How to Make An Action Figure Desk Lamp

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How to Make An Action Figure Desk Lamp

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You’ve got to love simple and cheap projects that deliver a big bang for the buck. That appears to be the case with this kid’s room action figure desk lamp made out of little more than some plastic action figures, a cheap desk lamp, and some gold spray paint.

The project seen here was done by Imgur user downtwobane, but doing a search on “action figure lamp” reveals a bunch of variations on the theme. It seems to be one of those projects where people see it, they see how doable and fun it looks, and have to try it themselves.

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On an Instructable I found with a similar project, the comments are filled with pictures of other Instructable members’ versions of the build. Because of the characterful nature of the components of the piece, people have a fun time creating the diorama scene on their lamp base.

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On Imgur, downtwobane explains how the lamp came about:

My sister bought me a cheap Avengers playset at the Disney Store for my Birthday. I had seen other examples of action figure lamps online and decided to make one with these figures.

The instructions for how to build the lamp couldn’t be easier. You basically glue the figures onto the lamp base and lamp pole in whatever configuration looks good, you prime everything (after masking off the hardware and cord), and then you spray it gold (or whatever color you desire). That’s it!

Downtwobane says that the lamp was a thrift store score and cost $2 and the entire project was only $15. It’s not clear whether that includes the gifted action figures, but a quick search shows the set used in this lamp retails for around $15.

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

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