What can be done from an old energy-saving lamp. DIY light bulb crafts

Useful tips

Please note that all crafts are made from incandescent lamps and not other types of lamps. Be careful and do not use other types of light bulbs.

If you look closely at simple incandescent light bulb, then you can see that it is quite interesting.

Its graceful form made of thin glass can be used for manufacturing various crafts , after the light bulb burns out.

Closed terrarium

Once you have decorated the inside of the light bulb, you can close it, thereby creating a mini ecosystem. The main thing is that light falls inside.

Mini vase

A small light bulb can be used as a vase for one small flower.

But you can create several vases and store them together as one whole, as one work created from several parts.

What craft to make for your home: containers for pepper and salt

For this craft, it is better to use a light bulb with thicker glass.

Containers for spices

If you think using light bulbs to store spices is too unusual, you can buy containers that are shaped like a light bulb.

Oil lamp

Old lamps can light up again, just in a less modern version.

Bees made from light bulbs

You will need:

Light bulbs

Yellow paint

Brush

Black marker

White pipe cleaners

black paper

Plastic eyes

Scissors.

1. Paint a light bulb yellow. Let the paint dry and then add a second coat of paint.

2. Start drawing stripes with a black marker. Use the same marker to color the metal part of the light bulb.

3. Glue the plastic eyes to the metal part of the light bulb.

4. Cut the white pipe cleaner in half, and connect the ends of the resulting parts to form wings. Use glue to attach the wings to the bee's body.

5. Cut two strips of black paper, approximately 5 cm long. Twist the ends of the paper strips to form antennas. Glue these antennas just above the bee's eyes.

6. Cut a small piece of white paper and twist it into a cone, which you then glue to the light bulb - this will be the bee’s sting.

What craft to make for the holiday: a festive wreath

This wreath can be made from multi-colored light bulbs attached to a circle made of cardboard, fiberboard or thick wire.

The light bulbs can be painted or purchased already in different colors.

If desired, you can decorate the wreath with tinsel and/or other details.

Holiday decoration

This craft will look very nice on festive table. To keep the bulbs standing, you can place them in a small bowl filled with sand, salt or rice.

Old incandescent lamps are gradually becoming a thing of the past: they are being replaced by energy-saving light sources. In addition, they tend to burn out. But you don’t have to immediately throw them into the trash! We will tell you what to make from light bulbs, and crafts made from them will give things a wonderful second life.

Inventive people know what to do with old, burnt-out incandescent light bulbs. They transform them into practical little things for the home using a perfectly spherical shape. Often, DIY light bulb crafts are dedicated to the New Year and Christmas. They really make very cute Christmas tree decorations, snowmen, etc. Their mission is honorable, their age is bright, but, alas, short. We offer ideas and photos of DIY light bulb crafts that will be relevant in any season.

How to prepare a used lamp for the role of a craft?

Before you think about what to make from light bulbs, you need to first prepare them. First of all, you should free the glass form from the internal elements - remove them sequentially with pliers.

If the bulb is frosted, it means it has been filled with powdered kaolin, which is simply wiped off by twisting and stuffing it inside paper napkin. If you have difficulties with complete cleansing, just pour a little salt inside, shake the light bulb several times, and then pour it out along with the rest of the kaolin.

You can also rinse the inside of the lamp with water and wipe it dry.

This way the prepared vessel is ready to decorate the interior.

What to make from a light bulb: a mini-terrarium

You can make a miniature terrarium in an old light bulb. Place the mold, freed from the insides, on four self-adhesive silicone supports. The bottom needs to be filled with sand (it can be colored and laid in layers) or very fine gravel. The easiest way to pour colored sand is through a straw. Thanks to this, you will quickly achieve the desired effect of color layers.

Sprinkle some soil mixed with long-lasting fertilizer onto the sand. Then use tweezers to plant the plants. Suitable for a mini-terrarium made from a burnt-out light bulb. various types moss and succulents that do not grow very tall.

An important element of the composition will be miniature animal toys.

What to make from a light bulb: oil lamp

The lamp is ideal for making an oil lamp. You'll need a piece of cotton twine (thick lace also works well). It is only important that they are not made of artificial material.

