Rubber Band Lamp

by krivas

14K34020

Intro: Rubber Band Lamp

Make this super cool rubber band lamp with a few pieces of wood and some rubber bands!

STEP 1: Gather Matherials

  • (2) 4" Square Wood Plaques. I got a 4 pack from Hobby Lobby for $2.99
  • (4) 3/8" x 8" Wooden Dowels- you can get a long dowel and cut it to size
  • Drill & Bits: Spur Point (3/8"), Spade Bit (3/4")
  • Lamp Cord Set: Snap-In Pigtail Candelabra-Base Socket and Cord Switch
  • Candelabra Bulb (preferably a low-heat bulb like an LED- rubber bands can catch fire if there is enough heat)
  • Hammer
  • Wood Glue
  • #64 Rubber bands

STEP 2: Drill

Get your wood plaques. With a pencil, mark out a square whose edges are 3/8" away from the edge of the wood (I tried making the holes closer to the edges and the wood ended up splitting, which made the corners break off). After you have everything marked, use a drill to make holes in the corner of the square that are 3/8" wide and about 1/3" deep; be careful not to drill all the way through.

STEP 3: Drill Some More

Mark the center of the plaque and drill a hole that is 3/4" wide- I used a spade bit to do this (1" wide might work as well, depending on the size of your bulb). When drilling, make sure to have a scrap piece of wood under you plaque for when the bit comes through the bottom. I went 3/4 of the way down and not all the way through because I didn't want a huge hole in the bottom of the lamp.

STEP 4: Lighting

Install the cord by squeezing the metal part in and pushing it down into the hole. It should fit snugly. Excuse my dirty cord- it came from an old lamp.

STEP 5: Clean Up

Clean up pencil marks with an eraser and a wet cloth. I used the eraser first, then the cloth, then the eraser again. This got rid of most of the pencil marks.

STEP 6: Build

Put a dab of glue into each hole and place the dowels into the holes. Give them a hit with a hammer to make sure they are firmly in place. When attaching the top put some glue into the holes, insert the dowels and tap with hammer- to prevent any damage, make sure to put something between the hammer and the wood.

STEP 7: Rubber Bands

Stretch all of the rubber bands before use. When you stretch them, they should turn a lighter shade. If there are dark spots or if the color is splotchy, stretch the dark spots and they should lighten up.

Put the rubber bands on by stretching them around the top of the lamp and pulling them down to the bottom.

STEP 8: Bulb

Move some rubber bands aside so that you can insert the bulb. I put the bulb in before putting the rubber bands on because I didn't want to break the bulb while I was handling the lamp.

STEP 9: Done!

Arrange the rubber bands however you please!

20 Comments

Cyberchipz 8 years ago

Has anyone made one and knows the life of the rubber bands used? I've used rubber bands for many things, and I know they rot. It does seem to take some time, and I know that warmth or heat does cause them to age more quickly; but, never actually noticed how long they last. It seems I just use them, and then one day notice they're rotting.

CaptSnaz 8 years ago

These illustrated look like Postal Rubber Bands, which can be bought cheaply & in quantity. Thus, replace as needed from an inexpensive source.

Anthony. 8 years ago

Your right..but my experiences have been with the freezer...i would put packages of food, with a good strong rubber band and eventually it would break off easily. I like the concept of this lamp, but it looks like temporary.

Cyberchipz 8 years ago

Oh for sure, thank goodness this doesn't need to be in a freezer. lol Still I've seen rubber bands last for a couple years at least, seems to be a lot of factors that come into play on shortening their life. Still, the lamp looks pretty cool!

Yonatan24 8 years ago

Awesome! This is probably the only kind of lamp hat an incandescent bulb looks better

Yonatan24 8 years ago

Or not, Can't it make the rubber bands dry and crack from the heat?

zimitt 8 years ago

If you painted this blue, it could be a Tardis lamp.

Very cool. Love the light it casts.

algoritmos 8 years ago

I liked, but it would be better to use an LED bulb to save energy, reduce the temperature and prevent drying of the rubber bands.

Saiyam 9 years ago

Wonderful idea!! The shadows made by the lamp just look awesome. :)

Rich1953 8 years ago

Yes that is what I'm looking at.

Rich1953 8 years ago

I haven't made it yet, looks great, but you might find your changing the bands more then you expected. But then you will have a different look, still cool.
A few thoughts i have, i Iove-love your choice of the light bulb.
Rubber bands do break down with heat and ultraviolet light. I'm thinking about using colored string. Easily to wtap and control tge spacing. Making a frame to hold the top of the poles with a removable lid, for easily change of the bulb.

TschNJ 9 years ago

Terrific idea!

goldlego 9 years ago

Wow! That's awesome! So many unique combinations all with just one lamp. Great job and thanks for sharing!

ClenseYourPallet 9 years ago

How fun!! What a great use for rubber bands. Great idea