Got a stack of unnecessary CDs? Don't throw them away! You can make a beautiful lamp from them. In this tutorial you will learn how to make a very inexpensive and eco-friendly lamp from an old CD collection.
Interested?
Budget = 500 - 1000 euros Time = 4 - 8 hours Tools = found in every home Difficulty = easy - medium Size = diameter 40 cm / height 28 cm
Materials
- CDs (1000 discs.)
- Fiberboard circle (1 pc.)
- Electrical connector (12 positions)
- Steel wire (5m)
- Lamp socket
- Electrical wire + switch + plug
- Fluorescent lamp E27 (1 pcs.)
- Silicone sticks (2 pcs.)
- Rubber feet (3 pcs.)
- drill
- ticks
- pliers
- screwdriver
- glue/gun for silicone
- compass
- pencil
- ruler-triangle
- Do not use silicone for the last 5-10 layers of discs in case you need to replace the light bulb.
- do not forget to adjust the shape of the rods so that there is a symmetrical ball of disks during the stringing process.
Tools
Step 1: Preparation
Before starting work on the lamp, you need to collect the necessary spare parts and check that you have all the tools. Don't worry, you'll likely have most of the tools and materials you need around the house. The rest can be purchased inexpensively online or in local stores.
How many CDs do I need?
To make a lamp the size of mine, you will need 900 - 1000 CDs (about 15 kg).
If you can’t find that many discs, you can ask your friends, colleagues or classmates: I think many people want to get rid of old CDs (old music discs, various free discs from magazines, recorded films, etc.).
Fiberboard circle
diameter 20 cm / height 1.5 cm easy to find in hardware stores
Electrical connectors
12 connectors The size of the connector should be determined by the diameter of the steel wire: the steel wire should fit into the hole of the connector.
Steel wire
5 m with a diameter of 2 mm should be just right.
Lamp socket + electric wire + switch + plug
You can find an already assembled version or make it yourself. Choose the size and style according to your design taste. I think it is better to take a wire at least 2 m long.
Fluorescent energy saving lamp E27
In principle, any energy-saving fluorescent lamp will do. If you want to install a smaller lamp, you need to take the appropriate one.
Silicone
Make sure that the silicone you buy is transparent, you need 2 sticks of the largest size.
Rubber feet
3 pcs. You need small rubber feet with a diameter of about 2 cm.
Step 2: Making the Bottom
Take a circle from fiberboard, and using a compass and ruler, divide the circle into 12 sectors. Connect the division points with lines to determine the center in order to insert the cartridge, steel wire into it, and also mark the places for the rubber feet. You can see in the photographs what it should look like.
Use a drill to drill the required holes.
Cut 6 pieces of steel wire using pliers, each length is 1 m. Bend each piece into an arc using a vice or pliers.
Now you need to attach it all to the bottom of the future lamp: 1) secure 3 rubber feet with bolts and a screwdriver 2) secure the lamp socket in the central hole.
As a result, the cartridge should “sit” in the center of the lamp.
Step 3: Making a lattice and a sphere from CDs
Secure the 6 arc-shaped pieces of wire by inserting both ends into the holes. Now you need to wrap the arcs with your hands or pliers to the desired shape. The result should be a lattice in the form of a sphere (SEE PHOTO).
Unnecessary edges of the wire can be cut off with wire cutters. The result will be a grid of 12 steel wires in the shape of a spherical cage (SEE PHOTO).
Now you can start stringing CDs. First you need to fill only 6 rods close to the center with disks. Alternate layering of discs between rods (place a layer of 3 discs across one rod at a time - SEE PHOTO). Each disk must lie on 2 adjacent ones. Every 5-10 layers, check that the discs lie evenly and symmetrically. Fill the space between the rod and the discs with silicone from a gun.
Repeat this procedure until the discs begin to overlap each other again. This will happen when the stacks of discs are approximately 6 cm high.
At this point you need to string 6 disks in a layer one by one (SEE PHOTO). As before, every 5-10 layers you need to glue the space between the disc and the rod with silicone. As a result, there will already be 12 stacks of disks. Continue stringing onto 12 rods as long as the size allows, then move on to 6 rods again, stringing 3 discs alternately.
The 6 stacks of disks should converge toward the center. Be sure to install the E27 bulb in the socket first, as the discs will block access to the socket at the top.
IMPORTANT:
Step 4: Top of the Lamp
When the height of the stacks of disks reaches approximately 26 cm, you need to wrap each end of the wire towards the center. All excess wire must be cut off. The result will look like in the PHOTO.
Now you need to clamp the edges of the wire. Divide the circle (2 disks folded together) into 12 sectors. On each of the 12 drawn radii, mark 2 points for installing an electrical connector. Using a drill, drill 24 holes. Make sure the distance between the two holes on each radius fits the connectors you have.
Disassemble the electrical connector to remove the 12 metal connectors.
Assemble the top by placing a connector on each wire, secure the top disc to the connectors using bolts and a screwdriver.
Step 5: Turn it on!
