Candle-Like LED Lantern
Intro: Candle-Like LED Lantern
Hello,
Here is a way to create a great Candle-like Light inside a lantern or other light fixture. It makes a great Night Light, or used in a room to add a mysterious ambiance.
Items needed
1) Lamp purchased form most any Home Furnishing Store.
2) Several sheets of Tracing Paper.
3) 6-10 feet of 18/2 gauge Lamp Wire.
4) (1) Mini RGB Color Controller
5) (4) LED Splice Connectors
6) (1) foot of Amber LED Strip Light
7) (1) foot of Yellow LED Strip Light
8) (1) DC Wire Plug
9) (1) Inline Dimmer Switch
10) (1) 12V 12W Plug-in Adapter
11) Hot Glue Gun (with Hot Glue)
All of the LED Components (#'s 4-10) I was able to purchase from www.Elementalled.com
Here is a way to create a great Candle-like Light inside a lantern or other light fixture. It makes a great Night Light, or used in a room to add a mysterious ambiance.
Items needed
1) Lamp purchased form most any Home Furnishing Store.
2) Several sheets of Tracing Paper.
3) 6-10 feet of 18/2 gauge Lamp Wire.
4) (1) Mini RGB Color Controller
5) (4) LED Splice Connectors
6) (1) foot of Amber LED Strip Light
7) (1) foot of Yellow LED Strip Light
8) (1) DC Wire Plug
9) (1) Inline Dimmer Switch
10) (1) 12V 12W Plug-in Adapter
11) Hot Glue Gun (with Hot Glue)
All of the LED Components (#'s 4-10) I was able to purchase from www.Elementalled.com
STEP 1: Connecting the Color Controller
Take the Positive, and negative wires from some 18/2 Lamp Wire, and Splice them into the positive, and negative Input Nodes on the Mini RGB Color Controller. This will supply the power to the Mini RGB Controller.
Then splice together the positive lines on the two Splice Connectors, forming one positive wire to run to the RGB Controller. Screw that wire into the positive section of the RGB controller's 4-channels.
Then take the two negative wires from the Splice Connectors, and screw them into two separate color channels on the Color Controller.
Connect the Splice Connectors to the Strips by pulling the black tab out a little, sliding the strip into the slot, then pushing the tab back in.
Then splice together the positive lines on the two Splice Connectors, forming one positive wire to run to the RGB Controller. Screw that wire into the positive section of the RGB controller's 4-channels.
Then take the two negative wires from the Splice Connectors, and screw them into two separate color channels on the Color Controller.
Connect the Splice Connectors to the Strips by pulling the black tab out a little, sliding the strip into the slot, then pushing the tab back in.
STEP 2: Wrapping the Strip
Wrap the 6" sections of Strip Light around the cardboard roll, trying to keep them evenly spaced apart.
Then using some Hot Glue, secure them to the column.
When the Color Controller is running one of the channels, the Lights will glow amber, but when it runs the other, they'll be yellow, and when it runs the third channel, it will temporarily dim down nice and dark.
Then using some Hot Glue, secure them to the column.
When the Color Controller is running one of the channels, the Lights will glow amber, but when it runs the other, they'll be yellow, and when it runs the third channel, it will temporarily dim down nice and dark.
STEP 3: Connecting the Power
On the other end of the 18/2 Lamp Wire, connect the positive and negative wires to the positive and negative screw-in points on the DC Wire Plug.
Plug the DC Wire Plug (Female) into the Inline Dimmer Switch.
Plug the Inline Dimmer Switch into the 12W Adapter.
Plug the 12W Adapter into the wall.
The Inline Dimmer switch will create a little "flicker" in the light that looks a lot like a candle flickering. The more you turn it down, the more it will flicker.
Plug the DC Wire Plug (Female) into the Inline Dimmer Switch.
Plug the Inline Dimmer Switch into the 12W Adapter.
Plug the 12W Adapter into the wall.
The Inline Dimmer switch will create a little "flicker" in the light that looks a lot like a candle flickering. The more you turn it down, the more it will flicker.
5 Comments
totszwai 12 years ago
Zanibar 12 years ago
MixMasterM 12 years ago
What store did get the lantern body from? I've found that most of the cool looking ones aren't cheap enough to use for a simple project. I'd like to hear where you found the lantern in this Instructable and how much it cost.
Also, the ElementalLED site doesn't show the Yellow LED strips -- only amber -- right now :^(
Overall, very nice. I might just use your write-up as inspiration to finally build my own "Pirates of the Carribean" lamp for sitting outdoors in the evening!
Zanibar 12 years ago
I found the Lantern body at Ikea for just $4.99. (I just found out it's on their web site for $3.99 now!) They worked out great for this project, and also have little star-shaped cutouts on the top. It creates clusters of Yellow, and Amber Stars on the ceiling.
That's a bummer about the Yellow Light. I know that they have "Warm White" which might work, but also might be a little bright for a lantern like this.
I think that you could also use two Amber strips of varying lengths set to the different channels. This would give you a fluctuation in the lights intensity, but not any color changing.
That's awesome that you mention Pirates of the Caribbean! I was definitely inspired by the ride for these lights. (Specifically the beginning of the ride when you're still going through the bayou)
I plan on using an old "Bloody Lantern" that I bought years ago from the Spirit Halloween store, and give it the same treatment as these lights. I've already tested it, and it looks really cool.
Thanks for the comment!
MixMasterM 12 years ago
Thanks for mentioning Ikea. We just got our first Ikea open in the entire state a few months ago, and it's a good distance from my house, so I'm not used to thinking of them for supplies or even knowing what they have. I'll have to go check it out sometime!