Turn Cardboard Tubes Into A Gorgeous Floating Light Feature

Whimsical home decor can be sleek, mysterious, and contemporary for your space. Picture floating vases of greenery and flowers that shine above and within a light feature. TikTok creator DIY_Decoration_by_Adisa demonstrates how she makes a magical yet modern looking light feature out of cut cardboard tubes and battery operated LED lights. She uses fake green foliage in each tube, and it gives the illusion that the containers float above one another. Like giving a wooden salad bowl new life by turning it into a light fixture, this DIY turns plain cardboard tubes into a contemporary accent light.

It is best to use blueprint cardboard tubes, or the poster tubes used to ship artwork, to make your lamp. The heavier and wider the cardboard tube, the better. Spray paint it a sleek black, a metallic gold, or reach for the rainbow with multiple colors for each level. The height and number of floating containers is up to you; the TikTok creator makes hers with a base and three floating containers. 

To make your own floating lamp, you'll need cardboard tubes like these used to make a DIY entryway table, black matte spray paint (or whatever color you prefer), a wooden dowel or rod longer than the length of the entire tube, battery-powered LED lights, a hot glue gun or construction glue, and fake plants. Real ones shouldn't be used, as they would be too heavy for this project, and watering could weaken the cardboard base.

To make this project, measure and cut your cardboard tubes into four sections. The base should be the longest to create the illusion that the other sections are floating away from it. Spray paint the sections, and wait for them to dry before the next step. Use a hot glue gun on the wooden rod to attach it to the base section of the tube. A weight can be added to the bottom to prevent it from falling over. Weights can be made by gluing an additional piece of wood to the base, or use a craft weight for balance. 

Space out where you want to hang your "floating" sections, and loop the sections through the rod. There should be enough space for your fake plants and lights between the sections. The green leaves hide the rod, so spacing should allow for the top of the plant to reach the section above it. Glue the interior of each section to the rod. Watch out for drops; cover your surface to protect it from glue, and clean it fast if any spills.

Next, wind the LED lights around the rod so that it covers the wood facing the viewer. You can glue the battery case inside one of the tubes for easy access to change batteries or turn on and off. You can even add a puck light, like the ones used in this DIY basket accent light, at the top of your new lamp. Last but not least, glue the fake flowers and plants so that the green leaves block the wooden rod. The result is a magical floating feature that plays a trick on the eyes and lights up your space.