You don’t know what to do with the old CDs that you have accumulated and are no longer needed. Unfortunately, the time for recording on discs has already passed; the time has come for the Internet and flash drives, which are much cheaper than discs. But discs are our history, and it is very difficult to free ourselves from history. So homemade craftsmen come to our aid, bringing back the past era to us in a wonderful new light. The same thing happened with disks. Recently I saw a beautiful chandelier made from CD discs, such that it is impossible to take your admiring eyes off of it. Exquisite, magnificent, it fascinates you and envelops you with its bright light, since the mirror surface of a chandelier made of disks perfectly reflects the light, and such a lamp made of LED disks burns especially brightly. Today, there are many options for table and ceiling lamps made from spectacularly iridescent discs, including designer chandeliers. But you can try to make lamps yourself.
When making lamps, in almost all cases, a wire frame is first made. In this case, too, there was a frame on which CDs are strung along the circumference in one row, and a lighting device is located in the center.
Here CDs are strung onto a frame not only in several rows, but also connected to each other, forming a magnificently luminous ball.
Or you can install the disks on the frame in a chaotic manner. It turns out very cheap and original.
And this is a disco ball, a magnificent sculpture made from CDs, where the reflective property of CDs, although old, but so in demand, is fully used.
Table lamps made from iridescent round CDs are also completely unique. Here, with the production of such wonderful crafts, a new life began for old unnecessary CDs.
Starting over the weekend, I was simply drawn into this exciting activity. And it all started with the fact that my child and I had to make a couple of Christmas tree decorations for a street Christmas tree, which (more precisely for 2 Christmas trees) grows in the courtyard of the kindergarten. And then it began…..I scoured the Internet looking for ideas and eventually found what you see now. Unfortunately, I didn’t find such a MK on our favorite site (if it already exists, then I apologize - I didn’t intend to plagiarize, and therefore I admit that it wasn’t me who came up with it, but I’m just embodying what I saw on other sites)
We are preparing the materials: 1. old and unnecessary CDs (12 disks are needed for one ball) 2. A soldering iron with a sharp tip (I think we can somehow do without it, but it will work faster with this device) 3. Glue gun 4. Wire 5. Tinsel (I used thin) - about 4 meters 6. Good mood and time about 40 minutes
STEP 1: cut out a template - a pentagon with sides approximately 6.5 - 7 cm. We will need it for the next step
STEP2: apply our template to the disk and, using a soldering iron, make 5 holes in the disk corresponding to the corners of the pentagon. And so with all 12 discs
Step3: cut the wire. In the future, we will use this wire to fasten our parts together.
Step4: We begin to assemble the ball. The ends of the wire look towards the underside of our future ball. Then we begin to connect the outer 5 disks to each other (see arrows)
It turns out like this (looks like a vase)
Step 6: place the second row of disks in a checkerboard pattern relative to the first row. and then we close everything with the last (12th) disk. Our ball is ready. You can decorate with tinsel.
My brother, seeing the ball, suggested putting a light bulb inside and I liked this idea. This is where my experiment began. Only instead of a light bulb, inside I placed a New Year's garland of many small light bulbs before connecting the last disk to the parts. Plugged it in and...
VOILA! True, my “point-and-shoot” camera, which dares to call itself a digital camera, still doesn’t know how to photograph garlands and other lighting effects well. Therefore, the quality of the photo (even though it turned out at all) - I apologize - is not so great. BUT it's still fascinating.
For now it stands like this…..without decoration. BUT I don’t know - is it worth adding tinsel to this lamp at all or leaving it like that? How do you think? I DON’T like winter because I have to get up in the morning when it’s already dark outside. But today I’m even a little happy about it. Perhaps I will be able to wake up the child early tomorrow and surprise him with such an unusual New Year's lamp. And at the same time take a couple more photos
And this morning, on the way to Kindergarten, the child happily agreed to pose with the balloons. In the morning we gave them to the teachers. Our group is located next to the kitchen. SO - while we were walking, the cooks turned their heads, then they came running to look... And the children from the street saw us and shouted to the teacher, “Look, Vladik is carrying something beautiful.” In general, everyone is happy. And as always, we brought them on time: one of these days a commission will come to the kindergarten with an inspection. We were offered to participate in a competition with them, but I honestly refused. Because the child did not take part in their creation, and we have another idea in stock - especially for the competition (it is important for me that the child also works.
Nowadays, information carriers such as CDs are gradually fading into the background. Don’t rush to throw away iridescent circles that have become unnecessary; they can become an excellent material for creativity.
What format of the lamp can be created?
Many engineers are interested in what can be done from banal CDs. The answer may come as a shock, but it is absolutely true: everything you can do with your imagination. The shiny side can be used as a reflector for a garland, chandelier or individual lighting lamp.
In order to make a lamp from disks, you will need a number of tools and additional spare parts, which can be easily purchased at a specialized store:
- the actual disks;
- some wire;
- electrical tape, hot glue;
- LED strips or lamp housing;
- power plug;
- engineering set.
As practice shows, every man has everything necessary to make such a craft. There is some possibility that homemade lamps made from disks with your own hands may not work the first time, but do not despair - you will be able to find a mistake or defect, eliminate them and get a working device.
CD lamp
The era of CD discs is over; they are practically no longer used. In addition, many old damaged CDs have been preserved. Some of them were thrown away at some point, but most remained. What to do with them? They take up space that could otherwise be taken up by newer format discs. A way out of this situation could be to make a lamp, for example this one. We will tell you how to make such a lamp from CDs with your own hands in this article.
