the bottom support of the mold. Using a handsaw I cut a piece of fiberboard and made it a bit larger than the Styrofoam.

Now I can join all the parts together in order to make a firm mold with the desired shape.

Before gluing the middle, I inserted the aluminum pipes inside the holes that I previously made, and then hot glued it in place.

Here I also reinforced the joints with toothpicks.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 9 - Gluing All the Pieces Together with a Hot Glue

Lastly, I applied a large amount of hot glue onto the entire Styrofoam board and stuck it onto the fiberboard.

An important tip when gluing Styrofoam is to use a low-temperature hot glue gun in order to avoid burning and melting the Styrofoam, which happened in my case.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 11 - Applying Hot Glue on the Outside

To make sure the mold is firmly attached onto the fiberboard I applied hot glue from the outside. This way, I’ll prevent the water from the concrete from leaking.

Related: How To Build A Wooden Desk Lamp | DIY Project

Making the Concrete Mix.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 12 - Spreading Cooking Oil all over the Surface

Before making the concrete mix it’s a good idea to use a release agent that will make removing the concrete from the mold after it has cured very easy. So, I spread cooking oil all over the surface with a brush making sure I don’t miss a spot.

Now I can move on to the concrete mix.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 13 - Mixing up Some Concrete

Into a bucket I’m mixing one part sand and one part cement, and gradually adding water. The consistency should be pretty close to the one shown in the video, not too thick, and not too watery.

Then, I’m pouring the concrete into the mold. The aluminum pipes need to make a strong connection between the two concrete parts, so I’m using my fingers to fill them inside with concrete.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 15 - Vibrating the Mold in Order to Release Air Bubbles

Lastly, I’m vibrating the mold to release any air bubbles and allow the mix to settle in the voids of the mold.

Now I’m done with the concrete, so I’ll leave it to cure at least 48 hours.

Removing the Mold and Sanding the Concrete Form.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 16 - Removing the Mold

Once it has cured I can remove the mold. Using a utility knife makes the process of removing the mold much easier and faster.

The cooking oil helped a lot, and the Styrofoam came off very easy, which is awesome.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 17 - Sanding the Concrerte Surface

Next, I need to sand the concrete form with 220 grit sandpaper in order to remove the dust, and to make its surface nice and smooth.

Then, I wiped the dust off of the surface, so at this point I’m pretty much done with the concrete.

Making the Wooden Base.

This means that it is time to make the wooden base for which I chose a beech wood.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 19 - Marking all the Dimensions onto the Beech Wood

In order to be able to make all the cuts I need to mark all the dimensions.

Anyhow, in the middle of the base I need to remove 1 cm of the thickness of the wood, and there I’ll actually place the concrete form.

For that purpose I’ll use a router, but I don’t have a plunge router base, so came up with a simple solution that worked great.

Here’s what I actually did:

I drew all the lines and clamped some scrap pieces of wood onto the board, which will serve as guides for the router.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 20 - Drilling a Hole for the Router

Then, onto the drill I inserted a 15 mm Forstner bit and drilled a hole 10 mm deep. This hole will be a starting point for the router.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 21 - Routing out the Middle Section of the Wood

After that, I placed the router into the hole and started routing the section out. This time I wasn’t able to install the vacuum cleaner onto the router, so I covered everything in dust.

Anyway, this turned out to be a pretty good way of removing the excess thickness of the wood.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 22 - Chiseling out the Corners

Next, I needed to chisel out the corners to make right angles.

Before cutting the base to its final size, I placed the concrete form inside to check if it is a snug fit.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 23 - Cutting the Base to Size

Everything is OK, so I can finally cut the base to size on my table saw.

If you’re not able to make such base, you can get creative and do something different that will look awesome as well.

Sanding the base.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 24 - Sanding the Base

Once I’m done cutting it’s time to hand sand the surface with 120 grit sandpaper, and then move on to 220 to give it a smooth finish.

