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Handmade Gift Idea: Custom LED Night Light

November 11, 2013 By Matt 19 Comments

Custom LED Night Light tutorial

I grew up in family with a lot of traditions.  Out of all of them, my favorite would have to be our annual Christmas Make-a-Gift.  Every year, we’re given a different person’s name and we have to come up with a handmade gift for them. With the impending birth of our daughter, I wanted to continue our family tradition by making her first Christmas gift.  What I didn’t expect was that she’d arrive on Halloween instead of the first week of December…So I decided I’d make her gift a bit early.  And knowing that Jacque and I would be spending a lot of sleepless nights in her nursery, I chose to make Josslyn, a Custom LED Night Light.

Material List:

  • (1) 1″ x 4″ x 6″
  • (1) 3/4″ x 12″ x 48″ Stain Grade Panel
  • (1) Sylvania Mosaic Flexible LED Lighting Kit – found HERE
  • (1) Drop Cloth – found HERE

I thought an elephant shape would be fun to use, so I created an elephant template using adobe illustrator.  Feel free to download our elephant template.  If you’ve got a vinyl cutter, you could easily cut the template out of vinyl or just as easily, you can print the template onto a piece of paper and tape it onto your work surface.

Cut List:

  • (1) Wood panel cut down to 12″ x 12″
  • (2) 1×4 @ 12″
  • (2) 1×4 @ 13-1/2″

If you choose to use a vinyl template, apply it to your plywood and using a pencil, transfer the pattern onto the wood surface, then remove the vinyl.  (Since vinyl has an adhesive back, I find it best to remove it before drilling, so you don’t gum up the drill bit.)  If you choose to use a printed template, you can drill right through the paper!  Just make sure to secure the paper securely in place with some tape.

Place a scrap piece of wood under your work surface to reduce splintering and using a sharp 1/4″ forstner bit (found HERE), drill the pattern into the wood. (I chose to use a drill press to help keep the holes uniformly straight, but you could use a handheld drill, just make sure to keep the drill as straight as possible.)Drilling Custom Night Light Now you can assemble your frame around the wood facing.  I used wood glue AND nails to hold the frame together, but if you’ve got a good set of clamps, the nails may not be necessary!  Rough Night Light Once you’ve assembled the night light, fill in the cracks and nail holes with a wood filler, then sand until smooth.Night Light Ready for Paint Next, prime the night light box.Elephant Night Light Now get creative and deck out the front of your night light! Custom diy LED Nightlight with changing colors With the outside of the night light complete, now it’s time to add the lights!  Lowe’s sells this Sylvania Mosaic Flexible LED Lighting Kit.  It’s super easy to work with and it allows you to add multi-color options and patterns to your custom night light!Multi-Color LED Night LightThe LED strips have adhesive on their backsides, so remove the paper backing and secure the strips around the inside of your night light box.  DIY LED Night Light To finish off your night light, trim the drop cloth down to approximately to 12″ x 12″ to cover the open back of your night light.  With the drop cloth cut , staple it in place using some 5/8″ staples.  The drop cloth fabric diffuses the light that comes from the back of the night light.Custom Night Light BackingWith Josslyn’s early arrival, we’ve had a chance to try out her night light and we couldn’t be happier with it!  I just hope that all of the gifts I make for her will turn out this perfect!  Since we plan on continuing on with our make-a-gift tradition, I’ll have plenty of practice!

Custom Night LightUsing the same concept, you could easily make up your own pattern for whomever you’re making the night light for. I think a boat or an airplane would be a pretty cool pattern!  What other patterns do you think would work well? Keep an eye out over the next few weeks as we reveal the work we’ve been doing in her nursery!
Custom LED Night Light

UPDATE 2016:  When I found out we were having a little boy I knew I had to make him, his own nightlight.  Since Josslyn got the Elephant I went with a Whale for our little mans room.  It’s rustic and fun.  these are still the best night lights ever!

