Dioder Monitor Relief Lights

Materials: Dioder, zip ties

Description: I'm a graphic designer, and I spend way too much time looking at the screen. In an attempt to reduce eye fatigue, I've mounted a set of Dioder lights on the back of my monitor. I use an Ergotron arm to hold my monitor aloft, but this hack will work with any monitor (or even your television set).

All I did was mount the Dioder lights on the back of the monitor, and Velcro the controls to the back, so when I want them, I can reach behind the screen an access them. I used zip ties to connect the wiring to the monitor arm, leaving a little excess wire to accommodate the various arm positions. It took no time at all to do, and significantly reduces eye strain when working.

Plus, it looks cool when you let it cycle through the colors, which is reason enough to do it...

~ Skipernicus Gripweed

More hacks on IKEAHackers.net

Dioder Monitor Relief Lights

Materials: Dioder, zip ties

Description: I'm a graphic designer, and I spend way too much time looking at the screen. In an attempt to reduce eye fatigue, I've mounted a set of Dioder lights on the back of my monitor. I use an Ergotron arm to hold my monitor aloft, but this hack will work with any monitor (or even your television set).

All I did was mount the Dioder lights on the back of the monitor, and Velcro the controls to the back, so when I want them, I can reach behind the screen an access them. I used zip ties to connect the wiring to the monitor arm, leaving a little excess wire to accommodate the various arm positions. It took no time at all to do, and significantly reduces eye strain when working.

Plus, it looks cool when you let it cycle through the colors, which is reason enough to do it...

~ Skipernicus Gripweed

Indirect Lighting for MANDAL headboard using LEGO

Materials: MANDAL, DIODER, LEGO bricks

Description: I used the MANDAL headboard to add some shelves to my desk, where I can display my LEGO models. They needed some highlighting so I started adding DIODER led strips on the top and bottom of the shelves.

But DIODER doesn't look too good , so I wanted to hide it, creating some indirect lighting. I built frames using LEGO that you can slide onto the shelf. These frames hide the DIODER. By adjusting the distance between DIODER and the frame, you can control the brightness and the reach of the light beam.

You can use LEGO in many different ways to hide lights on any kind of shelf. Have fun creating your own version of this hack!

Check out the project-page on Snapguide for detailed instructions!

Check out How to Add Indirect Lighting to Any Shelf Using LEGO+LED by Martin Storbeck on Snapguide.

Or go directly to the snapguide via this link.

~ Martin Storbeck, Stuttgart, Germany

LEGO Dioder Lamp

Materials: Dioder LED light

Description: This is a hanging lamp containing the Dioder light system inside it. My aim was to make a hanging lamp out of LEGO pieces that I can control just like a normal lamp. As I am not an electrician, I did not wanted to cut off the cables of the lamp but to do it the most easiest way possible.

What I used:
Approx. 500 LEGO bricks
An orange textile power chord
A power plug

So my solution was developed like this:

STEP 1 - The Lamp itself
As we are talking about LEGO, you can design your lamp just the way you would like to. I wanted a lamp that fits on my eating table, so mine is of the size of 87x8x13.5cm

The only thing you should be aware of: more LEGO bricks mean more weight. Consider this as the hanging hook or whatever system you will use can handle this weight.
Enough talk: construct your lamp. If you are about to use the Dioder system that I used, please plan enough space for the long power cable and the plug. In my solution, I made a basement exactly at the middle of the lamp inside it, so that I could simple put the cable and plug on there.

STEP 2 - The ceiling power cable
TURN YOUR POWER OFF! And check twice that it really is turned off! Attach the textile chord to the power cables from the ceiling. Insert a hook in the ceiling right where you want your lamp to hang above and pull the textile cable through this hook. For safety reasons i make a knot here, just in case that the lamp might fall of for whatever reason.

Now attach the plug to the chord and insert the Dioder in it to see if it works. Hopefully it won't work, because you have not turned on your power on again! So turn your power on and if you attached it correctly then there should be light.
TURN IT OFF AGAIN - just for safety reasons.

