Blender Lamp

Don't throw away that blender just because you want a new one! Turn it into a lamp! I'll show you how easy it can be to turn your blender into a light source.

Step 1 Prepare the blender jar

I chose to use this attractive Back to Basics Ice Master 3000 Blender for my lamp. I highly recommend Back to Basics blenders/smoothie makers!

You can choose to leave the blender jar as is, meaning a glossy, transparent glass. I think a frosted look adds a little more and helps to diffuse the light so it's not so bright and harsh.

I had this particular jar sandblasted at a local trophy/sign shop. Since I used to work there I got it done for free, so I'm not sure how much something like that would cost. I blasted the inside and out to give it a nice frosted look.

Comments

[frdmrckr]

Ive done this with a toaster and a coffee maker now. ha ha. press the toaster lever down and the light turns on, the heat setting is a dimmer. its fun stuff

[zomfibame]

dude, cool instructable. last year I did the EXACT same thing. my model of blender is a little different and I used the HI-LOW switch on my blender as the ON-OFF switch, (it was rated for some pretty high amperage so I figured it was good for a CFL light switch. and I epoxy-glued an old-school ceramic socket in mine instead of a little plastic one like yours) but other than that mine was the exact same thing. great minds think alike I guess. ...... I'll try n' see if I can't get some pics to share. ..... I glued the glass part in place and just lift the lid to change the bulb. ... I'd thought about using the Blend, Puree, Mix, switches to work as a dimmer of sorts but figured that would not work with a CFL so I nixed that idea.

[bennelson]

Other ways to "frost" the pitcher -

If it is plastic, lightly sand the inside with a fine grit paper.

For either plastic or glass, you can use a "spray paint" designed to frost bathroom windows for privacy. It also works well with masks and stencils to create frosted designs.

[flio191]

The real question is... will it blend?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

yes but you will get broken glass everywhere

[tadhg2]

this is sweeet !!! i love the idea !!!! what would be really cool is if you had the buttons on the front of the blender turned the light on and off !!! ... i'll have to incorporate that into the design when i do it !

[defpotec]

I actually made another one and did incorporate the controls on the front to turn the light on and off. It's cool, because you can "pulse" the blender and make the light "pulse" or one of the other buttons turns the light on and off repeatedly over and over. I guess for when you want to blend for a second and have the motor stop and then blend for a second and stop over and over. Kind of cool!

[Derin]

I always thought that the P meant "park" LOL

[tadhg2]

sweet, i never thought of having the different buttons do stuff like that. i really want to do this.. now all i need is an old blender,

[opanocat5]

Or a toaster! XD

[tadhg2]

now thats a good idea !!!!!

[NSB]

Or, you could make it so each button made it light up a different color.

[bovine]

Wicked cool, can't wait to "liberate" on of these beauties from someone's trash and try this myself. Although I think I'll run the power through one of the switches on the base instead of using the inline switch. great tute

[tadhg2]

hahaha i just posted a comment saying exactly the same thing !, hey great minds think alike !

[birtlong]

I voted for your lamp!! Very awesome!!

[itobor2525]

This is a great idea and instructable. I completed my lamp for outdoor use in the summer. I spray painted the jar w/yellow paint and painted a beach scene (tropical isle) on the front.(photo to follow). I'm completeing a second one as match to 'bookend' the table. I just started making one for my son's college dorm ('Go Pitt!). I'll put in a three way socket and use a 3 way CFL.

[defpotec]

Awesome! I'm curious to see the photos! Your son will be known throughout the dorms as the guy with the cool lamp in his room!

[Etcetera]

I'm almost there, I have everything, but cannot get my motor out of my blender.

[SerJ]

heres mine :) version 2, i left the mains cable wired into the blender switch, and into the breaker switch under the blender jar. if the jar is moved, the light goes off, just like the blender would. also, the 0, 1 and 2 switch positions still apply, - 1 is at 50% brightness, and 2 burns at the 100%, in my case 100W. the pictures dont exactly show this, as was photographed in daylight. looks ok, just need to get the 'sandblasting' effect on the jar now somehow.... any ideas?

[defpotec]

Hey, nice job! Looks like you're a little more savvy when it comes to rewiring things-the dimming functionality is great! I assume your blender jar is plastic? You can take it somewhere to get it blasted, but that would probably be too expensive. They have etching-like spray paint (I've never used it though). You might want to try that on something else first to make sure it works and looks good. Or perhaps take some sandpaper to the blender jar, which would take some time and patience. Good luck...nice looking blender...what brand?

[SerJ]

thanks!, the blender is the cheapest 11 euro blender that they sell here in the netherlands, branded HEMA (sort of a supermarket, its their own brand). i've never done anything to do with electrics before, and was worried to blow the fuses in my house or something on the first power-up :) have to watch out for any smells or buzzing coming from it now, in case ive done something wrong.. :) wasnt hard to wire in, i left the native blender plug and the cable attached to it, going to the switch which regulates the power supply by itself, and just instead of the motor wired in the light socket contacts. have to get some sandpaper now :) thanks again for the great idea!

[boondyke69]

You could even do glass ecthing (it it is glass) inside the blender.... like a hamster climbing out... or frogs "help" ... lol

[dorothyvance]

Or a little color part way up like you were making strawberry milkshakes or something!

[Etcetera]

Well, I'm definitely off to the garage, to grab that ancient one!

[Friedo]

Sweet idea. Props!

[tredfarmer]

This is amazing! I might just buy a blender just to turn it into a lamp! thanks.

[mwwdesign]

Brilliant! Sorry for the pun. As an industrial (product) designer, I say this is one of the best ideas I have seen on here. Superb.

[elialibi]

Too bad Readymade magazine did this about 4 years ago...

[defpotec]

From one industrial designer to another..thanks for the compliment!!

[mwwdesign]

I knew there was some real genius behind it ;)

[DIY Dave]

great idea

[Weissensteinburg]

Nice! Our blender is starting to go, so i'll have to commandeer it when we get a new one.

[aphrael]

it looks like you're making some kind of radioactive milkshake :P this is awesome though, I love the simplicity of it and the way making it into a lamp completely takes the blender out of the context of its function. Now I have to wait for my blender to break :)

[shooby]

Nice work! I would incorporate the switch into the blender buttons though, to complete the effect. More oohs and aaahs when you go to turn it on in front of someone, and the switch is more easily located.

[defpotec]

That was my original intent...to incorporate the buttons on the front to turn the light on and off, but I'm not very knowledgeable with that type of stuff. But it would be even cooler that way!

[mefromliny]

What a great idea. I just did it and it completes my kitchen renovation. Great job! Ken

[PKM]

Ooh.. simple, unusual and purty- I like it.

(shoots self in foot slightly)
This would go well in the "Make it Glow" competition to win some sweet bike wheel light things. I've got a vaguely similar project I'm meaning to write up and enter for that competition, hence the self-foot-shootings, but I will acknowledge that yours is cooler than mine :)

[Brennn10]

This rules!!! I just happen to have an old blender, so I must ask my authoritative figures (ie parents) if I could make it into a lamp.

[NeonLime]

I Would DEFIANTLY Do That If i Had A Spare Blender :O Also If You Cant Find The Stuff At Ikea, Buy A Cheap Small Lamp (I Got 3 For Like $1.50 Each//About 85 Pence) And Broke It Open :D

[darkmuskrat]

SwEET!