Custom LED night light tutorial with printable template

Lowe's Creative Ideas

Disclosure: As a Lowe’s Creative Ideas Handyman, I was challenged to complete a project that involved creating a handmade holiday gift.  I was provided a gift card to cover the cost of materials for my project, but I was not told what to write.  All the ideas and words found here within are my own

Looking for more Lighting projects?  We’ve got you covered!

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Mason Jar Pendant Lights

Kitchen Pendant Light

Old Marquee Letter update

Lantern turned to Cordless LED light (IKEA Hack)

Lantern turned to Cordless LED light (IKEA Hack)

Up-cycled chandelier

Chandelier Makeover

Landscape Lighting Assembly

How to install Landscape Lighting

Filed Under: DIY, Home, Lowe's Creator, Nursery Tagged With: DIY, Home Decor, LED, Light, Lighting, nursery

Comments

  1. John @ AZ DIY Guy says

    November 11, 2013 at 6:23 am

    What a cool idea. I’ve not seen anything like it. The LED kit is new to me as well. Our kids are a bit old for it, but I’m thinking the concept could be expanded into holiday decorations. It turned out great.
    John @ AZ DIY Guy recently posted..Building the Ultimate Workshop Power Strip: More Power!!!My Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:15 pm

      John, There are so many things I want to do with these lights, I might actually be on LED overload! I think using them in a holiday project would be perfect!

      Reply
  2. keri @ shaken together says

    November 11, 2013 at 9:43 am

    This is BEYOND adorable and I love the sweet little elephant!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:13 pm

      Thanks Keri! I’m not sure why I chose the elephant , but once I was done, it definitely felt right for her!

      Reply
  3. Jessi @ Practically Functional says

    November 11, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    OMG Matt I LOVE this! The elephant is super cute, and what a genius idea overall! Pinning for sure!
    Jessi @ Practically Functional recently posted..Homemade Borax Free Laundry SoapMy Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:12 pm

      Ah, Jessi, thanks for the love! This was definitely a special project for me! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you! I’m still adjusting to the new demands in our life! Hope all is well!

      Reply
  4. Heidi @ Happiness is Homemade says

    November 12, 2013 at 1:40 am

    This is so super sweet and beyond adorable! I’m sure that my boys would love it if I made them something fun like this too! I’m thinking a rocket ship would look pretty cool 🙂
    Heidi @ Happiness is Homemade recently posted..2013 Holi-D.I.Y. Card Exchange!My Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:11 pm

      Heidi, I think a rocket ship would be awesome! Hopefully someday we’ll have another little one to make another one for!

      Reply
  5. jenny@birdsandsoap says

    November 12, 2013 at 1:44 am

    Ack! This is awesome! My girls have a similar LED light with the remote but I had no idea you could buy the kit at LOWES- and my husband works there! This is such a great idea, and so easy too. My girls love their light, it’s a perfect gift for any young child.
    jenny@birdsandsoap recently posted..We’ve been Slipcovered!My Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:09 pm

      Jenny, these lights are AMAZING! Definitely check them out! And congrats on your new addition!

      Reply
  6. Jessica @ Mom 4 Real says

    November 12, 2013 at 6:27 am

    So stinkin’ creative! LOVE this idea, Matt!
    Jessica @ Mom 4 Real recently posted..Play Like A Girl – $5,000 Prize Pack up for Grabs!My Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks Jessica! We’ve broken it in well!

      Reply
  7. Jackie Sorich says

    November 12, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Thank you so much for the great tutorial. I did not know about the led decorate with light product. Love it. Looking forward to giving it a go. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:08 pm

      Thanks for the comment love Jackie! When you get around to trying it out, we’d love to see a picture!

      Reply
  8. katie says

    November 19, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    Ummm this is too stinking cool… I see a big one of these being made for our baby boys room!
    katie recently posted..{Video} How to Stencil A Fall Door MatMy Profile

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 26, 2013 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks Katie! I absolutely love how soft the lights are, plus Josslyn is enamored by the changing colors! I bet your son would love something like this too!

      Reply
  9. Bright Light Pillow says

    December 6, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Thanks for sharing your holiday family traditions. Looks like you’re starting out right for the little one.

    Reply

Trackbacks

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