Applying Finish.

The last step is to apply finish onto both the concrete and the wood.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 25 - Sealing the Concrete

I sealed the concrete form with a transparent spray paint with satin finish. One coat is quite enough to protect the concrete.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 26 - Applying Finish onto the Wood

Onto the wood I applied one coat of clear finish as well. This way I’ll protect the wood and bring out the wood grain at the same time.

You may also like: DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table / End Table

Completing the Candle Holder.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 27 - Attaching Cabinet Bumpers onto the Bottom of the Base

Once the base has dried, I can add self-adhesive cabinet bumpers on the bottom in order to protect the surface where it will be placed on.

Now I can place the candle holder onto the base. You can also glue them together with an epoxy, but I think it’s not necessary.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 1

What’s left to do is to place the tea light candles into the holes, and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere they’re creating.

How to Make a Concrete Candle Holder with a Simple Molding Technique 2

Concrete is such an interesting material because there are so many things to do with it. You can make forms with different size and shape, add some color, you can do whatever you want. It’s very simple and easy to try, just mix up some concrete and use your creativity to make an amazing project that will impress everyone.

This was a really interesting and fun process of creating such candle holder, and I hope you like it. If you do don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base | Bending Acrylic

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Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base Featured Website

In this DIY project I’m going to show you how to make a curved wood and acrylic LED desk Lamp with concrete base.

Combining these three materials was a bit challenging, but the end result was beyond my expectations.

Here you’ll learn some tips on how to make a concrete form, how to shape wood, and most interesting: how to bend acrylic.

I’ve already built a wooden acrylic LED lamp, where I actually engraved the acrylic, but this time I decided to go much further, and try something new.

Watch the video below for detailed explanation on how I built this LED desk lamp:

Materials:

Tools: 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Alright, now let’s get into the build!

Related: How To Build A Wooden Desk Lamp | DIY Project

Concrete Base

I started with the concrete base. As a mold I’m going to use a plastic ice-cream container with a good size and shape.

To keep the concrete from sticking to the mold I poured cooking oil into the container and spread it all over the surface with a napkin.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 1 - Mixing Concrete

I have coarse sand, cement and a bottle of water, so I can mix up some concrete.

Into an old bucket I’m pouring one part cement with one part sand, and slowly adding water. I’m mixing with a stick until I get nice, thick consistency. Using coarse sand will result in very interesting texture of the base.

Once I’m done mixing, I can pour the concrete into the mold until it reaches about 3 cm height.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 2 - Vibrating the Form to Relieve Air Bubbles

Then I removed the air bubbles by vibrating the container by hand. You should see air bubbles rising to the top. The more bubbles you relieve from the form, the smoother your form will be.

I let the concrete cure for 2 days before removing the mold. That should be enough time for 3 cm thick concrete form to cure.

Removing the mold was extremely easy, I guess the cooking oil helped a lot. There are still some air bubbles on the surface, which I think look awesome.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 3 - Sanding the Concrete Base

Sanding the entire surface with a 220 grit sand paper made a huge difference, as it revealed the beautiful texture of the base.

Body of the Lamp

At this point I’m done with the base, so I can move on to the body of the lamp for which I chose hard wood.

This time I wanted to experiment a little, and make a curved shape which requires a little more time and effort to achieve.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 4 - Drawing Curve onto the Wood for the Body of the Lamp

First I’m drawing a curve onto an wooden board.

Then I took a ruler, placed it perpendicular to the curve and marked some dots at 3 cm distance along the curve. By connecting all the dots I’m drawing another curve which is at a constant 3 cm distance from the first one.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 5 - Cutting Curves with a Jigsaw

This way I drew an object that I’m going to cut with a jigsaw. So, I clamped down the wooden board and started cutting, making sure I’m as close to the line as possible. Anyway, I’ll make some adjustments with a rasp at the end.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 6 - Tracing the Outline of the First Cut

Once I’m done with the first piece, I placed it onto the board and traced its outline with a pencil. Then again, I cut the second piece.

