Introduction: Potted Desk Lamp

About: I've worked for Instructables off and on since 2006 building and documenting just about everything I enjoy doing. I am now the Creative Programs founder and manager for Autodesk and just finished building out…

I wasn't too surprised when my craptastic IKEA desk lamp broke this morning when I went to turn it on. The plastic piece that connects the neck of the lamp to the base broke right off. I looked around and noticed an empty plant pot sitting right next to it...minutes later the potted desk lamp was born!

Step 1: Lamp, Meet Pot

Take the broken lamp and introduce it to an empty pot

Step 2: Take Apart the Old Base

Use a screwdriver to take apart the base and sever the wires that connect the neck of the lamp to the base. The screws for the base are located underneath the rubber feet on the bottom of the base.

Step 3: Make a Hole in the Back of the Base

The wires will need to be re-routed to the lamp since it will now be two separate pieces. Make a quick hole in the back of the base and pass the wires through. Don't connect them to the lamp neck just yet however, the neck of the lamp still needs to be embedded in the plant pot.

Step 4: Pass the Neck of the Lamp Through the Bottom of the Pot

The pot had a hole in the bottom that allows water to drain out of it. This is going to be a perfect hole for the wires to pass through.

Stab the neck of the lamp into the soil and out through the hole at the bottom.

Then, take a drill and make a hole in the bottom of the plant saucer. If it's ceramic, you can still drill through it, just go slowly, don't push too hard, and put some water on the drill bit as it works its way through. Mine happened to be made of galvanized steel, so it was easy to drill through.



Step 5: Reconnect the Wires to the Base

Reconnect the wires leading from the neck of the lamp to the lamp base. If you don't want to place the base next to the potted lamp, then use some longer pieces of wire to connect the two together.