How to Make a Wood Lamp

Making a lamp for your home can be a fun and creative way to add personal design to any setting. It is also a longer lasting and less expensive method of furnishing a home. A homemade wood lamp can also be a cherished piece to keep in the family. The best way to do this is with a wood lamp. Making a wood lamp takes many small steps, but it may be completed in less than 2 hours and can be a fun project. Here are the steps to making a wood lamp.

Instructions

Measurements and Cuts

1

Find a wood board with the following measurements: 1 1/2-feet long by 4 inches wide with a depth of 1 inch. You can work with scrap wood or buy one board from a lumber yard. The length and width will give you enough room for the entire project.

2

Measure the sizes needed and mark your lines on the board with your pencil. The best method for this is to measure 3 inches from the top of the board, mark the spot. Repeat that step. Then mark another spot 2 inches down, and repeat this step three more times. Place the measuring tape across the board at the markings and draw a line, making sure the line is straight across. This will give you six lines to cut.

3

Cut along these lines with the saw. You will have extra wood available for mistakes but not much. Once you have the blocks cut from the board, gather up the 3-inch sections. Measure up the long side of the block to 3 inches. Mark the spot and draw a line across the block. Cut the wood along the line to create the 3-by-3-by-1 inch block. Repeat this three more times. You now have all six blocks to build the lamp.

Making the Top

4

Choose one of the larger blocks and mark the center with the pencil. Insert the 1/2-inch drill bit into the drill. Drill through the mark you just made. This will be where your wiring will go through the block. This block of wood is the top of the lamp.

5

Choose one of the smaller blocks and mark the center of one side of the block. Drill a hole at the mark. This is where the other end of the wiring will come out of the lamp.

6

Open the lamp kit and take out the cord. Insert one end into either piece to ensure a good fit. Use the screwdriver to widen the hole if needed by working the end in a circular motion inside the hole. Remove the cord and put aside.

Building the Sides

7

Taking two of the smaller squares, line up one square so that the back overlaps the left edge of the other square. Make sure the edges are flush. Nail these two pieces together with two or three nails. This will give you one half of lamp wall. Repeat this step with the other two remaining smaller squares.

8

Take the two halves and nail them together. Line up the back of one square with the side of another square so that you form a box with the pieces. You should see that all four sides have the right side of a square overlapping the left end of the adjoining block. Nail these pieces together to form your walls.

9

Take the square with the hole in the center and measure 1-inch in on all sides. Mark this point. Place the "box" on top of the square and line it up with the markings. Make sure the side wall with the hole has the hole on the end away from the "top" square.

10

Flip the entire unit over and nail the top into place. You should have a small wooden box with an overhang at the top.

Finishing the Project

11

Insert the wiring cord through the top of the lamp and feed it through the hole in the side wall. Attach the locking nut and other lamp parts as directed by the kit instructions. The plug should be coming out of the side wall.

12

Test the lamp assembly before attaching the bottom piece. Screw on a lightbulb and plug the cord into an outlet. Turn on the lamp. Once the lamp works, you only need to connect the base. Unplug the lamp and remove the light bulb before continuing.

13

Turn the lamp over and attach the base in the same way you attached the top using Step 3 in the third section. You have now built a wooden lamp. Paint the lamp with the stain or paint of your choosing.