The parts for such a lamp are old CDs, a fluorescent lamp, a starter for it, and a housing. The first step in the manufacture of such a lamp is the manufacture of the body, or rather the base and cover. The shape of the body does not play a fundamental role. But, the simplest case option is, of course, a square. This housing option requires minimal physical effort. When making it, you only need a square, a hacksaw and a piece of fiberboard or plywood. In general, the shape of the case depends only on your taste. You can make the body triangular, polygonal, or round, as in the photo. This is not of fundamental importance. The stand can be made from several layers of plywood or sawn boards, fastening them together with glue, such as PVA. The layers of 20 mm wood for the photo below should be as follows: 1 layer with a diameter of 180 mm and a hole in the center of 15 mm (for wiring) and three holes of 10 mm evenly distributed through 120 degrees along a radius of 130 mm, and 2 layers with a diameter of 180 mm and with a center hole 100 mm. By gluing the layers we get a technological recess inside the body; the inside of the cavity can be covered with insulating material.
We fix the lamp starter or power supply inside the housing; it all depends on the light source. (in the picture there is a specialized power supply for LED strip)
When using an LED strip in a circuit made of disks, you can also use a regular small transformer with a rectifier bridge made of diodes. We drill the middle layer outwards and bring out the power supply and the lamp switch. The switch is used in the form of a toggle switch, and power is supplied through a connector socket. Everything is mounted on an aluminum plate secured with shoe nails to the middle layer.
And, of course, don’t forget about the fasteners between the base of the lamp and its upper part. The top cover is made with dimensions of 180 mm in diameter and with three holes for 10 mm limiting posts drilled to a depth of 10 mm every 120 degrees on a 130 mm diameter, which hold a stack of CDs. The stands themselves are 3 pieces with a diameter of 10 mm and a length equal to the height of the stack of lamp disks. As a lamp, you can use fluorescent lamps manufactured with a tube diameter of 12.5 mm. The brightness and length of the lamp can be selected from suppliers or a stack of lamp disks can be adjusted to fit the lamp. Another option for using a light source can be an LED strip. In this embodiment, the tape goes up and then down into the cavity of the stack of disks. In general, everything is limited by your imagination. Connecting pieces of tape is very simple. It is necessary, first, to provide the required power for the power supply unit and second, to cut the tape according to the marked marks marked on it, that is, a cut can be made every 3 LEDs. We cover the body of the lamp with drying oil and varnish, which will give it solidity and practicality.
Main stages of work
So, if you want to get a truly unique lamp, you should start by creating the body of the future device. You can shape it using hot glue, but working with thin disks is problematic. To solve this problem, several dozen CDs are most often glued together to create a weighty case.
Then pass the power cable through the main hole, strip it and attach a lamp socket to one end. These elements can be connected either using modern plastic fasteners or by soldering them together.
However, it is worth understanding that high-quality insulation of the connection is required to eliminate the possibility of electrical injury.
Remember that the discs must be positioned with a shiny surface facing the lamp, as it acts as a reflector. Thanks to this, the light acquires a brighter and more saturated hue, so it becomes possible to use sources of lower power - the result will be the same.
A power plug is attached to the free side of the cable, for installation of which solder or a mechanical method can be used. Modern technologies make it possible to eliminate solder, but the decision remains with the engineer. After this, the simplest lamp made from CDs is ready.
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in creating a unique lamp with your own hands. Try, use your imagination and search for information on the Internet to surprise not only your guests and loved ones, but also yourself, since each similar product can perfectly complement your interior design!
Nowadays, information carriers such as CDs are gradually fading into the background. Don’t rush to throw away iridescent circles that have become unnecessary; they can become an excellent material for creativity.
Connecting a lamp from a CD to the electrical network
Due to the weight, the manufactured frame is not suitable for use as a chandelier. It is better to install it on a flat horizontal surface like a table lamp.
There is nothing complicated about connecting the structure to the network. To do this you will need a cartridge, wire and plug. The cable must have good insulation. This will avoid short circuit. You need to screw a plug onto 1 end of the wire, and connect a light bulb socket to 2. If everything is done correctly, when the plug is plugged into the outlet, the device should work. If desired, a switch can be installed on the cable.
A CD table lamp will best decorate a high-tech interior, but it will also look good in rooms decorated in other modern design trends.
Nowadays, information carriers such as CDs are gradually fading into the background. Don’t rush to throw away iridescent circles that have become unnecessary; they can become an excellent material for creativity.
Second life for discs?
There are many ways to give a second life to old CDs, in this article you will see some of them. Crafts made from CDs can be an excellent solution for the interior and garden, or simply help you have an interesting time while developing creative thinking.
Creative people have long invented a huge number of options for beautiful crafts from CDs for children and adults; all you have to do is reproduce their ideas, and maybe come up with your own.
Throwing away such wonderful and interesting material is a huge mistake. Using CDs you can make unique interior items, original and stylish gifts, decorations for your dacha and garden: whatever your heart desires and whatever your imagination and perseverance is enough for.
Check out some ideas for creative uses for old computer disks and create some wonderful new things with your own hands!
LED lamp
If you urgently need a new original lighting device, old disks will come to the rescue. This craft can be used both in the home interior and in the country.