I repeated this step for two more pieces. In fact, I need to cut 4 identical pieces that will be glued together.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 7 - Cutting the Middle Pieces with Inverted Jigsaw

From the two middle pieces I need to remove 1 cm of their width, but still leaving around 3 cm on both ends. This space I’ll use for the LEDs and for the acrylic.

I thought I could do this with a coping saw, but after a few minutes I gave up, since it was too slow. However, this is a hard wood, and I need to figure out a faster way of making those cuts.

The only solution I could think of was to cut it with an inverted jigsaw which I made myself. You can check my video on how I built my multipurpose workbench.

So, I installed the jigsaw onto the workbench and started cutting. Cutting without a guide for the jigsaw is not 100% accurate, but I don’t mind, because later I’ll make some adjustments. Moving slowly and carefully I made the cuts.

Then, I clamped down those two pieces and took a rasp to even them out before the assembly.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 8 – Applying Wood Glue

Now, all four pieces are ready to be joined together. To hold everything together I decided to use only a wood glue. I applied a large amount of wood glue to make strong connection between the pieces.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 9 - Clamping Down the Body of the Lamp

After that I secured it with a few clamps, and left it to completely dry. Once it has dried I noticed a lot of imperfections all over it, so I took a rasp again and evened out the entire surface.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 11 - Cutting Straight Edges onto the Table Saw

To flatten the top and the bottom of the body I clamped it onto the crosscut sled and made two cuts, removing just a little of the length.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 12 - Sanding the Body of the Lamp

All the cuts are made, so I can move on to sanding. A drum sander would be perfect for sanding curves, but I don’t have one, so an orbital sander and a sanding block are good alternatives.

To speed up the sanding process, I used my orbital sander as much as I could, but for the spots that it couldn’t reach, I used a sanding block.

Related: DIY Interactive LED Coffee Table

Bending the Acrylic

The body of the lamp is finished, and the next thing I need to do is to make a light cover out of acrylic.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 14 - Cutting the Acrylic to Size

Its width needs to be 4 cm, and in order to determine its length, I used an LED strip because it is flexible, and I can easily measure the space inside the body.

I cut the acrylic on my table saw, using the crosscut sled. Then, I peeled off the protective film, and prepared the acrylic for bending.

The most appropriate way of bending acrylic actually doesn’t require any special tools. This simple technique anyone can try at home.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 15 - Bending the Acrylic

Here’s how I did it:

I took a portable gas stove, a lighter, protective gloves, the body of the lamp, a wooden piece that I previously cut out of the middle, and an empty can that will help me shape the acrylic.

Then I turned the gas stove on, and reduced the heat as much as I could.

After that, I took the acrylic, and placed it above the gas stove. The distance between the acrylic and the flame should be at least 15 cm in order to avoid air bubbles into the acrylic.

By slowly moving the acrylic back and forth for about 3 minutes I heated half of its surface. Once it reaches the appropriate temperature, you can notice that it starts bending without even touching it.

So, I placed it above the body of the lamp and I bent it with the help of the can. Bending acrylic is actually very easy and satisfying process of making different shapes.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 17 - Bending the Acrylic

I repeated the same with the other half of the acrylic piece, and finally got the desired shape that fits the body of the lamp perfectly.

Drilling Holes into the Concrete and the Wood

Now, let’s go back to the concrete base.

I’m going to have two bolts going through the concrete base and into the wood. So, I positioned the body of the lamp onto the base to trace its outline. Then marked the points where I need to drill holes for the bolts.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 19 - Drilling Holes into the Concrete Base

To drill the holes I inserted a masonry bit into my regular drill, because I don’t have a hammer drill which is meant to drill into concrete.

Anyway, it wasn’t that difficult to make those holes.