The glass flask must be placed on a circle that will fix it in the desired position. Pour oil intended for lamps inside. Then just lower the string and you're done. So in a simple way, having made a craft from old light bulb, you can create a source of cozy atmospheric light.

What to make from a light bulb: a bee

Funny cute bees will become an interesting decoration for your child’s room. You can make this craft from a light bulb together with your child. To do this, you do not need to open the former lighting source - just paint it with glass paints. You can first paint all the glass yellow and then decorate it with black stripes. To ensure that the stripes come out even, their edges are marked with a thin elastic band (this is how they bandage products in pharmacies). You can cut thin strips from paper for antennae. Use scissors to twist their ends and glue the opposite side to the base. You can also make eyes out of paper.

The wings will be easy to model, for example, from a wire ramrod for a hookah or something similar.

What to make from a light bulb: a vase or an air freshener

An open, empty lamp is an ideal material for vases or an air freshener. It is enough to pour water or perfumed lotion into a glass container, which is then placed in a stationary position. To do this, you can, for example, make a stand from a piece of wire. The base itself is made from one end, and the other end is wrapped around the thread. An effective holder can also be made from a tabletop photo stand. Simply bend the end of the handle and secure it to the thread of the light bulb.

What to make from a light bulb: a symbol of feelings

Another option for making crafts from light bulbs with your own hands is a souvenir for loved one. A red wire is inserted inside the glass container and shaped into a heart shape. The thread is inserted into a wooden cube, into a hole made on top, or glued onto it. All that remains is to attach a card with wishes, confessions or just a name to the “facade”. This symbolic recognition can be placed on a shelf or desk.

What to make from a light bulb: a hanging vase

Improvised pots made from old light bulbs don't have to be mounted - they can be hung. Transparent glass containers will look beautiful on the window. It is enough to drill the metal threads and insert the chains into the holes. In turn, they are hung on ropes or a chain in any order. The hooks are convenient to use - this makes them easy to remove to fill the container with clean water and change the bouquet.

These are just a few ideas of what you can make from light bulbs. There are a lot of photos of DIY crafts made from such material on the Internet - you can always choose and bring to life something that you like the most. It's simple, affordable - and very cute!

Every day of this year brings us closer holiday- New Year. And there are probably few people who don’t love him. What is a holiday? Still, these are not delicious dishes on the table and the opportunity not to go to work, but high spirits, the joy of time spent with friends and loved ones. It's time to start creating good mood! Finish all the important things and start preparing for the holiday. Pre-holiday chores will help put you in a good mood, and this includes decorating your home for the holiday. Handmade crafts are lively, warm and create the atmosphere of your home. Today I will tell you what can be made using old, “burnt out” light bulbs.

To start making crafts from light bulbs, prepare:

• light bulbs of different sizes
• paints (watercolor, gouache or acrylic)
• 2-3 brushes
• small pieces of fabric
• glue (in tubes, it’s better to take supergel, it dries quickly) or a glue gun for hot glue
• acrylic varnish (available in craft stores)
• if there are plastic eyes
• twine or thread
• braid
• scissors
• sparkles, beads, rhinestones

Several methods have been invented for making Christmas tree decorations from light bulbs. One of them It’s very simple: apply glue from a tube to a light bulb and sprinkle it with glitter. You need to hold the light bulb by the base and carefully turn it so that the glitter evenly covers the entire glass.

A light bulb smeared with glue can be dipped in glitter, the excess will fall off, and those that are stuck will stick well.

Keep in mind that to decorate the light bulbs you can use not only small sparkles, but also stars, snowflakes, hearts and any other small decorations that you have.

Light bulbs of different shapes and covered with multi-colored sparkles will decorate your Christmas tree this year.

You can hang these beautiful toy light bulbs one at a time, or you can make a garland out of them. And there is another idea: stick light bulbs in a circle on a rim made of wood or thick cardboard and you will get a New Year's wreath. it can be decorated with bows, spruce branches, beads or tinsel.

Second way is as simple as the first one: we paint the light bulbs with a brush and paints, and then on the dried paint we glue stars, flowers, Christmas trees cut out of gold, silver or colored paper. We make loops from the braid.

