In the XX-XXI centuries, the loft style became popular in the interior, the architectural details of which are some kind of factory elements. Luminaires made of concrete fit perfectly into such a design, not only because of their texture and weight, but also due to the cold color that is also characteristic of this direction. For a separate room, a special appearance, shape and size of the chandelier or sconce is created. This will add personality to the setting.
Pros and cons of such lighting fixtures
There are various concrete lamps on sale and their wide range, strength and durability will be a plus. In the case when it is made independently, it also has a low cost, unique design and the possibility of self-expression. The downside is the considerable weight of the product, however, this problem is solved by a reliable fastening. Not only chandeliers, sconces, floor lamps for the home, but also lamps for the street and garden are successfully obtained from concrete. The Japanese lantern is popular with gardeners, is traditionally made of stone, but can be replaced with concrete.
TOP popular manufacturers of concrete lamps
- Garage Factory from Kazan.
- 28Code in St. Petersburg.
- Lamp Art Studio from Vladivostok.
- Concerte. fun in Krasnoyarsk.
- Bet-On.by from Minsk.
How to make a concrete lamp with your own hands?
First you need to decide on the shape and color of the product, then make a sketch and prepare the necessary materials. Having decided on the place of installation of the future lamp, think over its style, shape, size, color. It is advisable to make a sketch, it will help you understand what additional elements will be required. It is possible to mold an interesting ornament from concrete or create a beautiful texture, or to polish it to a smooth surface. With the help of special dyes, you can change the color of the product and create multi-color compositions. Experienced designers offer the optimal algorithm of action.
Tools and materials
- Formwork material or template.
- Concrete or cement mixture.
- Polyethylene film.
- A sander or sandpaper or stone.
- Fastening.
- The wire.
- Cartridge.
- Screwdriver.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Dowel.
Stages of work
Depending on the size of the future lamp, it is necessary to make a formwork, for example, from plastic bottles. The creation of a luminaire begins with the design of the formwork. Depending on the style and size of the intended product, materials are selected for this purpose. So, it can be plastic bottles, balloons, an old shade, a container of an unusual shape, or a specially created plastic structure. At this stage, it is important to provide a place for fastening, if it is a metal tube with threads on both sides and nuts to it, then we immediately insert it. Next, we prepare concrete and fill the formwork with it.
If the production involves "coating" the form with concrete, knead the appropriate consistency so that the solution is not too liquid.
Then the concrete is wrapped tightly with polyethylene and left to dry for a day. After 24 hours, open the product and remove the formwork, if necessary, let it dry again. The finished cover should be easily removed. After drying, use an emery cloth or a grinder to process all the irregularities, and if a smooth surface was conceived, sand it with a felt wheel.
After finishing work on the plafond, you need to fix it. These can be bolts, springs, threads, or a pressure ring. The only condition is that the mount must be strong to support the weight of the product. It remains to bring the wire, install the cartridge and use a screwdriver, screws and dowels to fix it in the designated place. If desired, you can additionally decorate. The original idea was suggested on the Diy-That’s Simple video Concrete Lamp.
Glass, concrete and LEDs in this product are combined to create a modern, original and stylish lighting element that will be a great addition to the interior. Details of the manufacturing process in the given master class.
Materials (edit)
To make an LED lamp with your own hands, prepare:
LED garland;
a cylindrical glass vase 26.5 cm high;
PVC pipe;
concrete mix;
miter saw;
thermal gun and hot glue sticks;
cling film;
electrical tape;
hacksaw;
stationery knife;
drill;
grinder;
plastic bottle;
foamed adhesive tape;
nail;
a piece of plywood or wood plank.
Step 1. Cut a piece about 13 cm high from the PVC pipe. This will be the mold for the concrete base of your lamp. Adjust its height yourself. The pipe diameter for this project will depend on the diameter of the vase you have taken. There is no need to process the PVC part, it will become the outer wall of the concrete base mold.
Step 2. A cylindrical luminaire base with an empty recess inside is to be made of concrete. To make it, you need a small plastic bottle, which must be cut in height about 2 - 3 cm lower than the outer part of the mold.
Step 3. At the top of the concrete base of the lamp, there should be a small rim on which the vase will be mounted. To make it, glue foam tape on the inside of a piece of prepared PVC pipe.
Step 4. Cover the bottom of the form with cling film and fix it with electrical tape.
