I have tried to use all types of lamps in my kitchen, from a simple little candle to a beautiful chandelier that would rival a hotel lobby. When I got tired of all the different styles, I decided to create my own. The challenge was how to create a lamp that was both practical and beautiful.
It’s a little tricky, but here’s my secret for making the most of your lamp’s space and light output: The lamp’s bulb should be no more than about a quarter of an inch in diameter, to allow for the light to shine through. A lot of people like to use a cheap, round bulb. I use a 10W bulb, which is a good compromise between the size and light output of a standard bulb and the price of a round bulb.
What you’re going to need to do is cut the length of the lamp, then drill a hole in the middle, and use a screw at the end to attach it to the lamp base. Then you want to put a piece of tape on the end of the screw, to make it look sharp. My lamps are about a quarter of an inch in diameter and I use a 10W bulb.
I’m a fan of the 10W bulb, because its color doesn’t change as you turn the bulb on and off. It’s just a regular bulb. The round ones can be a little dimmer, but then you have to keep them topped up with a little gas to make them any brighter.
I’m a fan of the round ones, because then you can adjust the light up and down with a lampshade or a magnifying glass. The 10W bulbs are a little tricky, so I usually use a 1W bulb and drill a hole in the middle to make it look a little dimmer.
Using a 10W bulb is generally a good idea. The color of the bulb does vary from bulb to bulb, but with a 10W bulb you can have all different colors. You can also make your lamps brighter by filling them with a little gas (I think that one can be done with a small can of compressed air. I just drill a hole in the bottom of the bulb and use a screwdriver to screw in the gas).
What’s great about DIY lamps is they can be made from recycled materials. If you have some old bulb lights, you can always buy a new bulb at Lowe’s for $3. If you don’t have any bulbs for $3, you can always recycle them through a local recycling center like Recycle US. If you’re just starting out, start with one bulb. They’re cheap, and they’ll be easy to modify later on.
In this case, the DIY lamp was a really inexpensive “fancy” bulb that we just bought at Lowes, as opposed to the ones that cost around $4 or $5. The idea is to use a screwdriver to punch a hole in the bottom of the lamp and fill it with compressed air. That way, the bulb will have enough space to hold the air inside it, making it easier for the screwdriver to push the bulb into position.
We thought this was a very clever idea, and we were happy to come up with it ourselves. But when we tried it, the compressed air simply wouldn’t work. The holes in the lamp were too small. The screwdriver had to be pushed a little further in order for the air to even get in there. It was as if the lamp was sticking out of the air.
We were really surprised to find that the small holes in the lamp did nothing to stop the air from getting in. We think the hole was so small that it was just a one-way valve. If you look closely, the space in the top of the bulb is only 1.5 inches wide, so if you were to use compressed air, the air would have to go all the way across the lamp to get to the bulb, making the bulb move.