You don’t need any special materials for this work: the main condition is just to use a little imagination and patience.
Be sure to follow our detailed step-by-step instructions:
You will need 12 scrap disks, a protractor, metal staples or paper clips, a lamp socket and a thin drill bit.
First, we divide one of the disks into five identical segments. For these purposes, use a protractor: the angle between the segments should be approximately 72 degrees. This disk will serve as a stencil for the rest.
On the segment line, approximately 3-4 millimeters from the edge, drill five small holes. Next step: put the remaining disks in a stack and using the first disk (placing it at the very top of the stack) make exactly the same holes in the others.
In order for the craft to be strong and hold well, you will need support rods. Ballpoint pen rods are ideal for this: insert the rods needed to act as guides into the holes you just made.
If you used a really thin, proper drill bit, you won't even need to fix the holes: they'll fit perfectly.
The lamp is almost ready, now we attach the remaining disks to the structure with brackets.
Now all that remains is to work with the light: the last step is to screw the desired lamp into the socket.
Flower
If you've been sorting out old boxes at your dacha and found a lot of unnecessary discs, there is a great way to use them to benefit the beauty of your yard. Crafts made from disks for the garden look very original and interesting, in addition, they are incredibly easy to make.
In this mini-lesson, I suggest making small flowers from discs to decorate a garden, vegetable garden or yard at the dacha.
Note!
The tools for this craft do not require anything unusual: the right number of disks (it all depends on how many flowers you are going to make), a candle, scissors and paints to make the flowers more vibrant.
The manufacturing process does not require special skills, it is very fast, but at the same time it will captivate you from the first second.
All you need to do is carefully melt the disks over a candle (remember safety precautions: it is best to do this indoors and have some water nearby to put out the fire in case of danger) so that the plastic goes into beautiful waves, similar to flower petals.
I offer step-by-step instructions for making a beautiful rose from disks:
- First you need to cut the disk evenly along the entire length of the radius and heat one edge of the cut over a candle.
- Once the plastic is warm and soft, take a pair of pliers and use them to turn the edge slightly to the side.
- Slowly turn the disc over the flame and continue bending the molten fragments.
- At the end you should end up with a small spiral, which will become a rose bud.
- You can paint it any color, attach a wire stem, cut leaves from other leaves and form a whole flower bed! It all depends on your imagination.
So, today you learned how to make some simple crafts from old CDs. I hope you found this lesson useful and learned a lot from it.
Note!
Frame preparation
Begin assembly work by forming the bottom of the lamp. To do this, divide the fiberboard circle into 12 sectors using a ruler and compass. Connect the division points with lines to determine the center; this is necessary for inserting the cartridge, steel wire and marking the place where the rubber feet are attached. Use a drill to drill holes.
Using pliers, cut 6 pieces of steel wire 1 meter long. Bend each piece into an arc; the task is easier to cope with using pliers or a vice. Bolt the three rubber feet and the cartridge into the center hole.
Required tools and materials
To make a lamp from old disks, you will need the following materials:
- about 1000 CDs;
- a circle made of fiberboard, the diameter of which is 20 cm and the thickness is 1.5-2 cm;
- steel wire with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of 5 m;
- 12 electrical connectors, selected according to the diameter of the steel wire;
- fluorescent lamp;
- 3 rubber feet with a diameter of 2 cm;
- lamp socket;
- 2 m electric wire with plug;
- switch;
- gun with liquid silicone.
Tools to help assemble the product:
- compass;
- triangle ruler;
- marker;
- a simple pencil;
- hot glue for silicone;
- mites;
- screwdriver;
- pliers;
- drill.
Disc assembly
Secure the 6 arced wire pieces by inserting them into the holes. Twist the arcs or pliers to obtain the desired shape. As a result, a spherical lattice should be formed. Use wire cutters to remove excess wire edges.
Start assembly by filling 6 rods located closer to the center. Place the disks alternating with each other so that each disk lies on two adjacent ones. Fill the space between the discs and the rod with silicone. Repeat the installation until the discs begin to overlap each other again. From now on, string 6 discs one at a time. Collect discs onto 12 rods as long as the size allows, then again switch to 6 rods and string 3 discs at a time.
Before the 6 stacks of disks converge towards the center, install the E27 lamp into the socket. In the last 8-10 layers, do not use silicone to gain access to the lamp if it needs to be replaced.
How to make a lamp from Paper
Got a stack of unnecessary CDs? Don't throw them away! You can make a beautiful lamp from them. In this tutorial you will learn how to make a very inexpensive and eco-friendly lamp from an old CD collection.
Interested?
Budget = 500 - 1000 euros Time = 4 - 8 hours Tools = found in every home Difficulty = easy - medium Size = diameter 40 cm / height 28 cm
Materials
- CDs (1000 discs.)
- Fiberboard circle (1 pc.)
- Electrical connector (12 positions)
- Steel wire (5m)
- Lamp socket
- Electrical wire + switch + plug
- Fluorescent lamp E27 (1 pcs.)
- Silicone sticks (2 pcs.)
- Rubber feet (3 pcs.)
Tools - drill
- ticks
- pliers
- screwdriver
- glue/gun for silicone
- compass
- pencil
- ruler-triangle
Step 1: PreparationBefore starting work on the lamp, you need to collect the necessary spare parts and check that you have all the tools. Don't worry, you'll likely have most of the tools and materials you need around the house. The rest can be purchased inexpensively online or in local stores.