We use the same principle to design the light bulbs shown in the photo below. Just paint the light bulbs white. Glue on New Year's stickers. If you don’t have such a mesh with beads on hand, you can replace it with regular gauze. Glue a piece of bandage onto the base, don’t forget to secure the ribbon underneath for the loop. Let the glue dry. After this, apply supergel to the “bandaged” base, sprinkle glitter on it or stick small beads on it.

Third way Decorating light bulbs for the New Year is also based on gluing various decorations to the glass of a light bulb: beads, seed beads, rhinestones. The loop on which the toy light bulb will be hung can be made from soft copper wire.

But fourth methodSuitable for those people who have recently done renovations and have some structural paint left. Do not forget that you can add any liquid color to this paint and then the toy will be the color that the paint acquired. Take a popsicle stick and carefully apply texture paint to the glass of the light bulb. Irregularities are welcome! Then, when the toy is dry, continue decorating it as you wish. If you want to paint a “face” on the toy, remember not to apply structural paint to this place.

Fifth method Making toys from light bulbs involves coming up with an image for the toy and learning to draw a little. You must figure out in advance what the future “masterpiece” will look like. Maybe even draw it on paper. The fifth method is to make a thematic toy, an image toy, a mood toy. You will have to carefully draw the faces of the toys and try to give them a good mood. Make “hats” from pieces of fabric, gluing them to the base. Don't forget to secure and glue the twine for the loop under the hat. If everything works out, these toys will become a real decoration for your home during the New Year holidays.

Such a curly and “well-fed” angel can also be considered a themed toy. If you look closely, there is nothing complicated in its manufacture. And drawing a “face” will not be difficult.

And such a garland of snowmen in multi-colored hats is also not difficult to make, if only there were light bulbs.

In any case, there are never too many snowmen on New Year's Day.

And these attractive cooks, aren’t they a miracle? But they are very easy to make.

And if cooks seem boring to you, make a tribe of savages or a flock of moles with shovels out of light bulbs, as in the photo below.

Savages and moles are not your thing, then maybe penguins will do?

The cute little bee is a light bulb painted in black and yellow stripes with wings. You can also attach a mustache made of soft wire to it.

The light bulbs shown in the photo below are painted in several layers of paint. First they were painted blue, and then after drying they were added white and vice versa. And on top we have already drawn snowflakes, stars and a Christmas tree.

Method number six almost the same as the previous one, with the difference that in that version the toy is only drawn, but here additional details are glued on. These funny snowmen (boys and girls) are made from small light bulbs. The noses can be sculpted from plasticine or made from colored paper. Multi-colored hats are pieces of fabric glued to the base of a light bulb and tied at the top with twine.

The variety of snowmen is amazing, but you can come up with some of your own characters. Hand sticks glued with hot glue (from a glue gun) look impressive.

You can come up with your own image for each light bulb; there is no limit to your imagination.

We draw and paste everything that comes to mind, as long as it is fun and funny.

And this toy got a quite decent nose, but the eyes had to be glued on different sizes, because there weren’t enough identical ones.

Method number seven very simple and does not require special skills or a lot of time. It consists of winding thick threads around a light bulb. Everyone who knits has a whole basket or box of leftover thread. So use them. The toy lamps will be multi-colored, because you probably have more than just gray and black yarn! And the tip of the thread, both at the beginning and at the end of the work, must be secured with glue.

Eighth method. Paint the light bulb as described above and dry it. Cut out a picture you like from a napkin or a magazine and carefully glue it to the light bulb using acrylic varnish. When the picture is dry, soak the brush in acrylic varnish and cover the entire light bulb. And in the photo that you see below, the light bulb was not painted, but simply wrapped and covered with the top layer of a colorful napkin, and then varnished. And next to the left is a light bulb, which is painted with golden spray paint, and the stripes are applied from glitter. To make these stripes appear, do not coat the entire light bulb with glue, but only those places where there should be glitter.

Ninth method Turning light bulbs into toys requires perseverance, ingenuity and skill. If you are such a person, try making such toys or invent your own.

Despite the small size of energy-saving lamps, they contain many electronic components. In terms of its structure, it is an ordinary tubular fluorescent lamp with a miniature bulb, but only rolled into a spiral or other compact spatial line. It is therefore called a compact fluorescent lamp (abbreviated as CFL).