STEP 3 - The plug in the lamp
Now put the Dioder system inside the lamp on the bricks-base you build. In my solution I built some kind of "dome" around the plug so that even these bricks can work as hanging system that does make the plug hang inside the lamp. Depending on your design you certainly will find some way to attach the plug or the chord to the bricks.

At the moment I do not own black LEGO plates, but started collecting them so that I can close the upper part of the lamp with them.

See more of the LEGO Dioder lamp.

~ Carlos Pinto, Hamburg, Germany

Our Princess is in another castle!

Materials: Three Lack shelving units, 5" long 5/16" bolts x8.

Description: Desiring shelves somewhere around the bed, and needing a night stand with some late night reading illumination, I decided to do it all at once.

Took three separate Lack shelf units, and framed the bed, which ended up looking like a castle. Considering some Mario themed decorating to come, the name was obvious.

One unit each side, shelves facing inward towards the bed (as pictured), and one laid horizontal across the top, facing "up". The "top" and "bottom" shelves of each unit were left off.

The extra shelves were used in various locations. One on each side were used to shim the width of the assembly to fit the width of the bed, and give some symmetry to the way the top unit was laid into the (now top) shelf of the side units. These shimmed pieces were bolted to the side units via 5" 5/16" bolts with large fender washers via holes drilled all the way through each. Likewise the back/bottom of the top unit was bolted to the top shelf of the side units using the same bolts.

The four other extra shelves were attached together in pairs on the back unfinished side via the supplied wall brackets and screws. Used as "feet" for the unit to get the height needed to clear an electrical outlet on one side of the bed. Also to help keep the height while the whole unit was mounted to the wall also using the supplied brackets similarly as described in the instructions. The feet are then basically non functional but their placement also adds to the look and symmetry to the unit (not pictured anyways).

The piece was finished off with a color DIODER strip to provide mood lighting, on the bottom of the top (horizontal) unit.

~ Mo Chunk

Create an image changing picture frame with DIODER bookcase lighting

Materials: DIODER, frame, print

Description: One of our projects was published a while ago - custom coffee tables.

We've got a new one, which uses DIODER bookcase lighting strips to create an image-changing picture frame. You could use an IKEA frame for this as well, although we didn't for this particular example.

It's a fun idea and a bit different from the norm!

RGB Light Frame (part 1) from diginate on Vimeo.

See more of the light changing picture frame.

~ Tim, London

My Expedit is more than you think...

Materials: 2xExpedit, 3xDioder, Molger legs frame, Lekman

Description: I mix up two Expedit shelves 79x149 to get border with birch veneer and white inside. I also use other shelves just pushing them into sections. Filled it up with 2 drawers, 2 Lekman boxes and make some hard work with 3 different kinds of Dioder.

Molger hacks visible on photos I describe in other another post.

This Expedit/Molger/Dioder set is giving a lot of possibilities with light-decorating, so we've made video which is record of more than 400 pictures.

~ Bartosz, WrocLove, PL

HOPEN for some under-bed lighting

Materials: Hopen bed frame, Dioder LED light strips, foot-operated light switch.

Description: I installed Dioder led strips under the edge of my Hopen bed frame and then put a switch in the headboard for easy operation.

It was a pretty simple hack. Route out the area in the headboard that you want to install the switch and use the included adhesive pads to mount the LED strips under the bed. The whole hack took less than 2 hours and looks pretty nice.

The switch I selected is intended to operate lighting that's inconvenient to reach, so it's a foot-switch ($10 on Amazon). It takes very little force to operate and clicks on-and-off.

The only thing I'd want to do better in the future would be to source a switch that was darker in color so it'd blend in better. As it is, you can't see the hack under normal conditions, so I'm very happy with it.

See more photos of the Hopen underbed lighting.