Step 5. Dissolve the concrete mix with water in the ratio indicated by the mix manufacturer.
Step 6. Place the prepared part of the pipe on a piece of plywood. Place an upside-down, cut and empty plastic bottle right in the center of it.
Step 7. Gradually start pouring concrete mortar into the mold. Periodically knock on the wall of the PVC pipe with a rubber hammer so that the parts of the mortar settle to the bottom and do not rise. As the material is poured, the plastic bottle may be pushed upward. Take a nail and lower it to the bottom.
Step 8. Take a grinder and use it to create vibrations to shrink the concrete mortar. Continue to hold the bottle with your nail during this process.
Step 9. Leave the entire structure to dry completely. This process can take several days.
Step 10. The resulting concrete base for the lamp you need to get out of the mold. To remove the concrete from the bottom side, gently tap it with a hammer.
It will be easy to remove the mold if you have previously oiled it. If you poured concrete into an unprepared mold, make two small cuts on it with a hacksaw or saw, and remove the PVC part.
Step 11. Sand the resulting workpiece with sandpaper or a sander using the 60 grit attachment.
Step 12. Drill a hole at the top to accommodate a wire that is connected to a plug or other power source. On the bottom side, make a small groove for the wire. This will keep the lamp base stable on a flat surface.
Step 13. Thread the wire through the prepared hole and fix it using hot glue.
Step 14. Connect the LED string to the wire. Place it carefully in the vase. To do this, pre-wind the product on any cylindrical object. Cover the concrete base with a makeshift glass jar.
Do you like unusual interior items? Are you looking for a lamp that matches a modern loft or minimalist interior? This workshop will help you find a solution. It will take only two hours to make an original pendant lamp from ... concrete.
Basic materials
1. Cement and sand or ready-made cement mix of high strength
Advice. If desired, you can use two or more mixtures of different colors to vary the design of the lampshade. You can also use special colored dyes for concrete.
2. Wire with or without switch
Advice. It is worth paying attention to quality, do not forget that the cord must withstand the weight of the concrete lampshade. In order to be sure of reliability, you can additionally use a metal hanging chain.
4. A tube with a thread and nuts to it
Advice. These items can be purchased from a lighting store or removed from an old electrical appliance.
5. Self-tapping screws
6. Two plastic bottles of different diameters
Advice. The larger bottle is selected based on the desired size and shape of the fixture. A regular two-liter container can be a good option. Please note that the embossing on the bottle will also be printed on the outside of the lampshade.
Council. The bottle with a smaller diameter should not be embossed. Its size must be chosen so that the lamp holder can be placed inside. The inner space of the lampshade should not be too narrow and long so that later you can change lamps without problems.
9. Tin can (optional)
Instruments
- Scissors
- Nippers
- Small drill or screwdriver (optional)
- Small concrete mixing paddle
- Hacksaw (optional)
- Paper knife
Do not forget:
- container for mixing cement;
- cover the surface of the table;
- prepare a cloth to wipe off your hands and excess concrete.
After everything you need is prepared, you can get to work.
Step-by-step master class with photo
1. Cut off the bottom of the larger bottle.
2. Drill with a drill or other methods of holes in the covers. It is more convenient to work when the caps are on the bottles. Remember that the holes must be located exactly in the middle so that the thickness of the shade is the same on all sides. The hole must be sized so that the tube will pass freely through it.
3. Attach the tube to the bottom bottle cap.
3. Attach the top bottle.
As a result, you should get the following construction:
4.Fix on the sides of the bottle with self-tapping screws. This will avoid misalignment.
5. Prepare the concrete mix. Fill the form. Remember to shake the bottle while working to ensure a snug fit of the concrete. You can also tamp it with a stick.
Advice. If you want a smooth surface of the fixture, use thick concrete. The liquid consistency will help create an unusual shell-covered surface effect.
Advice. To make pouring concrete more convenient, you can put the bottles on a can (as shown in the photo below).
6. After the concrete has been tamped, the screws can be removed and tamped again by pushing down on the smaller bottle. Be careful not to shift the center. Form the edge.
Advice. The edge can be either flat or asymmetrical.
7. After the concrete is partially dry (depending on the grade used), the bottles can be carefully removed. Do not forget that during this time the lampshade is fragile and easily damaged.
