Woman Builds A Modern Décor Piece That Lights Up Your Room In Style

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There's something so satisfying about decorating your home with a statement piece that also has a functional purpose. Even more so when it's something you found or DIYed on a budget. One project that encapsulates this is a dramatic sculptural floor lamp by Instagram creator my_home_by_kendra_nicole. And a key material she used to build it? A children's toy, specifically the Hot Wheels Racetrack Set from Dollar Tree, which comprises two 24-inch pliable plastic tracks for $1.75.

Naturally, instead of leaving the tracks traffic-cone orange, she spray-painted them black to complement her chic, contemporary interior. She combined them with a 48-inch wooden dowel and square wood base — both of which she also spray-painted — along with a self-adhesive LED strip and Decorative Acrylic Gemstones. With a slight twist of the tracks to create some dimension, the resulting lamp looks akin to a sculpture you might find in your local modern art gallery while also demonstrating yet another clever way to use LED strip lights at home. 

If you're interested in stealing the look — or making it your own — you'll need the aforementioned materials and products, as well as a power drill/driver, wood screws, a regular screwdriver, and a strong permanent glue for the gems, such as E6000. Before starting, take a moment to research light colors and temperatures to figure out which LED strips to buy, and make sure you pick up a spray paint that's formulated to adhere to smooth plastic surfaces. Many online posters suggest Krylon Fusion All-in-One or Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover.

The first step is to attach the dowel to the center of the base. You can do this by driving a wood screw up through the bottom of the base. Next, determine where you want to attach the track pieces by using clamps or binder clips to hold them temporarily in place, and mark the dowel with four attachment points. To recreate the Instagrammer's single sinuous effect, simply attach one track end near the top, twist the dowel slightly, and secure the other end midway down. Then, attach the second track end just below that point, turn the dowel again, and secure the other end close to the bottom.

Don't forget to carefully drill pilot holes into the dowel on those marked spots — to prevent the wood from splitting — as well as into each track. Once the racetracks are screwed into place, spray-paint the entire structure and let it dry before installing the LED strip along the inside of both tracks. Finally, glue a layer of acrylic gems over the strip to cover the individual LED emitters, diffuse the light, and ultimately give the lamp its dazzling appearance.

To tweak this design to better fit your existing decor, try spray-painting it a different color, such as white or a metallic shade like aged bronze. Instead of clear acrylic gems, you might prefer frosted gems or a ready-to-use flexible strip-light diffuser to soften the light further. You can also play with different shapes for the tracks or lay them straight down the dowel to create a minimalist linear luminaire.