Introduction: Kintsugi Style Concrete Lamp

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This is a Concrete Lamp which is inspired by Kintsugi - A Japanese Art style of repairing the broken pottery with Gold. My idea was to show the Kintsugi style in my design and not to completely follow the original process since breaking a concrete piece and joining it would be really difficult. I made two of these, you can use as a lamp or a planter or just as a nice vase.

Step 1: Cutting Pieces

Cut the foam core pieces with a cutter or an Exacto knife as per photos above.

Inside Cavity :

> Base - 7.5 x 7.5 cm (1)

>Sides- 14 x 7.5 cm (2) and 14 x 7 cm (2)

Oustide Frame :

> Base - 9.5 x 9.5 cm (1)
> Sides -15 x 10 cm (2) and 15 x 9.5 cm (2)

Center Cavity :

> 2 x 1 cm (2)

> 2.5 x 1 cm (2)

Step 2: Making Cracks

Draw some to random vein like wavy lines with a pen to make cracks and then apply glue over it and repeat it on all the four sides.

Step 3: Gluing All the Pieces

Glue all the pieces together, I am using clear transparent, non-staining glue. First, glue all the pieces of inside cavity and then glue square center cavity piece. At last glue all the four sides. Once after all the pieces are glued, cut and glue some extra pieces on the outside for additional strength.

Step 4: Pouring Concrete

Take a bowl and mix cement and sand thoroughly. Then add water little by little and make sure that it is not too dry or too watery. Now, this is a tricky step. Using a spoon pour the mix into the mold. Keep vibrating the mold after adding some concrete to remove the bubbles. Use a stick to push the concrete down. I kept some weight in the middle so that the piece doesn't float up.

Once after its done let the concrete cure for at least 24 hrs. Then with the help of a cutter cut the mold and carefully remove foam-core pieces.

Step 5: Painting

To paint I am using Matt Black Spray Paint. Apply the paint in 2-3 light coats. Paint from both inside and outside. I used black color since it gives a nice contrast with the gold color. If you don't want to color then you can even apply Clear paint.

Step 6: Filling Gold

I am using Gold poster color but I would recommend you to use a gold acrylic color. And now with a help of a paper clip, syringe or brush fill the gold color in the cracks. I used a syringe to fill the color but didn't got good results so I used a paper clip. Let the color dry for about 24 hrs.

Step 7: And Now It's Finished

Now that's it. You can add the bulb through the center hole and hang it on the ceiling or you can put a plant. You can cast in various shapes and sizes.

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