Hello all

My dining room lamp shade is kind of doll , and simple looking ( Bought it in Ikea )

So, as i know my self , it was only a matter of time i would find an excuse to replace it.

Sooooo , since i had some free time ( Saturday afternoon ) , i found a a few wood boards leftovers from some other project i finished a few weeks ago , i decided to use it and build myself a new Ceiling Wooden Lamp.

Hope you enjoy this Instructable

Step 1: Get the Wood Needed

Start by measuring the dimensions of the light fixture you desire to build.

Mine are :

120cm length X 25cm height X 25cm width

You will need the next tools:

Electric screwdriver

bolts to connect the wooden rods

Glue for wood ( Elmer`s Glue the best )

Drill bit set

Clamps

Dremel tool

Pencil

Saw ( Electric or regular - what ever more convenient to you )

Step 2: Saw the Wooden Rods

My wooden rods were not the same length - so i grabbed them all on the table , made sure that one side is aligned , and then i cut the leftovers

Step 3: Create Connection Rods

Now we need to connect all the structure together using the rods that i cut

I measured " according to the eye " the size of the structure.

So first we mark using a pencil the desired size , and the we cut -- a total of 8 pieces

Step 4: Drill the Rods

Now , one thing that i have learned from past mistakes is that if we try to screw a bolt inside a wood without drilling it before , the board will crack open and the wood plank will be week and can break easily.

So the best thing to do, is to take some small drill bit ( a bit smaller than the bolt itself ) and drill in the middle of the connection rods

Start by marking the middle with a pencil , than drill !

Step 5: Drill the Long Woods

The same "rule" here, we need to drill also

First mark the middle and than drill

Step 6: Carve the Wood

Now we need to make sure that the bolts we screw inside the wood , won`t be seen , so for that we need make some carving using the Dremel tool.

Take the Dremel and carve a bit where we drilled the holes , that way the bolt will go " inside the wood "

** Warning , please use goggles , and take into consideration that it can be " smokey " :)

Step 7: Screw the Bolts

Now we need to connect all.

Easy part

Step 8: Continue

Step 9: The Frames Are Ready

Step 10: Glue !

Now , since we cannot bolt the upper frame to the bottom using the rods ( since the location of the bolts is in the middle of the rod )

I have to glue it using the Elmers Wood Glue

Apply a thin layer of glue , and put the rods on it , than apply glue to to upper part and carefully place the upper frame.

Step 11: Apply Weight

Now , the annoying part.

We need to wait for at least 24 hours for the glue to dry completely - only after that it will bond strong enough to the wood and it will become " one part "

Step 12: The Cage After the Glue Binding

Looks good and feels strong

Step 13: Add Wood Filler Glue #1

Now we need to apply a layer of wood filler on all places where the poles are attached.

that way you get a clean look and the overall result would be much better

Step 14: Wood Filler Glue #2

Make sure all the gaps and cracks are filled with the filler glue

Once finished, let it dry over night , and than we will probably need to apply a second layer for maximum results

Step 15: BEER Brake !

A must !

Step 16: Sanding Time

Now , once all the job of filling the gaps with the filler has finished , we need to sand the boards and glue to be smooth .

You can use the knife above for the glue that wont remove , and the sanding paper ( Grit 100 and 250 ) for the rest of the process

Step 17: Sanding #1

Sand the wood filler laeft overs and make sure the layer is nice ans smooth

I used two types of sanding paper ( grit 200 first and 100 )

Step 18: Let the Paint Begin!

I wanted the lampshade to be Carbon Black.

Sooo i went a haead and painted it using a spray , the best and fastest way ( i messed up all my room ! make sure you put something big on the floor - the spray get`s everywhere! )

Came out awesome!

Step 19: Drill Upper Part for Hinges

I want to hang the lampshade with hinges ( and for the wires use a fishing wire )

So i took a Dremel with a small grinding bit , drilled, and put inside the hinge

Step 20: Create a Long Wood Pole for the Lamps

Now , i want to create an upper pole, that will connect all lamp houses together , and it will also be hang using the fishing wire

So you need to start by cutting the upper board ( the same size or so as the lampshade housing )

Mark with a pencil the holes needed to be drilled ( i have 5 lamps , so i divided the length of the pole by 6 - that way you get the same length between each lamp )

Than drill using drill and electric screw driver - start with a small drill bit ( 5mm and move up till 6.5mm )

Step 21: Glue Upper Connectors

the wires will be connected to each other and than to the mains

I glued them all using a strong glue

Step 22: Wiring!

Let the wiring begin

Start by measuring the length between each connector and cut the cable and attach it to the connector

Step 23: Staple the Wires

For you no to see then beneath the lampshade

Step 24: Paint the Lamp Houses

I decided to paint the lamps houses , that`s much cooler

So you will need to temporarily staple them to some pole , paint them and let it dry for a few hours , than do a second layer for it to stick , and look good

Step 25: Dry and Ready to Be Attached

Looks good , came out grainy

Step 26: Attach It to the Upper Rod

Attached it to upper rod, and create hinges to hang it

Moreover , i painted it in black also !

Step 27: Ready !

Just a quick sanding to the edges of the lampshade

Step 28: Remove Old Lampshade

Removed the old ugly Ikea lampshade ;)

Step 29: Hanging It All

It was kind of tricky to hang it by myself , but i managed to do it

First step it to mark the location of the lampshade with a pencil ,make sure you take the correct measurements since after you cannot relocate it

Drill the ceiling , put a masonry anchor and put the screw ( in order for the screw to go inside the wall you need to increase the size of the outer hole - that way the screw will be " inside " the wall and all you will see are the strings of the fishing wire