Simple Ikea-hack Lamp

by reid

43K528

Intro: Simple Ikea-hack Lamp

These instructions show how I made a simple lamp for a cardboard lampshade. The lampshade wasn't really suitable for a normal lamp since the bare bulb could be seen through the corrugation. Generally speaking, this lamp should be ok for lampshades made of paper or have shapes cut into them, such that they wouldn't tolerate much heat or would leave the bare light bulb in view. And there's really nothing to it as long as the shade fits, so I'll give the dimensions of the shade that worked well for me. There are two Ikea products I used, one being a table lamp (Mine's an improvement!)

Materials:
(1) an Ikea Fado table lamp with a compact fluorescent bulb
(2) an Ikea Fornbro pedestal table
(3) a suitable lampshade

Tools:
A Phillips-head screwdriver.

STEP 1: Build the Table Support and Place the Globe on It.

Just follow the instructions for building the pedestal table, but skip the last step of attaching the tabletop. Place the Fado lamp on it.

The globe has a cord with a toggle switch that runs out of the bottom of it. It's pretty discreet and is hard to see in this picture. If anyone was interested in making this without a shade, there are a couple things to notice: First, the globe has little feet that make it an imperfect sphere. Second, the table support has some holes drilled into it for attaching the top. Of course, they could be filled with putty or covered somehow.

STEP 2: Make or Buy a Shade for It.

My shade is a memento from my childhood, so I have no idea where to get one just like it. As long as your shade is similar dimensions and can rest on the globe without changing shape, you should be fine. The dimensions of my shade are:

8.75" high
5.125" inner diameter at top
18.25" inner diameter at bottom

You shouldn't need to know the outer diameters, but here they are:
6" outer diameter at top
19.125" outer diameter at bottom

Place the shade on the globe and you're done!

8 Comments

elladan99 14 years ago

hi, great lamp! what material is your shade made of?

indranibr 15 years ago

Hi, It's wonderful, so easy yet, so fetching... Thanks.

silver912targa 16 years ago

'Fado' lamp....is Portuguese for 'Blues' lamp. Does it make you feel like the blues? ;-))) Thanks for the instructable. I'm thinking of making 1 of building a Asian bridge. Michel Portugal

reid 16 years ago

You mean the blues as in music? I wouldn't mind that, although the lamp doesn't make me feel the blues! I'd be curious to see an instructable for building an Asian bridge.. I'm picturing a backyard water garden, but maybe I'm way off.

silver912targa 16 years ago

Yes "THE BLUES" as in music. Funny isn't it.
Unfortunately I haven't made any pictures at all from the bridge I built. But there will be a second one within a few months. I'll make sure to create an instructable on this.

Abraços (=hugs).
Michel

incorrigible packrat 16 years ago

Man, that shade is boss! (lamp's nice too) I can't quite tell from the pics, is it made up of a whole bunche of corrugated cardboard rings, glued up in a stack?

reid 16 years ago

Yep, the shade is exactly as you described. Originally, the shade had a plastic liner, but that warped at some point and I took it out. The original lamp base is cardboard circles, stacked up. I found out a few days ago that this was designed by Frank Gehry in the early 70's as part of a furniture line called "Easy Edges." There are some other really cool pieces in that line, from what I've seen online. (I wonder if the lamp could be recreated with a circle cutter, by the way. I've been thinking about trying to make a cardboard shade for a pendant lamp that way.)