How many CDs do I need?
To make a lamp the size of mine, you will need 900 - 1000 CDs (about 15 kg).
If you can’t find that many discs, you can ask your friends, colleagues or classmates: I think many people want to get rid of old CDs (old music discs, various free discs from magazines, recorded films, etc.).
Fiberboard circle
diameter 20 cm / height 1.5 cm easy to find in hardware stores
Electrical connectors
12 connectors The size of the connector should be determined by the diameter of the steel wire: the steel wire should fit into the hole of the connector.
Steel wire
5 m with a diameter of 2 mm should be just right.
Lamp socket + electric wire + switch + plug
You can find an already assembled version or make it yourself. Choose the size and style according to your design taste. I think it is better to take a wire at least 2 m long.
Fluorescent energy saving lamp E27
In principle, any energy-saving fluorescent lamp will do. If you want to install a smaller lamp, you need to take the appropriate one.
Silicone
Make sure that the silicone you buy is transparent, you need 2 sticks of the largest size.
Rubber feet
3 pcs. You need small rubber feet with a diameter of about 2 cm.
Step 2: Making the Bottom
Take a circle from fiberboard, and using a compass and ruler, divide the circle into 12 sectors. Connect the division points with lines to determine the center in order to insert the cartridge, steel wire into it, and also mark the places for the rubber feet. You can see in the photographs what it should look like.
Use a drill to drill the required holes.
Cut 6 pieces of steel wire using pliers, each length is 1 m. Bend each piece into an arc using a vice or pliers.
Now you need to attach it all to the bottom of the future lamp: 1) secure 3 rubber feet with bolts and a screwdriver 2) secure the lamp socket in the central hole.
As a result, the cartridge should “sit” in the center of the lamp.
Step 3: Making a lattice and a sphere from CDs
Secure the 6 arc-shaped pieces of wire by inserting both ends into the holes. Now you need to wrap the arcs with your hands or pliers to the desired shape. The result should be a lattice in the form of a sphere (SEE PHOTO).
Unnecessary edges of the wire can be cut off with wire cutters. The result will be a grid of 12 steel wires in the shape of a spherical cage (SEE PHOTO).
Now you can start stringing CDs. First you need to fill only 6 rods close to the center with disks. Alternate layering of discs between rods (place a layer of 3 discs across one rod at a time - SEE PHOTO). Each disk must lie on 2 adjacent ones. Every 5-10 layers, check that the discs lie evenly and symmetrically. Fill the space between the rod and the discs with silicone from a gun.
Repeat this procedure until the discs begin to overlap each other again. This will happen when the stacks of discs are approximately 6 cm high.
At this point you need to string 6 disks in a layer one by one (SEE PHOTO). As before, every 5-10 layers you need to glue the space between the disc and the rod with silicone. As a result, there will already be 12 stacks of disks. Continue stringing onto 12 rods as long as the size allows, then move on to 6 rods again, stringing 3 discs alternately.
The 6 stacks of disks should converge toward the center. Be sure to install the E27 bulb in the socket first, as the discs will block access to the socket at the top.
IMPORTANT:
- Do not use silicone for the last 5-10 layers of discs in case you need to replace the light bulb.
- do not forget to adjust the shape of the rods so that there is a symmetrical ball of disks during the stringing process.
Step 4: Top of the LampWhen the height of the stacks of disks reaches approximately 26 cm, you need to wrap each end of the wire towards the center. All excess wire must be cut off. The result will look like in the PHOTO.
Now you need to clamp the edges of the wire. Divide the circle (2 disks folded together) into 12 sectors. On each of the 12 drawn radii, mark 2 points for installing an electrical connector. Using a drill, drill 24 holes. Make sure the distance between the two holes on each radius fits the connectors you have.
Disassemble the electrical connector to remove the 12 metal connectors.
Assemble the top by placing a connector on each wire, secure the top disc to the connectors using bolts and a screwdriver.
Step 5: Turn it on!
Nowadays, information carriers such as CDs are gradually fading into the background. Don’t rush to throw away iridescent circles that have become unnecessary; they can become an excellent material for creativity.
The top of the chandelier
When the stacks reach 26 cm, wrap the wires towards the center. Divide 2 disks folded together into 12 sectors, mark 2 points on each radius, drill holes for the electrical connector. Disassemble the electrical connector so that you can remove the metal connectors. To assemble the top, place a connector on each wire, secure the top disk to the bolts using a screwdriver.
The time of CDs has almost passed, many people still have a large number of them - music, films, cartoons, outdated computer programs - with images on them of characters from fairy tales and films, flowers, graphic pictures.
They sparkle and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow on the one hand, and on the other they have beautiful designs. You don’t feel like throwing them away - and there’s no need to, you can use them to make a lot of original, beautiful and useful things for your home.
In addition, it is very easy to work with them - they already have the correct circle shape, which in some crafts will only need to be slightly changed in order to give the future product or decoration the desired look. At the same time, they are easily cut with ordinary office scissors and glued to a surface made of almost any material.
It happens that some home interior items have lost their appearance, it is not possible to replace them with new ones, or it is simply a pity to throw away an old favorite thing that has served faithfully for many years. Discs will help give things a new life.