A concrete lamp is a stylish loft accessory that will make an apartment unique, especially if it is made by hand. Today, various well-known design brands offer interesting solutions for pendant lights made of concrete. But such items are usually too expensive or difficult to deliver. Therefore, we suggest that you make such a loft pendant lamp out of concrete with your own hands. All you need for this: two plastic bottles (one large, the other smaller), a liquid mixture of cement with sand and water, a small metal tube with an external thread, four wood screws and an electric wire connected to a socket and a light bulb. In fact, there is nothing difficult in making a concrete lamp with your own hands. So let's get started.
Step 1. Drill holes in the caps of both plastic bottles with a diameter equal to that of the metal tube.
Step 2. Cut the large plastic bottle in half using a utility knife and scissors. This will be the main shape, the so-called "matrix" for our concrete lamp.
Step 3. Pass the metal tube through both bottle caps. Use the nuts to secure the bottles onto the tube.
Step 4. Fix the plastic bottles together using wood screws.
Step 5. Prepare a liquid concrete mixture of the desired consistency.
Step 6. Then pour the prepared cement mixture into the resulting mold from two plastic bottles.
Step 7. After the concrete has hardened, unscrew the fixing screws and remove the excess parts of the plastic mold. Sharp corners can be sanded with sandpaper if desired.
Step 8. Insert the electrical cord into the hole in the metal tube that is fixed to the concrete base.
Step 9. Connect one end of the cord to the bulb holder and the other to the electrical plug.
Everything. Our stylish concrete lamp is ready.
We also attach a video with a detailed description of the process of making a luminaire from concrete in English. If you wish, you can experiment with different shapes of plastic bottles and the composition of the concrete mix.
Glass, concrete and LEDs in this product are combined to create a modern, original and stylish lighting element that will be a great addition to the interior. Details of the manufacturing process in the given master class.
Materials (edit)
To make an LED lamp with your own hands, prepare:
LED garland;
Cylindrical glass vase 26.5 cm high;
PVC pipe;
Concrete mix;
Miter saw;
Thermal gun and hot glue sticks;
Cling film;
Insulating tape;
Hacksaw;
Stationery knife;
Grinding machine;
Plastic bottle;
Foamed adhesive tape;
A piece of plywood or wood plank.
Step 1. Cut a piece about 13 cm high from the PVC pipe. This will be the mold for the concrete base of your lamp. Adjust its height yourself. The pipe diameter for this project will depend on the diameter of the vase you have taken. There is no need to process the PVC part, it will become the outer wall of the concrete base mold.
Step 2. A cylindrical base of the luminaire with an empty cavity inside is to be made of concrete. To make it, you need a small plastic bottle, which must be cut in height about 2 - 3 cm lower than the outer part of the mold.
Step 3. At the top of the concrete base of the lamp, there should be a small rim on which the vase will be mounted. To make it, glue foam tape on the inside of a piece of prepared PVC pipe.
Step 4. Cover the bottom of the mold with cling film and fix it with electrical tape.
Step 5. Dissolve the concrete mix with water in the ratio indicated by the mix manufacturer.
Step 6. Place the prepared part of the pipe on a piece of plywood. Place an upside-down, cut and empty plastic bottle right in the center of it.
Step 7. Gradually start pouring concrete mortar into the mold. Periodically knock on the wall of the PVC pipe with a rubber hammer so that the parts of the mortar settle to the bottom and do not rise. As the material is poured, the plastic bottle may be pushed upward. Take a nail and lower it to the bottom.
Step 8. Take a grinder and use it to create vibrations to shrink the concrete solution. Continue to hold the bottle with your nail during this process.
Step 9. Leave the entire structure to dry completely. This process can take several days.
Step 10. You need to get the resulting concrete base for the lamp out of the mold. To remove the concrete from the bottom side, gently tap it with a hammer.
It will be easy to remove the mold if you have previously oiled it. If you poured concrete into an unprepared mold, make two small cuts on it with a hacksaw or saw, and remove the PVC part.
Step 11. Sand the resulting workpiece with emery paper or a sander using a 60-grit attachment.
Step 12. Drill a hole at the top to accommodate a wire that is connected to a plug or other power source. On the bottom side, make a small groove for the wire. This will keep the lamp base stable on a flat surface.
Step 13. Pass the wire through the prepared hole and fix it in it using hot glue.
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Step 14. Connect the LED string to the wire. Place it carefully in the vase. To do this, pre-wind the product on any cylindrical object. Cover the concrete base with a makeshift glass jar.