Then, I inserted screws into the holes to mark the points where I need to drill into the wood.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 20 - Drilling Holes into the Bottom of the Wooden Body

After that, I replaced the screws with bolts in order to determine the exact direction of the bolts. Hence, I drilled the holes, making sure I follow the lines.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 21 - Making Space for the Power Connector and the Switch

On the back side of the lamp I’ll have the power switch and the 12V DC power connector. The holes that I’m drilling should be within the opening for the LEDs and the acrylic.

Related: How To Create A 3D Paper Cut Light Box | DIY Project

Applying Finish

Now that I’m done cutting, drilling and shaping, I can apply finish to each part of the lamp.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 22 - Applying Finish to the Concrete Base

To protect and seal the concrete I spray painted it with a transparent spray paint for concrete.

It emphasized the texture of the concrete, made it smooth and most important – dust free.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 23 - Frosting the Acrylic

I added some frosting to the acrylic to help conceal the LEDs, by applying 3 coats of transparent spray paint with satin finish.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 24 - Applying Finish to the Wooden Body of the Lamp

Finally, onto the wood I applied a transparent finish as well. The goal here is to protect the wood and to emphasize the natural wood grain as well.

Installing the Light

Now, let’s install the light.

I cut 2 LED strips 42 cm long at the predetermined cut points, and since they’re waterproof, I needed to remove the coating from the copper pads to be able to solder some wires.

I cut a few pieces of red and black, or positive and negative wire, and strip off the insulation of their ends. Then, I soldered the positive and the negative onto the power connector.

Onto the switch I soldered only the positive wire, because later I need to connect the switch to the power connector.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 26 - Connecting All the Positive and All the Negative Wires

After inserting them onto the back of the lamp, I pulled out the wires and soldered the red wire from the conector to the switch.

Once I peeled off the tape cover on the back of the LEDs, I stuck them onto the lamp. Then I connected the red wire to the positive pad of the LEDs, and the black wire to the negative pad of the LEDs.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 28 - Covering the LEDs and the Wires with a Masking Tape

Now I can test if it works properly. I inserted the plug into the connector, turned the light on, and placed the acrylic above the light.

Although I tried to frost the acrylic by applying 3 coats of spray paint, I can still see the LEDs and the wires. So, to make them less visible, I covered the LEDs and the wires with white tape.

Finishing Touches

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 29 - Attaching the Acrylic with Epoxy

To secure the acrylic into place I used 5 min epoxy. Just a little epoxy on the top, bottom and the middle is enough to hold the acrylic in place.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 30 - Attaching the Concrete Base to the Body of the Lamp

Lastly, I clamped the body of the lamp onto the table, and attached the concrete base by screwing two bolts.

To protect the surfaces from scratching I attached some silicone pads.

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 34

And that’s it! Simply plug the power cord in and turn the light on from the power switch.

Related: DIY Rustic Hemp Rope Chandelier for 35$

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 33 - Back

This LED desk lamp came out beautiful!

Curved Wood and Acrylic LED Desk Lamp with Concrete Base 31 - Bottom

I really like the combination between concrete, wood and acrylic, and I can say that I’ve learnt so much through the process of creating such lamp.

If you enjoyed this build be sure to like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

DIY Wall Art: Reclaimed Wood Cut-Out with a Picture within

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DIY Wall Art Reclaimed Wood Cut-Out with a Picture within Featured

This time I wanted to try something different and make a wall art, which in fact will be an animal shaped wood cut-out and place a picture within.

It was a really fun project, and I think this reclaimed wood wall art came out pretty cool.

For this project I’ll try to use just a couple of power tools: a jigsaw and a drill.

Check out my YouTube video on how I made this wall art:

Here are the materials I used:

Types of tools I used:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Dimensions of the cut-out board: 30 x 42 cm
  • Pine strips: 2 pieces 3 x 30 cm; 2 pieces 3 x 44 cm
  • Fiberboard: 29,6 x 41,6 cm

Related: How To Create A 3D Paper Cut Light Box | DIY Project

So, let’s get started.

