How to Turn Old CDs into DIY LED Lights

If you love DIY projects, it’s safe to assume that your house is full of do it yourself decor.

If you can knit it, sew it, paint it, or assemble it you’ll do it without any hesitation. There are theories about why people enjoy DIY work, but all you know is that you love doing it.  

The walls of your home are covered in unique paintings and pictures. Your accent walls always catch the eye of visitors, and people can’t help but describe your style as eclectic.  

You may think you’ve reached the end of your DIY decor journey. But there’s a simple project you can DIY that’s often overlooked.

Why you need DIY LED Lights

Lighting can change the entire mood of a room, and it plays an integral part in home decor.

If you’re tired of traditional lamps and lighting methods, it may be time to explore LED options.

LED lights are the future.  They’re sturdier, last longer, and they’re much more environmentally friendly.  

If you’re new to LED lights, we have the ultimate DIY project for you.  It’s fun, easy to do, and doesn’t require any tools. In fact, you probably have most of the materials you need lying around your house.

CD LED lamps

Want a DIY project that can get rid of house clutter and give you DIY LED lights?  Then you need to craft a CD LED lamp.  

Do you have a lot of old CDs lying around the house?  

Blank CDs or DVDs you don’t plan on using, even scratched and well-worn favorites would be ideal for a DIY LED lamp.

These DIY LED lights let you stretch your creative muscles and make an environmentally-friendly piece of home decor.  

All you need to make the project are LED rope lights, some sturdy electrical wire (or strong rope), and a bunch of old CDs and DVDs.  

There are two ways to do this project: You could make a standing desk or table lamp, or a hanging lamp. Let’s start off with the simplest project, the desk lamp.

Standing desk/table lamp

When you make your standing lamp, you’re going to start off with the base.

Take your electrical wire and bend the bottom into a circle.  Be sure to make it wide, you want it to support the weight of the CDs.  

When you’re finished with the base you should have a nearly complete circle with a long line of wire sticking straight up.

Now that you have your base, we can start adding the lighting elements and CDs.  

Align the LED light strip with the piece of wire that’s sticking up.  Once they’re next to each other, you can start stacking your CDs.

You can make the stack as big as you want, just make sure that you have enough LED light to illuminate them!  Also make sure to leave an inch or two of wire poking out of the top when you’re finished.

After you’ve reached the top of your LED light, it’s time to secure the CDs. Twist the leftover wire at the top, and you’re done!  

Now that you’ve mastered the standing lamp, let’s try the…

Hanging lamp

The process for this is similar to the other lamp, but you’ll need some different tools. You’ll still need CDs and a LED light rope, but you’ll also need some sturdy rope and a hook to hang it on once it’s done.

Take your rope and tie a large knot at the end of it. Make sure to tie it big and tight, that’ll be what keeps the CDs and the light rope in place.

Once you’re sure your knot is ready and strong, start slipping your CDs down the rope.

Instead of inserting the light at the beginning, you’re going to slip it in the CDs holes when you’re done stacking.  

Once you’re done, tie another knot at the other end of the rope so it can hang from your hook.  Then you’re done!

Since the rope is a bit more prominent than the wire in the standing lamp, you may want to consider a nice looking rope for this project. You could even dye your own.  

Display your new lamp!

The standing lamp and the hanging lamp are the perfect way to show off DIY LED lights.   They’re also one of the best DIY projects for people of any age. As you can see it’s very simple to do.

Now that you have a beautiful new lamp, you may be thinking of how you should display it.  When you’re thinking of where to put your newest DIY project, make sure you keep these tips in mind.

• If you made a desk lamp and plan on using it for reading, be sure to put the lamp alongside your shoulder.  The top of the lamp should be even with the top of your head for maximum reading light.  
• These lamps are great for decorative purposes, but not ideal for intense lighting.   
• Hang your DIY LED lights near the TV or a different attention grabbing decor piece. Wherever you place it, make sure it’s somewhere that will catch the eye.
• When you hang lamps make sure that they’re high enough up, it’s easy to make the mistake of hanging a lamp too low. These DIY LED lights can take up a lot of space when they’re hanging. If your hanging lamp is more than a foot long, you may not want to put it in the middle of your room.

What other easy DIY projects do you like to do?  Do you have tips for finding the perfect amount of room lighting? Tell us about it in our comments section!