Introduction: 1 Dollar Lamp

You need to collect waste materials to build make this lamp, and it will only cost you 1 dollar if you have the tools already!

Step 1: Collecting Waste Materials

Find following waste materials:

  • Scrap metal pipes at hardware stores
  • Scarp metal sheets at hardware stores
  • Wires at construction sites
  • Signboard with LED light strips at construction sites
  • Adaptor at recycling bins

Step 2: Spend That 1 Dollar

Buy two wood balls. One is 2 inches wide and one is 1 inch wide. The sizes vary due to how thick the metals pipes are, and my pipes are 1 inch thick.

The cheapest way to get them might be to buy them from taobao.com if you are in China. Following is the link:

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.27...

Step 3: Prepare the Body

  • Drill three holes, about half-inch-deep, on the bigger ball and one hole on the smaller one like the images indicate.
  • Try your best to make the holes snug fit for the pipes.
  • Drill holes through the balls like the dotted lines indicate in my drawing, and they should be big enough for your wires to go through.

Step 4: Make an Adjustable Lamp Shade

  • Cut the metal sheet into the desired shape.
  • Bend it according to the size of the smaller ball.
  • Place it over the ball and drill holes respectively on two sides of the ball and two ends of the metal sheet.
  • Drill screws through the metal sheets and into the wood ball, neither too tight nor too loose. Loose enough that the lamp shade is adjusted but tight enough to make it stay.

Step 5: Glue Them Together

  • Take the LED light strips off from the signboard, and cut them into the desired length
  • Use glue gun to stick the strips below the shade.
  • Connect wires of the light strip to that of the adaptor together.
  • Make your wires go through the wood balls and metal pipes like the red line in my drawing indicates.
  • Use epoxy glue to stick the metal to the wood like my drawing indicates. Any glue for metal and wood words.(It says epoxy glue takes 5 minutes to dry, but you should leave it overnight to make sure it's completely dry and tough)

Step 6: Make It Consumer -friendly

  • Shape a small chunk of wood into this shape using sand machine and sandpaper. Make it a little thicker at the end so the wood doesn't slide into the pipe
  • Use epoxy glue to connect them and wait for it to dry.

Step 7: ...and There Was Light!

Congratulations! You just made a lamp using one dollar!