Step 1: Creating a Board out of Pine Wood Flooring.

While cleaning out the basement I noticed a bunch of pine wood flooring boards that stayed there for a long time. So, I picked up one board, in fact half of it and decided to make a wall art.

I took my jigsaw and cut 5 pieces around 32 cm long. I didn’t pay too much attention to the cuts because later I’ll make another cuts to the right angle.

Then, I joined these 5 pieces together with a wood glue. They have tongue and groove joints, which is great, so I applied a generous amount of wood glue, without reinforcing them additionally.

A few clamps are just enough to make a strong connection. To flatten the surface, I clamped a scrap wood in the middle across the pieces. I left them to dry overnight before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Cutting all the Additional Pieces of Wood.

The next day I drew squared lines onto this wooden piece and cut it again with a jigsaw.

But this time I clamped a wooden strip as a guide in order to make straight lines.

Further, I found a few pine strips, out of which I’ll make a frame, and cut them to size with a hand saw. The frame will give a completed look to the entire piece of art.

Also, I took a fiberboard, placed the pine board above to trace its outline and cut it with a hand saw as well.

In fact, this fiberboard piece will serve as a backing board, and will stay behind the cut-out with a picture attached to it.

Step 3: Making the Bear Cut-Out with a Drill and a Jigsaw.

Now I’m ready to make the cut-out in the middle of the pine board.

I downloaded a bear outline from Pixabay website. They offer more than million photos, vectors and illustrations which you can download and use for free.

Hence, I cut the bear following the lines, and then traced the outline onto the back of the wooden board, making sure the lines don’t touch any knot, because it can easily fall out and ruin the shape that I want to get.

Related: How to Make Flower of Life Out of Toilet Paper Rolls

I raised the board by placing it onto a few scrap wood pieces, so that when I cut with the jigsaw the blade won’t damage the table surface.

To make my life easier I drilled as many holes as possible with a 12 mm bit which is enough to fit the jigsaw blade. This way I don’t have to make too many curved cuts with the jigsaw.

Then I started cutting. Making these cuts was very fast and easy.

Moving slowly I tried to keep the blade closer to the line, from the inside, in order to avoid mistakes.

When I was done cutting I removed the cut-out and took a rasp to finish the form.

The rasp did a really good job helping me emphasize all the details of the bear.

Step 4: Sanding.

Once I’m done with the rasp, I can sand all the pieces with a sanding block. First I took an 80 grit sandpaper, and then continued with 120 grit until the surface became smooth and uniform.

Step 5: Pre-drilling Holes into the Frame Pieces.

Instead of gluing the frame, I decided to secure it with some screws. So, the last thing I need to do before staining is to countersink holes into the pieces which I’ll use to make the frame.

Step 6: Staining and Spray Painting.

Now let’s move on to the most satisfying part of any project: staining.

Walnut stain for the cut-out board is exactly what I was looking for. It brings out the natural wood grain creating a beautiful rustic look.

For the frame I chose an ebony stain, which I didn’t like at all. After applying a second coat of the stain it was still too light, so I ended up spray painting it with a black spray paint.

Surprisingly, the black color turned out to be a perfect match for the walnut stain.

Related: DIY Colorful Rectangular Wooden Wall Shelf

Step 7: Attaching Everything Together.

Next, I can attach everything together.

I placed the cut-out board onto 2 layers of fiberboard, because I need to leave enough space for the backing board and for the hanger.

Then I clamped down the black pieces creating a frame and inserted some screws to secure them well. I really like the exposed screws, I think they’re a nice addition to the frame.

Onto the fiberboard I’m going to attach a landscape illustration which I also downloaded from Pixabay.

I positioned the picture in the right place, and to make it easily replaceable I attached it with a tape. It won’t be visible anyway.