And it is characterized by all the same problems and malfunctions as large tubular light bulbs. But the electronic ballast of a light bulb that has stopped shining, most likely due to a burnt-out filament, usually remains operational. Therefore, it can be used for any purpose as a switching power supply (abbreviated as UPS), but with preliminary modification. This will be discussed further. Our readers will learn how to make a power supply from energy saving lamp.

What is the difference between UPS and electronic ballast

Let us immediately warn those who expect to receive a powerful power source from CFLs - it is impossible to obtain more power as a result of simply altering the ballast. The fact is that in inductance coils that contain cores, the working magnetization zone is strictly limited by the design and properties of the magnetizing voltage. Therefore, the pulses of this voltage created by the transistors are precisely selected and determined by the circuit elements. But such a power supply made from electronic ballasts is quite sufficient to power an LED strip. Moreover, the switching power supply from an energy-saving lamp corresponds to its power. And it can be up to 100 W.

The most common CFL ballast circuit is based on a half-bridge (inverter) circuit. This is a self-oscillator based on a TV transformer. Winding TV1-3 magnetizes the core and performs the function of a choke to limit the current through the EL3 lamp. Windings TV1-1 and TV1-2 provide positive feedback for the appearance of voltage that controls transistors VT1 and VT2. The diagram in red shows the CFL bulb with the elements that ensure its launch.

Example of a common CFL ballast circuit

All inductors and capacitances in the circuit are selected so as to obtain precisely dosed power in the lamp. The performance of transistors is related to its value. And since they do not have radiators, it is not recommended to try to get significant power from the converted ballast. The ballast transformer does not have a secondary winding from which the load is powered. This is the main difference between it and the UPS.

What is the essence of ballast reconstruction?

To be able to connect the load to a separate winding, you must either wind it on inductor L5, or use an additional transformer. Converting ballast into a UPS involves:

To further convert the electronic ballast into a power supply from an energy-saving lamp, you need to make a decision regarding the transformer:

• use the existing throttle by modifying it;
• or use a new transformer.

Transformer from choke

Next we will consider both options. In order to use the inductor from the electronic ballast, it must be desoldered from the board and then disassembled. If it uses an W-shaped core, it contains two identical parts that are connected to each other. In this example, orange adhesive tape is used for this purpose. It is carefully removed.

Removing the tape holding the core halves together

The core halves are usually glued together so that there is a gap between them. It serves to optimize the magnetization of the core, slowing down this process and limiting the rate of current rise. We take our pulse soldering iron and heat the core. We apply it to the soldering iron at the junction of the halves.

Having disassembled the core, we get access to the coil with the wound wire. It is not recommended to unwind the winding that is already on the reel. This will change the magnetization mode. If the free space between the core and the coil allows you to wrap one layer of fiberglass to improve the insulation of the windings from each other, you should do so. And then wind ten turns of the secondary winding with a wire of suitable thickness. Since the power of our power supply will be small, a thick wire is not needed. The main thing is that it fits on the coil, and the halves of the core are put on it.

Having wound the secondary winding, we assemble the core and secure the halves with adhesive tape. We assume that after testing the power supply it will become clear what voltage is created by one turn. After testing, we will disassemble the transformer and add the required number of turns. Typically, the modification aims to make a voltage converter with a 12 V output. This allows you to obtain a battery charger using stabilization. At the same voltage, you can make a driver for LEDs from an energy-saving lamp, and also charge a battery-powered flashlight.

Since the transformer of our UPS will most likely have to be rewinded, it is not worth soldering it into the board. It is better to solder the wires sticking out from the board, and solder the leads of our transformer to them for the duration of testing. The ends of the secondary winding leads must be cleared of insulation and covered with solder. Then, either on a separate socket or directly at the terminals of the wound winding, you need to assemble a rectifier using high-frequency diodes according to a bridge circuit. For filtering during voltage measurement, a 1 µF 50 V capacitor is sufficient.

