How to Make a Homemade Crystal Lamp
- 1). Flatten one side of the crystal. For best results, start with a side of the crystal that's already closest to being naturally flat, if it has one. Use a diamond burr grinding wheel to grind down the stone wherever it sticks out. Remove just enough stone on one side of the crystal to enable it to sit level on a flat surface; it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, just enough to sit without rolling or tipping and to look good. Achieve this while grinding by stopping periodically, setting the stone down on a counter or table and checking to see which areas are still sticking out and keeping it from lying flat.
- 2). Carve a hollow for the light. Cut a cavity in the newly-flattened side of the crystal in which to insert the light using a carving bit. Start cutting at the point where you want the center of the cavity to be and work your way up into the crystal while carving outward in all directions from the center point. Continue cutting, occasionally brushing away the dust and testing the size of the cavity by trying to insert the light. Adjust your carving and continue until the light fits deeply enough into the cavity for the crystal to cover it.
- 3). Cut a groove for the light's cord. Look at the crystal and decide which part of the stone you want to have be the front. On the opposite side from this, cut a straight groove in the bottom stretching from the light cavity out to the edge of the crystal.
- 4). Mount the light on a craft plaque. Position the crystal, with light inserted beneath, on the plaque and move it until you like the positioning. Lift up the crystal, leaving the light fixture in place. Secure the bottom of the fixture in this location using some epoxy; make sure the glue doesn't come in contact with the light bulb and only affixes the fixture itself.
- 5). Spray the crystal with fixative to make it water resistant. (This step is only necessary with salt crystals; skip it if you're using a different type of mineral or aren't worried about ambient moisture.)
