D-I-Y > Plastic jug hanging lamp

description: Looking to make a lamp that really shines, but need something easy on your wallet? Here’s a bright idea you can make without even leaving your house. Rescue chopsticks from last night’s take-out and a plastic jug from the recycling bin and give them a second life. This time around, there’s a bright future ahead.

A variation of this lamp can be found in the January '07 issue of ReadyMade Magazine. By the way, make sure you light your new creation with one of them fancy low energy CFLs (compact flourescent lightbulbs).

ingredients:
- 2 pairs of chopsticks
- empty gallon jug of vinegar or windshield wiper fluid
- fishing line
- 8 #47 o-rings or small black rubberbands
- hanging lamp - like Hemma from Ikea

tools:
- scissors
- ruler
- hole punch
- tack
- non-permanent marker

instructions:
1. Use your marker to make two lines around the plastic container 1/2“ from the bottom and 5 1/2” from the bottom. Then mark 2 vertical lines directly across from each other.

2. To help pierce your container, use a tack to poke a hole outside the area you marked. Then slip your scissors in through that hole. Cut along the lines you marked. Then wash off any marker.

3. Unscrew the bottom disk from the hanging lamp and trace around a scrap from the plastic bottle leftovers. This piece will be sandwiched between the lamp and the screw-on disk. Your lamp will hang from this piece. Cut along the lines you marked making the center diameter slight larger than the marked line. Ours was 1.5” x 2.5". Set this piece for step 7.

4. Punch a hole in each corner of the plastic panels from step 2.

5. Take one panel and slide a pair of chopsticks through the holes. Secure the chopsticks in place by placing rubberbands on each of the ends.

6. Cup the second piece of plastic around the bottom of the first, then thread the remaining 2 chopsticks into the holes of this plastic panel as you did on the other in step 5. Make sure this piece hangs crosswise from the first. Secure in place with rubberbands.

7. Cut four 11” pieces of fishing line. Tie one piece to each chopstick end on the top panel. Then tie the other ends to the “donut” shape you cut in step 3.

8. Slide the "donut" onto the light fixture and screw the light together. Now you’re ready to plug in your new creation. This lamp will shed some new light on scrap materials headed for the landfill.