DIY ceiling lamp: decorative do-it-yourself living idea made from driftwood

special Mediterranean DIY recycled wooden lamp - a simple craft project for the home to reflect on time, beauty and value

I love the ability of objects to remind us of certain moments, to open a drawer in our head where we keep our memories safe, or wherever our memories may sit in our body. It's a wonder how objects and memories connect and have the ability to carry us back in time.

This beautiful ceiling lamp, made from a piece of driftwood that was washed back onto the beach by the Mediterranean sea after a storm in the deepest south of Italy, reminds me of the moment we found the wood. It reminds me of the moment we used the wood to make the lamp, as it was the first project I needed my partner's help with (I'm not very patent with electricity). And it also reminds me of the times when there was no other lamp hanging in its place in our apartment, just a cable with a light bulb.

Furthermore, this recycling activity is a great way to think about beauty, time and value and their mutual dynamic connection. Using old wood to make a beautiful lamp makes me think about how beauty is always relative and dependent on context. Using something old as a decorative element makes me think about how time and the signs of time beautify and improve many things as well as many faces. Aging adds a lot of charm and history that supposedly "perfect" new things don't have. Perhaps we can also take the opportunity to reflect on how we value ourselves and objects. For example, a simple recontextualization can give new value to something that previously seemed to be garbage.

What do you need to create such a unique DIY ceiling lamp as a recycled home idea?

• Driftwood carried back to the beach by the sea after a long journey during a thunderstorm (who knows where it came from, where it has been in the meantime, how long it floated in the sea and who threw it into the sea...?) (or alternatively, of course, any other piece of branch or wood)

• Textile cable in rope look

• 2 bronze-colored vintage lamp holders

• 2 vintage light bulbs of different shapes

• Ceiling rosette to cover the cables on the ceiling (e.g. this one here)

In the absence of an opportunity to visit a beach when you want to make such a lamp, you can also simply reuse an old piece of wood, take a branch from the forest with or without bark, which you can carve into the shape you have in mind, for example, to achieve a similar effect to the lamp in this post. Basically, you'll have to accept that you'll never find a branch as beautiful as the one we found. No nonsense - just kidding - I'm sure your lamp will be beautiful too! The fact that you follow this blog shows that you have style, which means you've certainly chosen pieces that I would be aesthetically happy with too. The branch of our lamp is really special in that it is twisted in the middle like a knot. My husband and I have already spent several minutes together pondering how, who or what conditions caused this knot to form.

If you don't like the rope, you can of course use any other cable. And if you don't like vintage-style light bulbs and lampholders, just use what you like instead, or simply what you might already have at home.

In any case, the procedure is very simple: it is enough to wrap at least two lamp cords (you can of course use as many more cords as you like if you want to hang several light bulbs, i.e. one cord for each light bulb) around the piece of wood you have chosen. Finally, attach the lamp sockets to the cables, screw in the light bulbs and, last but not least, connect the electrical cables to those coming out of the ceiling (you can of course get help with this). And the lamp is ready! For your safety, please remember that it is best to install the lamp sockets first and only then connect the ceiling cables and always carry out all work steps with the fuse pulled.

If you would like to see more of my lamps, take a look at the floating light bulb, the DIY record lampshade or the post on the minimalist wooden lamp for the desk. If you are curious and interested, you can read about how creativity and art can help society and the economy to break new ground at this or this link.

I hope you had a good time reading this post and that you continue to follow my blog. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you. If you like something, please share it. A hug and see you soon!

PS. Wenn du magst, schick mir gerne ein Foto deiner Lampe.

mediterrane DIY-Deckenlampe

PPS. Ich schmücke unsere Lampe gerne je nach Jahreszeit mit passenden kleinen Accessoires - im Winter ist es zum Beispiel eine Schneeflocke aus Metall, im Frühjahr ein kleines Vögelchen aus Holz...