LAMPAN chandelier

Materials: 6 LAMPAN table lamps; 1 HEMMA cord set; 12 tyraps (cable ties); wire connector; soldering iron

Description: Cut the cords of all LAMPAN lamps about 20 cm short. Melt 4 holes in each lamp base evenly. Connect each of the first five lamp bases to three others using the tyraps. Connect all lamp cords and the HEMMA cordset using wire connectors. Connect the last lamp base to the rest with tyraps and your LAMPAN chandelier is ready.

~ Chiel Vans, Delft, Netherlands

LAMPAN shade drilling

Materials: LAMPAN lamps

Description: I do the lighting at a local contra dance (a type of American folk dance). To avoid the use of the hall's ugly fluorescent lighting I use a number of incandescent lights, including IKEA LAMPAN and torchieres.

It's evolved over the years, but currently I attach the LAMPAN to some pillars using bungee cords. These lamps have to be put up and taken down before/after each evening's festivities. The lamps extend horizontally from the pillars, so the tops of the shades point out into the hall, towards the dancers.

To spruce up the LAMPAN, and to let a few more photons out into the dance hall, I decided to drill holes into the sturdy LAMPAN shade. First I drilled the sides of the shade. I found a pattern of holes about 1/3rd up from the base and on every other facet of the shade to work best. If you drill too many holes you see too much of the bulb, which defeats the purpose of a shade.

Then I decided to drill the initials of the dance, "Emerald City Contra Dance">> "ECCD", as a monogram thru the top of the shade. Using Adobe Photoshop to prep the files, I created templates that could be taped to the shade and then drilled thru. After one using a hand drill, a friend loaned me a compact drill press that made things a lot easier.

After the monograms, my efforts became more elaborate, but basically used the same process: prep template in Photoshop, then a lot of drilling.

~ J. Eric, Seattle

Lampan lamp as tulip-shaped speaker stand

Materials: 2 Lampan lamps $1, one 16 oz tub of lightweight spackling $9

Description: I had been looking forever for a vase or some sort of tulip-shaped base to elevate my shelf speakers and give them a mod look, and it didn't have to be white, because I could paint whatever I found.

When I walked into Ikea and saw the Lampan lamp base for $7.99, in white, I bought 2 and gave it a shot.

Instructions:

I cut the electrical cord off (because the central lamp parts are really glued in there and couldn't be removed. I discarded the shades.

The plastic is really thin and flimsy and the speakers are heavy, so I filled the entire fluted sections with lightweight spackle.

Rested the bases on their sides for 2 days to dry out.

I then had some white rice paper remnants, so I used that to cover both ends of the base so the dry spackle doesn't leave chalk marks on everything.

The result? Perfect mod speaker stands.

~ Polsia, Brooklyn, New York

Customized Lampan Lamp

Materials: One $6 Lampan Light, some blue-tack, imagination, some objects you've always wanted to display

Description: IKEA's Lampan lights have always amused me - they're a beautiful shape, and super cheap.

But why not add your own personal style to make a custom-designed version?

Me, I've wanted to display my Holy Water Lady of Lourdes in an interesting way for a long while, and this turned out fantastically.

Lampan comes like this - so just don't use the lampshade (unless you want to decorate it and reuse it).

I made a cyclinder of semi-translucent paper to hide the light bulb.

And then arranged my translucent statues on the rim of the base using blue-tack.

And voila! There you have it.

What about you? Lollipops? Figurines? Awards? Your antique coke bottle collection.

Best if the objects are translucent in some way to let light shine through, but you could always experiment. You could use a stronger piece of paper or plastic for your cylinder, and then affix your precious objects to it.

Buy a lampen in the colour that suits your objects (they currently come in black, white and red)

Try it out. Hope someone finds his hack amusing and useful.

~ Andy Quan, Sydney

Let them eat cake!

Materials: Lampan Table Lamp, Tin Tray

Description: The IKEA Lampan shade is removable for bulb replacement, and the shape of the base resembles the pedestal of a cake stand. It just so happened that I needed a cake stand, or more specifically, a cupcake stand.

I began by disassembling and removing the electrical and lighting components. Next, I spray painted the base, shade, and food tray orange. Gorilla Glue was applied to secure the tray on top of the base. To add visual interest, and a layer for food safety, I cut a circle of scrapbook paper for the tray top. The shade found a new life as a vase - the perfect accompaniment to some Halloween cupcakes.

See more here.

~ Melissa, Austin, TX