Making a DIY Cordless Lamp

Have you heard of such a thing as a DIY cordless lamp? And now you may be wondering how a regular lamp provides light without power cords.

Have you ever tried to plug in a lamp and not been anywhere near an electrical outlet? I’ve been there! Lighting is such an issue in my builder-grade home. We have two rooms without overhead lights and barebones outlets to match. And the same goes for older homes. Lighting is such a common problem.

So, what can you do? Use an extension cord? Sure, but those unsightly cords are hard to hide.

Instead, let me tell you about this wonderful idea.

Let me teach you how to make your own cordless table lamp. Or, actually, this is a great idea for any light fixture. This DIY project is a great way to turn any old light fixture into a cordless one so you can use it wherever you want!

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Just a friendly reminder: This tutorial and any opinions or recommendations are genuinely mine, but this is not a substitute for consulting a professional. I also use affiliate links to earn a commission.

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Steps To Make a DIY Cordless Lamp

1. Find a lamp
2. Pick your lighting type
3. Deal with lamp wire
4. Attach the new lighting to the lamp

Making a DIY Cordless Lamp: Find a lamp

So, you have a lamp that matches your personal style and a spot in your home where you want to put it, but there’s no outlet nearby. You may have a dark corner in your home that could use a new light. Or maybe you’re like me and like to try these types of DIY projects just because!

Regardless of why you want to try making a DIY cordless lamp, the first thing you need to do is find a lamp. The most budget-friendly place to do so is at the thrift store. Other places with great affordable light fixtures are the Christmas Tree Shop, Walmart, At Home, and Hobby Lobby. These places are great options to check out if you need something low budget without looking cheap.

DIY Cordless Lamp: Pick your lighting source

The next step in making a DIY cordless lamb is to select a light bulb type. Surprisingly, there are a few different options, and all good ones! 

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• Puck lights: a flat and round-shaped light
• Emergency light bulb: shaped like a regular light bulb but does not require electricity
• LED Strip Lights: thin, flat strip of lights that generally have the ability to change colors using the remote control

Some options use aa batteries and remote control to power the light on and off. Others use a light bulb that requires you to charge the bulb from time to time using a USB cord. The best advice is to use rechargeable batteries or spare charged bulbs to swap out dead ones with charged ones, and you’ll never be without light.

DIY Cordless Lamp: Remove the cord 

There are two ways to deal with the problem of the lamp cord. The first is to remove the lamp wires altogether, and the second is to hide the wires in the lamp base. Depending on where you plan to display your DIY wireless lamp, you could hide the electrical cord under another object, such as a basket, chair, heat register, etc. For example, for a wireless table lamp used in an office, you could run the black wire down and under the desk to hide it.

When removing the cord, first, it’s a good idea to be sure you never want to use this as a plug-in lamp again. Although there are kits to re-wire this, it would be easiest if you never removed the wires. Once you are sure about removing the wires, double-check that you unplugged your lamp before cutting anything! 

DIY Cordless Lamp: Attach the light

The next step is to attach the lighting source to your lamp. The easiest way is to use an emergency or puck light that screws into the socket with a traditional bulb screw-in bottom (an E26 screw). When the lighting source has a flat bottom, such as with a puck light or LED lighting strip, you’ll need to find a way to attach this inside the socket or lamp shade. Depending on what your shade looks like, either approach is appropriate. If your lamp shade is translucent, select a lighting source that attaches directly to the socket. 

Here are a few ways to secure the lighting source of your lamp, all of which can be found at hardware stores or online at Amazon. When selecting a method, keep in mind how to access your batteries so that when you need to replace them, you’ll be able to get to them.

• Velcro
• Gorilla Putty
• Gorilla Clear Mounting Tape
• Hot Glue

Lastly, put the lamp base and lampshade back together and enjoy!

DIY Cordless Lamp Tips

Other tips related to selecting the type of light are considering the brightness and duration each cordless light provides. For example, if you’re using this as an accent lamp and will only have it on for a few hours here and there, then the duration it last’s is less of an issue. But, if you’re doing a DIY cordless lamp for somewhere like your dining room like I was, then the amount of time the light needs to be on each day is much more tremendous (since this is the only place we have to eat!). 

A dining room also needs brighter lights than an accent reading lamp on an end table so keep the brightness in mind. The amount of light the fixture provides is important to factor into your light bulb selection to ensure you have enough light in the room from your DIY cordless lamp.

A spare battery pack or extra charged bulb is essential to ensure the light works when needed. You’ll want to keep one set charging while the other is in use. Once the one dies, you can easily exchange them and continue this cycle, so you’re always with light.

Uses For a Cordless DIY Lamp

The uses for a DIY cordless lamp are endless! This easy project is a great solution and creates functional lighting for a home that lacks electrical outlets and overhead lighting. Here is a list of other places you may not be able to put traditional lamps, but a cordless lamp would work just fine:

• Wall sconces
• Living room, dining room, or bedroom where you want a floor lamp or table lamp in the middle of the room
• Kitchen countertops
• Side table
• Emergency lighting
• Portable lights or a modern lantern for outdoors in your backyard, on the patio, or while camping

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Hey Girl!

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