For example, you can decorate an old mirror with them, making an original frame from pieces of different shapes and sizes that sparkles and shimmers in the rays of sunlight from a window or in the light of an electric lamp with all the colors of the rainbow.
You can make a beautiful frame for a photo, decorate the edges of the cabinet drawers with a mosaic of pieces of disks.
Which lamp should I install in a disk chandelier?
The lamp is installed before the adjacent disks are secured. If you want to get sharp themes, you should use an incandescent lamp, but with a power not exceeding 25 W.
The use of a more powerful lamp threatens to melt the plastic from which the discs are made.
The time of CDs has almost passed, many people still have a large number of them - music, films, cartoons, outdated computer programs - with images on them of characters from fairy tales and films, flowers, graphic pictures.
They sparkle and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow on the one hand, and on the other they have beautiful designs. You don’t feel like throwing them away - and there’s no need to, you can use them to make a lot of original, beautiful and useful things for your home.
In addition, it is very easy to work with them - they already have the correct circle shape, which in some crafts will only need to be slightly changed in order to give the future product or decoration the desired look. At the same time, they are easily cut with ordinary office scissors and glued to a surface made of almost any material.
It happens that some home interior items have lost their appearance, it is not possible to replace them with new ones, or it is simply a pity to throw away an old favorite thing that has served faithfully for many years. Discs will help give things a new life.
For example, you can decorate an old mirror with them, making an original frame from pieces of different shapes and sizes that sparkles and shimmers in the rays of sunlight from a window or in the light of an electric lamp with all the colors of the rainbow.
You can make a beautiful frame for a photo, decorate the edges of the cabinet drawers with a mosaic of pieces of disks.
Frame for mirror or photo
You will need a lot of disks, scissors, paints, glue, thick cardboard, colorless transparent varnish.
First you need to cut out a frame from cardboard in the shape and size of a mirror or photo. Then cut the disks into pieces of different shapes - squares, irregular quadrangles, rhombuses, triangles.
Take glue and stick the figures onto the frame so that there is a distance of one or two millimeters between them. As a result, the frame will have a mosaic of iridescent geometric shapes.
When the glue has dried and the figures cut out from the disk have stuck well, use black ink or paint to carefully and carefully go over the joints of the figures. After this, the frame is coated with transparent varnish, allowed to dry and mounted on a wall with a mirror or photograph.
Mirror frames made from discs look mysterious and original.
If the apartment has interior doors with glass, the glass can also be covered with a mosaic of disks. In this case, there is no need to paint the joints between the pieces, but simply cover everything with transparent varnish, then there will be a feeling of light and space.
Decorating walls with discs
On the wall in the room or in the kitchen, you can lay out an interesting composition from disks with beautiful pictures selected by theme. Or you can use them to create your own painting.
To do this, you need to take the disks and paint their shiny side with black ink; when the ink is dry, mark the lines of the future image along it, and then go over them with something sharp - a thick needle, a special scraper or a sharp knife with a thin blade and a sharp tip.
Iridescent lines on a black background will look very beautiful - you can draw anything you like: unusual birds, flowers, an abstract design. And hang the discs on the wall in any order.
Decorating the kitchen with discs
In the kitchen, discs can make an unusual “apron” in the work desk area. It will look extremely original, and in terms of performance properties the discs will not be inferior to tiles - they are just as easy to clean from splashes of grease and juice from vegetables and fruits.
The principle of working with them is the same as with frames for mirrors and photographs - just stick them on the wall.
Whether for a room or a kitchen, you can make a mosaic panel from disks by gluing pieces of the desired shape and color onto cardboard, and then covering the composition with transparent varnish.
Household items made from discs
The discs will make an excellent hot plate. In this case, the disk will play the role of the base; you need to put a nice cover made of fabric on it, and the stand is ready.
It would be original to update the tabletop of a coffee table with cut pieces of disks. To do this, cut them, fix them on the tabletop using a plasticizer in any order or by making a pattern out of the pieces, and then fill the tabletop with a thin layer of transparent varnish, making it even.
The coating will be durable. The tabletop will sparkle and shimmer beautifully.
You can make a holder for women's earrings from two disks and a thick tree branch.
The core of the stand is made from a smoothly processed branch, ground to the diameter of the hole in the center of the disks, one disk will be the base, the second shelf, make holes in it and insert the earrings into them.
How to decorate a suburban area with discs
There is room for creativity and imagination. For example, you can make a flower bed out of old car tires and wheels by decorating the outer surface of the tires with a mosaic of shiny pieces.
Or you can cut a peacock out of a rubber tire, and make a tail from whole round disks - to do this, you need to glue them in pairs with their shiny sides facing out, and then make them into a large triangle-tail, gluing the pairs of glued blanks overlapping.
On a country fence made of disks you can depict a huge iridescent caterpillar. You can paint the disks to look like a ladybug - red paint, make spots with black and draw a head, and plant them on fruit bushes and trees.
New Year's decorations from disks
Due to the fact that the discs shimmer in the rays of light with all the colors of the rainbow, they will make beautiful snowflakes for the New Year holiday - they are easily cut with scissors, you can cut out the most intricate pattern. You can hang snowflakes on the Christmas tree and on the walls.