Finally, I can put the backing board and secure it in place with glazier points, which can be bent easily in case you need to switch out the artwork.

Lastly, I marked the point where I’ll place a D-ring picture frame hanger, and attached it with a screw.

Step 8: Hanging the Wall Art.

What’s left to do is to hang this piece of art onto the wall.

I think this wall art turned out amazing. Starting from the bear cut-out, the picture within, to the color combination, I like every part of it.

If you like this wall art please like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp

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DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp Featured

Today’s project on Creativity Hero is a wood and acrylic color changing LED lamp. The combination between wood, acrylic and light is a perfect match between materials that complete each other.

I think it came out wonderful!

Check out my YouTube video on how I made this LED lamp:

Here are the materials I used:

Types of tools I used:

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Now, let’s begin.

Related: DIY Interactive LED Coffee Table

Step 1: Cutting the Wood and the Acrylic to Size.

First of all, I started with setting up the table saw by placing the crosscut sled and adjusting the stop block and the blade in order to be able to make all the cuts.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 1- Cutting the wood and the acrylic to size

For this project I used a 20 mm thick beech wood, and 5 mm thick acrylic. The base of the lamp is 16 by 9 cm, which means that all of the cuts are repeated.

Only one piece of acrylic needs to be larger, around 28 by 14 cm, which will be placed vertically, on the top of the base. While cutting the acrylic I noticed that when I cut slower, the acrylic started to melt, so I needed to move the sled faster in order to get nice and clean cuts.

Step 2: Preparing the Acrylic Top for Engraving.

After I made all the cuts I moved on to the larger piece of acrylic that will stay on top of the lamp.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 2 - Preparing the acrylic top for engraving

I placed it on a piece of paper, traced the outlines with a pencil and cut it following the lines. Then, I took a ruler and drew some lines.

As a result, I wanted to get a pattern which consists of stripes with the same width, but different length.

I made all the cuts, and I got a nice pattern that I’ll transfer to the acrylic.

To attach the paper on the acrylic I removed the protective film on one side and used a tape to secure it in place.

On the side that I’m going to engrave I didn’t remove the protective film because the acrylic scratches easily.

Step 3: Engraving the Acrylic with Dremel Rotary Tool.

Acrylic engraving is a technique that I’m going to try for the first time, that’s why I chose this simple pattern which will help me achieve modern and clean design of the lamp.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 3 - Engraving the acrylic with Dremel rotary tool

To engrave the acrylic I decided to use my new Dremel rotary tool. I won this multi tool as a grand prize on Instructables contest Workshop Hacks Challenge.

The package includes so many accessories and attachments that can be used in any project, which is awesome for makers and DIYers.

For this project I attached the flex shaft extension and inserted an engraving bit which makes engraving much easier and accurate.

Now I’m ready to start. A metal ruler can help a lot in making perfectly straight lines, I highly recommend using one for this purpose.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 4 - Making additional cuts with coping saw

Once I’m done engraving, I can make all the additional cuts with a coping saw. All the cuts should to be done at a right angle, so I need to be careful here.

At this point I’m done with the larger acrylic piece, so I can move on to the base.

Step 4: Making Holes in the Middle of the Lamp Base for the LEDs.

I marked the center points of these pieces of wood and acrylic that will be placed in the middle of the base.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 5 - Making holes in the middle of the base for the LEDs

The openings for the LEDs I made using a 35 mm hole saw bit that I attached onto the drill.

A scrap wood underneath is a great way to protect the table surface from damage.

Related: How To Build A Wooden Desk Lamp | DIY Project

Step 5: Making a Slot on the Top of The Base for the Engraved Acrylic Piece.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 6 - Making a slot on the top for the engraved acrylic piece

On the top of the lamp base I need to make an opening large enough to fit the engraved acrylic piece. Placing the acrylic vertically in the middle I traced its outline with a pencil. So, I drilled as many holes as needed inside the outline, and after that removed the excess with a rasp.