UPS testing

But before connecting to a 220 V network, a powerful resistor must be connected in series with our block, converted from a lamp with our own hands. This is a safety measure. If a short circuit current flows through the pulse transistors in the power supply, the resistor will limit it. In this case, a 220 V incandescent light bulb can become a very convenient resistor. In terms of power, it is enough to use a 40–100-watt lamp. If there is a short circuit in our device, the light bulb will light up.

Next, we connect the multimeter probes to the rectifier in the DC voltage measurement mode and apply 220 V to the electrical circuit with the light bulb and the power supply board. Twists and exposed live parts must be insulated first. To supply voltage, it is recommended to use a wired switch and place the light bulb in a liter jar. Sometimes they burst when turned on, and fragments scatter to the sides. Usually the tests go without problems.

More powerful UPS with separate transformer

They allow you to determine the voltage and the required number of turns. The transformer is modified, the unit is tested again, and after that it can be used as a compact power source, which is much smaller than an analogue based on a conventional 220 V transformer with a steel core.

To increase the power of the power source, you need to use a separate transformer, made similarly from a choke. It can be extracted from a higher power light bulb that has burned out completely along with the semiconductor ballast products. The basis is the same circuit, which differs by connecting an additional transformer and some other parts, shown in red lines.

The rectifier shown in the image contains fewer diodes compared to the bridge rectifier. But for it to work, more turns of the secondary winding will be required. If they do not fit into the transformer, a rectifier bridge must be used. A more powerful transformer is made, for example, for halogen lamps. Anyone who has used a regular transformer for a lighting system with halogens knows that they are powered by a fairly large current. Therefore, the transformer turns out to be bulky.

If transistors are placed on radiators, the power of one power supply can be significantly increased. And in terms of weight and dimensions, even several of these UPSs for working with halogen lamps will be smaller and lighter than one transformer with a steel core of equal power. Another option for using functional housekeeper ballasts would be to reconstruct them for an LED lamp. Converting an energy-saving lamp into an LED design is very simple. The lamp is disconnected, and a diode bridge is connected instead.

A certain number of LEDs are connected at the bridge output. They can be connected to each other in series. It is important that the LED current is equal to the current in the CFL. Energy-saving light bulbs can be called a valuable mineral in the era of LED lighting. They can be used even after their service life has expired. And now the reader knows the details of this application.

For the New Year 2020, you can make a wonderful craft with your own hands in the form beautiful snowman, created from an ordinary light bulb and simple additional materials at hand. Rest assured, your efforts will not go unnoticed, because at the New Year's Eve party, guests and relatives will certainly immediately notice your products displayed on a chic Christmas tree or somewhere else in the room interior.

To do this you will need:

• Bulb;
• Acrylic paint;
• Brush;
• Textile;
• Tapes;
• Scissors.

Work progress:

1. To make one snowman, you need to take one light bulb and repaint it white.
2. On its narrow part you need to draw eyes, lips, nose and eyebrows.
3. The body of a toy made with your own hands for the New Year 2020 should be covered with a different color of paint, and this will be its clothes.
4. And for the top of the craft you need to cut and sew a hat. By tying it at the top with a simple ribbon, the decoration can be hung on the Christmas tree.

Step-by-step video instructions for making a snowman from a light bulb

New Year's toy

With your own hands you can make a wonderful Christmas tree toy from a light bulb for the New Year 2020, which will look more like a store-bought one. Such a bright and unique craft will add variety to your New Year's decor.

To do this you will need:

• Bulb;
• Glue;
• Sequins;
• Ribbons.

Work progress:

1. To get a brilliant DIY light bulb craft for the New Year 2020, you need to take a simple material, which will, in fact, become the basis of our creation. A miniature form of the material, which is usually used for lamps, will look even better.
2. Its surface needs to be coated with glue and then covered with glitter. Beads, beads or sequins can be used instead.
3. The top of the toy is best decorated satin ribbon. When creating a New Year's product, other instructions can be used; in any case, you get a beautiful elegant decoration for the Christmas tree, as in the photo.

Video: master class on making a Christmas tree toy from a light bulb with your own hands

Santa Claus from a light bulb

To make it work handsome Grandfather Frost for the New Year 2020, using a regular light bulb and bright, matching colors. It is advisable to use a model in this work in order to create this character with your own hands as best as possible. Having spent your time making this craft, you will receive a reward in the form of warm smiles and positive emotions from your children and relatives when contemplating such a miracle creation.

To do this you will need:

• Bulb;
• Paints;
• Brush;
• Ribbon;
• Beads.

Work progress:

1. The background of the toy can be any, but pink looks better. On its surface you need to draw Santa Claus with a beard and hat. To make the craft more accurate for the New Year 2020, it is advisable to copy it from some sample or as in the photo.
2. Where the thread on the light bulb is located, it is better to glue beads with your own hands. And a ribbon is tied at the top. A wonderful toy for the Christmas tree is ready! If you create a whole collection of such jewelry, it will be even more beautiful. This activity will be especially interesting for children.

Video: master class on making Santa Claus with your own hands

Christmas trees on a light bulb

To create any craft with your own hands, you need paints. They set the overall background for the product and add color and liveliness. So in our case, we form a wonderful light bulb from an ordinary light bulb. Christmas tree toy for the New Year 2020 with a cool print in the form of a coniferous tree. In addition to the Christmas tree, another design can be drawn, the main thing is that it is done carefully.

To do this you will need:

• Bulb;
• Paints;
• Brush;
• Decorative ribbons.

Work progress:

1. The pear-shaped material needs to be repainted golden, as it makes the product look much better.
2. Then on its surface you should draw a Christmas tree with toys and garlands. It will be more beautiful if you do this on both sides or all over the DIY light bulb craft for the New Year 2020.
3. It is advisable to decorate the place of the carving with decorative ribbons with sparkles.
4. At the top you need to attach the same ribbon and a toy with Christmas tree ready!

Video: master class on making Christmas tree decorations

New Year's wreath

From old unnecessary light bulbs collected in your home, you will get a beautiful unusual wreath for the New Year 2020 if you brightly decorate them with your own hands. Any New Year's materials are suitable for this craft.

To do this you will need:

• Light bulbs;
• Foam;
• Glue;
• Paints;
• Brush;
• Tinsel.

Work progress:

1. All light bulbs need to be decorated and attached to a foam base, which is first cut out with your own hands in the form of a circle.
2. To decorate the wreath created for the New Year 2020, tinsel, rain, etc. are used. The finished elegant craft can be used to decorate any corner in your home, including doors and windows.

Hedgehog from a light bulb on a Christmas tree

A hedgehog made with your own hands from a light bulb for the New Year 2020 will, of course, be a pretty excellent toy for a Christmas tree or just for home decor. It is advisable to do such a craft with your children, because this kind of fairy-tale character will delight them and, for sure, encourage them to make their own creative works.

For production you will need:

• bulb;
• acrylic paints brown, white, black;
• polymer clay black or gray;
• hot glue;
• brush;
• string;

Manufacturing process:

1. We take our base - a light bulb and repaint it in brown using acrylic paints.
2. When the product dries, we will draw a hedgehog’s face on the top of the material. For this we need to take acrylic paints white and using a convenient brush we apply small circles, placing them opposite each other, and in the middle of them we put black dots. These will be the eyes of a fairy-tale character.
3. As in the photo we draw a nose and mouth.
4. As for the paws, we need to make them from polymer clay black or gray in color, and then use hot glue to attach them to the body of the hedgehog.
5. To make our craft look like a real fairy-tale character with a spiny back, we will need to form it from a small piece of fur, which we need to attach to glue.
6. If you want, you can complement the product with a bag that the hedgehog holds in his hands. Don't forget to also have a string to hang the figurine as decoration. This is how simple and beautiful you can create an amazing Christmas tree toy from a light bulb that will delight everyone for the New Year 2020.

Video: master class on making a baby penguin

Finally

Our article has come to its end, which told you about how you can make handmade crafts from light bulbs for the New Year 2020 for your home collection. New Year's decorations. You are probably already convinced that this creative process- this is a rather exciting and useful activity, as a result of which your home will be filled with new, unusually attractive decorative items that radiate positivity, beauty and magic. Making a celebration lively and filled with bright colors is so easy and simple if you show desire and awaken your personal imagination. Happy holiday to you, dear friends! All the best to you!