You can cut the disks into small pieces, thickly cover an ordinary ball with them and hang it from the ceiling on a thread - it will rotate and sparkle, reflecting the lights of New Year's garlands.
The application can be very different. You can use discs to make an interior curtain similar to a bamboo curtain - assemble the discs on long threads. They can make an ultra-modern necklace, a refrigerator magnet, a vase, a candlestick, a stand for ballpoint pens and pencils, a box, or even decorate a summer bag.
Unneeded CDs are an excellent material for creativity, a way to spend leisure time - making certain things from them, and an opportunity to decorate a house or cottage in an original and unusual way without spending a lot of money.
Photos of crafts made from disks
Note!
The time of CDs has almost passed, many people still have a large number of them - music, films, cartoons, outdated computer programs - with images on them of characters from fairy tales and films, flowers, graphic pictures.
They sparkle and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow on the one hand, and on the other they have beautiful designs. You don’t feel like throwing them away - and there’s no need to, you can use them to make a lot of original, beautiful and useful things for your home.
In addition, it is very easy to work with them - they already have the correct circle shape, which in some crafts will only need to be slightly changed in order to give the future product or decoration the desired look. At the same time, they are easily cut with ordinary office scissors and glued to a surface made of almost any material.
It happens that some home interior items have lost their appearance, it is not possible to replace them with new ones, or it is simply a pity to throw away an old favorite thing that has served faithfully for many years. Discs will help give things a new life.
For example, you can decorate an old mirror with them, making an original frame from pieces of different shapes and sizes that sparkles and shimmers in the rays of sunlight from a window or in the light of an electric lamp with all the colors of the rainbow.
You can make a beautiful frame for a photo, decorate the edges of the cabinet drawers with a mosaic of pieces of disks.
Photos of ideas for fake CDs
Do you have old CDs collecting dust at home that have long gone out of mass use? Do not rush to throw them away, but use them rationally for creative purposes. This is a wonderful material from which you can make many useful things for your home that you didn’t even know about. And if you have a lot of them, then that's even better. Today we will tell you how to make a lamp from disks with your own hands, spending money only on consumables. By following our step-by-step master classes, you can easily make an original bright table and picture from CDs.
What do you need to make a chandelier from disks?
For the simplest DIY disc chandelier you will need a dozen discs with a double-sided mirror layer.
The tool you should stock up on is a screwdriver.
A 2-3 millimeter drill, wire cutters and pliers.
To make connecting staples, you need any kind of fairly soft wire; you can use paper clips that are well known to everyone.
The optimal lighting source is a 220-volt electric lamp, with a “minion” socket and an equally standard mount to the suspension.
The cartridge is connected using a wire with a built-in switch.
Of course, you can try to make a multi-lamp lamp and connect the chandelier to a double switch, but for a less experienced home craftsman, such work may be difficult, although you can try.
In principle, it is possible to create a multi-lamp chandelier from disks with your own hands by assembling it on a frame from several single-lamp lamps, preferably three, and then connecting this chandelier to a double switch.
How to make a lamp from disks?
If you are eager to make an unusual chandelier from CDs, then follow all the steps in our master class one by one, and you will definitely succeed.
Materials:
- CDs (approximately 1000 pieces).
- Cut out circle from fiberboard.
- Steel wire (5 meters long).
- Electrical connector (12 pieces).
- Lamp socket.
- Electrical wire.
- Switch + plug.
- Fluorescent lamp.
- Rubber feet (about 3 pieces).
- Silicone transparent sticks (2 pieces).
Tools:
- Drill.
- Pliers.
- Screwdriver.
- Glue gun for silicone.
- Wire cutting pliers.
- A simple pencil.
- Compass.
- Triangle ruler.
The list is impressive, but believe me, it’s worth such an excellent result. Now let's figure out how to use all this to make a lamp from disks.
Preparatory stage
In order to start making a llama from CDs, you need to consider some useful preparation tips:
- Before starting work, you need to collect all the prepared parts together and check that all the tools are available. If you suddenly find that something is missing, do not panic - basic materials and tools can be found in every home. Other parts can be purchased at your local hardware store.
- To make such a lamp you will need a lot of disks. If you don't have that many, then take them from your friends, work colleagues or classmates. We think they will be all for it, since many want to get rid of unnecessary “junk” that is a shame to throw away. Therefore, do not be shy, but ask - you need it for a good cause.
- The size of the connector must match the diameter of the steel wire - it must fit freely into the connector hole.
- You can buy a pre-assembled lamp socket kit with electrical cord, switch and plug. If you haven’t found such an option, then make it yourself, relying on your design preferences.
Important! Please note that the electrical wire must be at least 2 m long. It's better to buy more than to waste time on an extra trip to the store.
- Any fluorescent energy-saving lamp is suitable for operation, the power of which you choose yourself.
- Buy only transparent silicone so that the place where the material glues together is not visible.
- To work, you need to buy 2 of the largest sticks.
Making the bottom
When you have checked the readiness of the materials for work, you can begin the main process of making a lamp from disks:
- We take a circle from fiberboard and, using a compass and ruler, divide it into 12 equal sectors. We connect the division points to each other to mark the center where the cartridge and steel wire will be inserted.
- We firmly screw the rubber feet to the bottom.