LEDs will be placed right below the acrylic, so I need to make a space for them by chiseling out a groove around 10 mm wide and 4 mm deep.

Step 6: Working on the Bottom of the Lamp.

The LED controller I’ll place into the bottom of the base. Even though it is quite big, I must find a way to insert it into the bottom.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 7 - Working on the bottom of the lamp

Instead of mounting it with some screws, I’ll attach it with a hot glue only, so I’m cutting of these mounting holes in order to flatten the box.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 8 - Making an opening for the controller

On that wooden piece I need to make a large opening for the controller. To make the opening I drilled a hole with 12 mm bit, and then inserted a coping saw into the hole to make the cut. Using a rasp I made some adjustments.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 9 - Drilling holes for the adapter and the IR receiver

Now I’m drilling 2 holes on the back side of the bottom, one larger for the adapter, and another smaller for the Infrared receiver.

Step 7: Cutting the LED Strip.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 10 - Cutting the LED strip

The lamp base can fit 50 cm long LED strip, so I’m carefully cutting with scissors along the designated lines, in between the copper pads.

The last step before putting all the parts together is removing the protective film from the acrylic.

Step 8: Assembling the Lamp.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 11 - Assembling the lamp

To assemble the lamp I started from the top and glued the LEDs into the groove that I previously made with an epoxy.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 12 - Gluing all the pieces together

Then continued gluing the other pieces with an epoxy making sure I don’t damage the LEDs. Epoxy is the one of the best adhesives for gluing acrylic to wood and I highly recommend it.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 13 - Gluing all the pieces together 2

Once I put all the parts together I clamp it down and wait until it is completely dry.

Step 9: Sanding and Applying Finish onto the Base.

I temporarily put the LEDs inside the hole, protecting them with a masking tape in order to be able to sand the base.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 14 - Sanding the base

Then I lightly sanded the entire base to make it nice and smooth.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 15 - Applying finish

With that done I can apply a transparent finish to emphasize the natural beauty of the wood.

Step 10: Installing the Lights.

Now let’s move on to the controller installation.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 16 - Installing the lights

Since the cable on the controller is a little long I need to cut it off. I cut half of its length and removed around 1 cm of the outer insulation. It consists of 4 wires, 1 common positive and 3 negative wires for each of the 3 channels.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 17 - Soldering the controller to the coper pads

I exposed the ends of the wires using wire strippers and then soldered them onto the coper pads of the LED strip. Here you can notice that although the colors of the wires are in order, they don’t match the letters on the coper pads. The green wire I solder onto the R, and the red wire onto the G.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 18 - Testing if everything works properly

To check if they work properly I plugged the 12V adapter into the controller.

Everything works great, so I can glue the controller on the bottom of the base with a hot glue.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 19 - Placing the LEDs into the base

Hence, I carefully placed the LEDs inside the base. Then inserted the IR receiver into the hole, and finally secured the controller in place by hot gluing it.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 20 - Attaching feet out of felt

To make sure the bottom doesn’t scratch the table surface I’m cutting out some squares out of felt for feet. 2 squares in each corner will make enough space for the controller.

Related: How To Create A 3D Paper Cut Light Box | DIY Project

Step 12: Securing the Engraved Acrylic Piece into the Slot on the Top.

Lastly, I removed the protective film from the engraved acrylic piece and used an epoxy to secure it into the slot.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 21 - Securing the engraved acrylic piece into the slot

Using the right angle ruler I’m making sure that it is positioned correctly and leaving it to dry.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 22 - Plugging the adapter into the controller

This means that the LED lamp is complete.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 24 - Enjoying the light

Now I can turn it on and enjoy this amazing color changing lamp.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 25 - Front of the lamp

It is very simple and modern, and I think it would make a perfect accent in a living room.

DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp 26 - back of the lamp

This was a really interesting and fun process of creating such lamp. I hope you like it. If you do please like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel.