CIRCUITS

AB

CD

Fig. A: Cut wires in the lamp to the light bulb (red wires), and to negative (blue wire). Fig. B: LED wire cuts (circled in red) and LED module posts (circled in white).

Fig. C: Wire the LED module into the touch lamp, as shown. Fig. D: Optional light diffuser — a plastic bottle cap glued over the LEDs.

MATERIALS

Dollar store touch lamp in your choice of shape

Dollar store LED ornament light aka color-changing LED light base

AA batteries ( 4)

Screwdrivers small Phillips head and flathead Utility knife

You can cover the wire connections with electrical tape and even solder them, but it’s not required.

6. This step is optional, but I found that the LEDs shined too sharply through the lamp, so I used a white plastic bottle cap as a diffuser. Glue the cap to the holographic foil over the LEDs (Figure D).

OPTIONAL
White plastic bottle cap as from a bottle of water
Glue pretty much any type
Soldering iron and solder
Electrical tape

5. Now we Frankenstein these 2 items together (Figure C). Place the LED module in the center of the lamp where the bulb sat. Connect the module's yellow wire to the red wire from the lamp’s battery case. Connect the module’s blue wire to the blue wire from the battery case. These are the power wires.

Connect the 2 black switch wires from the module to the blue and red switch wires on the lamp. You can connect the black wires either way.

Push the wires toward the LED module, not touching each other, and cover them with the holographic foil from the LED ornament light. This adhesive plastic foil will hold the wires in place.

7. Close the lamp up and install the batteries. When assembling the lamp, be careful that the posts are in the springs, otherwise the lamp will not “bounce back” like it should.

The original LED lamp took 3 AA batteries and the new lamp uses 4, so we’re giving the LEDs more power than intended, but not that much more.

You’re done! When I finished this lamp, my daughter immediately claimed it as her own and she’s been using it ever since.

To see the lamp in action, go to makezine.com/ 11/diycircuits_nightlight.

Computer geek Dan Weiss resides in steamy St. Louis, Mo., and finds a particular joy in mashing up dollar-store items to create useful and whimsical artifacts.

Photography by Dan Weiss

132 Make: Volume 11