- Using a drill, drill holes for the cable.
- Using pliers we cut off 6 pieces of steel wire, which should be at least 1 meter long.
- We bend each piece of wire with pliers or a vice.
- Now the entire structure made must be attached to the bottom of the future lamp. We secure the rubber feet with suitable bolts and a screwdriver, and fix the cartridge in the central hole of the fiberboard circle.
Important! At this stage, do not forget to insert the lamp into the socket, as the disks will then block access to the socket. The socket must be located strictly in the center of the lamp. If it is shifted to the side, then put it in the correct position.
We make a metal lattice and a sphere from disks:
- We secure 6 arc-shaped pieces of wire by inserting the ends into the hole in the base.
- We wrap the arcs with our hands or tools to the desired shape. We should end up with a structure in the form of a sphere.
- Using wire cutters, we cut off the excess edges of the wire, obtaining a grid of 12 wires in the form of a spherical dome.
- Now we are engaged in stringing disks. We first fill the 6 drives, which are located near the center, with disks. We seal the space between the wire and the disk with silicone from a glue gun. We carry out such manipulations until the stacks of disks are 6 cm in height.
Important! You don’t have to seal the first 5 layers of disks so that you can easily change the light bulb later.
- When we have finished stringing the disks onto 6 rods at the base, we string them further onto 6 wires along the edge of the structure, alternating the disks with each other. We must have all 12 metal wires strung.
Important! Each placed disk must lie on two adjacent disks. Make sure that the sequence of their correct placement on top of each other is maintained so that they fit evenly and symmetrically.
Lamp top:
- When the disc stacks have reached 26 cm, we wrap each metal end towards the center of the structure, cutting off all excess material.
- Now, clamping the edges of the wire, divide the circle into 12 equal sectors. On each of them we mark 2 points for installing the electrical connector for the cable. As a result, you should get 24 holes.
Important! Don't forget to make sure the holes fit your connectors.
- In order to pull out the 12 connectors, we disassemble the connector.
- We assemble the top of the structure. We put the connectors on the wires and secure the uppermost disk to the top using bolts and a screwdriver.
That's it, the CD lamp is ready for use! Now you can turn it on and enjoy the pleasant dim lighting!
Important! If you want to make a multi-lamp lamp, then you need to connect the lamp to a double switch, where the wires from all the lamps are collected along one core in three twists. One wire needs to be connected to zero, and the other two to the remaining two wires.
How to make a painting “Killer Whale” from CDs?
Why not make paintings from disks with your own hands? Now we will tell you in detail how easy it is to arrange one of the options. In this master class, everything is described in more detail, so you will not have any additional questions.
So, we will need:
- Three-layer cardboard or a piece of plywood.
- CDs and their boxes.
- Stationery knife.
- Scissors.
- Ruler.
- Pliers.
- Watercolor and stained glass paints.
- A drawing printed on a printer or drawn by hand.
- Polymer glue.
We begin to create the picture “Killer Whale” from disks:
- We decide on the size of our painting. For example, let's take a diameter of 50 cm. After that, take cardboard of a suitable size and draw two circles - a large one and a small one inside it. In our case, the outer diameter of the circle is 50 cm, and the inner diameter is 43 cm. The resulting rim will serve as a frame for the future painting. The inner circle can be cut out either at this stage or a little later - it’s up to you to decide.
- Now we look on the Internet for a suitable drawing with the image of a killer whale in black and white, print it on a printer and carefully cut it out. We attach the image to the inner circle to check the size.
- We trace the killer whale on cardboard and cut out the blank.
- Since we will use mosaics for our painting, we need to lay out parts of the disks in random order, leaving gaps, and then fill the voids with stained glass paints.
- We lay out a mosaic of disks. Take the black CD box and use a utility knife to cut out the strips to create individual pieces. Using pliers, we break off pieces from the black packaging and glue them onto the cardboard, forming a killer whale part.
- Using the same pattern, we cut out the killer whale’s belly and paint it with white paint.
- Now we need to make the sea - the background of the picture. We take the disk in our hands and cut it into two parts with a stationery knife. Now you can clearly see that the surface of the disk consists of three layers - two outer transparent coatings and foil in the middle.
- Next, you need to separate the layers of plastic to make two. The foil should remain on each layer of the disk. We will lay out the mosaic from this layer.
- Using a utility knife, cut the part of the disk with shiny foil into pieces of different sizes and shapes.
- We glue the mosaic sea around the killer whale, filling the entire diameter of the circle.
- We use stained glass paints to fill the voids between the mosaics. Don't be alarmed that the paint will be a slightly different color after drying - this is completely normal.
- Using table napkins, cover the protruding edge so that the cardboard is not visible.
- We glue black pieces of the disk box to the edge of the whole picture. The result should be a black rim around a mosaic sea.
- Cover the gaps between the black parts of the rim with paint.
That's all, the gorgeous picture made from disks is ready! Now you can hang it on the wall and admire your creation!
Thanks to the development of new technologies, storage devices such as CDs are gradually becoming a thing of the past, replaced by flash drives and memory cards. Most PC users have a huge number of drives left that will never be used. In order not to simply throw away unnecessary discs, they can be used as material for various crafts. One of such products could be a DIY chandelier made from discs.
