Introduction: Perfume Bottle Lamp
This is a simple project that utilises waste materials at home very well.
All that you need is:
- Three Button cells 1.5v each(preferably LR44) (or two button cells of 3v each)
- Thick Cardboard box
- Single strand wires
- Slide Switch (also called SPDT switch)
- Programmed RGB LED (it is an RGB LED with a small chip inside its casing, such that when lighted different patterns of light can be seen)
- Glass perfume bottle (any bottle but it should be transparent or translucent)
- Fevicol (Adhesive)
- Tape
- Soldering Iron, Solder wire and paste.
- Glue Gun (Not Necessary, but it will help to stick the bottle tightly)
Step 1: Base
For this, you can find a suitable cardboard box as per the shape and size of the perfume bottle or you can refer to Google images for Net of a cuboid to make your own box.
The idea is to make a cavity on the top side so as to fix the bottle. Make sure that the cardboard box is thick enough to handle the weight of the bottle.
To stick the bottle:
- Turn bottle upside-down
- Mark the outline of the neck on the top surface of the box and cut out that portion.
- Insert the bottle through the neck up to 1 to 2cm depth and then apply adhesive(glue gun) on the edges, both from inside and outside the box where the bottleneck is touching.
Step 2: Connections
Battery:
If you have a battery holder for the button cells then stick it on the bottom of the box from inside. (Otherwise, make your own by cutting out a cavity of the size of the cell from a foam). Mark the positive & negative terminals.
LED:
Hold the LED with its legs in one hand such that its head goes completely inside the bottleneck. Apply glue gun around the neck to fix the LED in this position. Make sure that its legs do come outside for connections to be made.
Switch:
Cut out a small hole of the size of the switch on any side of the box where you feel comfortable turning on/off the lamp and stick it with glue along the boundaries. Make sure that glue does not pour over its legs.
Wiring: (use single strand for easy wiring)
- Solder a wire from positive terminal of cell holder to the middle pin(or leg) of the switch.
- Now, from either of the two remaining legs of the switch, solder a wire from it to the longer leg of the LED. (or Anode of the LED).
- Solder a wire from the shorter leg (Cathode) of the LED to the negative terminal of cell holder.
Fold the legs of LEDs in the opposite direction so that they do not touch in any circumstances. Try putting adhesive in between the pins.
The lamp is now ready to go. You can now paint or decorate the box to give it an aesthetic look.
Note: I've added a USB mode so that one can also light it using an external power source.