~ Maximillian, Chico, CA

Dioder - from cold to warm white LED light

Materials: Dioder (4 round spots), yellow plastic cover, screwdriver and scissors

Description: My wife an I puzzled over on how to get some light into our winter garden (conservatory).

We didn't want to ruin our new winter garden by drilling screws into the metal construction. So we searched for an alternative, that is small, easy to attach and casts a nice warm light.

During a shopping trip at IKEA we found the Dioder Spots, but they have a hard and rather cold white light. After some thinking I was sure I can teach them how to shine nice and warm.

Because LEDs don't get hot, one can unse various technics to change the whitish light. First I thought of some paint I could put on the LED, but then I discovered a yellow plastic cover... bingo!

Here is how to hack the LEDs:

First I dismantled the silver holding from the white lamp by turning the lamp counter-clock-wise.

Next I needed a small screwdriver to open the LED board. Don't be afraid, the LED board is very sturdy and with a small screwdriver you won't need much strength to open them.

Thirdly, I used some cardboard to make a model from the inside of the white plastic cover. It was a round piece about 2.6cm in diameter. With that template it was easy to cut the plastic cover into the round inset.

Now I put the inset between the white plastic and the LED board and closed everything... viola!

On the photos, you can see the difference between the original white and the new warm white LED-light.

~ Stephan Messer

DIODER with USB

Materials: DIODER (RGB), Atmel at90usb162 microcontroller and more.

Description: This is my modified IKEA DIODER. I have replaced the built in microcontroller with another one that support USB. That combined with some open source software makes it possible to control the light from a computer. For example use music and sound to control the light.

Note that I haven't tested this at all with any operating systems other than Ubuntu.

See more of the Dioder with USB.

~ Rikard Lindstr�m, Sweden

Pimp my Billy Laiva: From a boring bookshelf to an astonishing bar

Materials: 1-One LAMPLIG Grytgaller 2-One LOTS spegel 3-One DIODER led 4-Couple of nail clips and double sided adhesive pads.

Description: The pictures I took are quite self-explanatory, so I will resume it as much I can. Have you any question I will be happy to answer it!

I sawed the Lamplig right in the middle. Then I ended up drilling 16 holes in order to accommodate the sawn-off Lamplig perfectly in to the upper shelf. To make it steady I used a couple of nail clips.

Since the mirrors LOTS spegel already come with double sided adhesive pads, all I had to do was to place 5 pads on the back of each mirror and set them on my preferred location.

The DIODER led lights do also come with adhesive pads, so I did the same with them!

And this is the final result. It works pretty well as an ambient lightening. Right now the only thing missing is to throw a party! I'm off, peace out!

Inspired by this hack.

~ Raphael G Correia, Sweden

As-Is Mood Light Headboard

Materials: As-Is Dioder Lights ($8), As-Is Frosted Glass panes (2 of them, $5 each)

Description:
1. Place 2 frosted glass panes up against the wall with a Brimnes bed frame

2. Attach the dioder lights to the edge of the Brimnes bed frame facing up behind the pillows

That's it! Selection of several colors, great for mood lighting :)

~ Sisi, New York, NY

Mood light panel

Materials: Pax Fevik wardrobe door, DIODER led lights, some wood and two hooks

Description: I have always been a big fan of mood lighting and the low cost of IKEA lamps has allowed me to experiment with creating the perfect balance of functional and mood light.

So I decided to make a light panel for my recently purchased toy, a large plasma TV.

I had two packs of DIODER coloured led lights from some previous experiments, and set off to IKEA to find a glass panel door. I wanted a frosted glass panel as I figured this would diffuse the rather harsh lighting of the DIODER led's.


I picked up a slightly damaged Pax Fevik wardrobe door of 2.29m for 29,95 euro (less than half price!) and set off home.

The challenge was finding a way to hang the door without showing any hooks or wires. After visiting a few hardware stores for inspiration I came up with a simple solution. I mounted two small wooden blocks on the inside of the doorframe, just below the top edge of the frame.

The blocks are about 4 cm thick, creating some distance between the door and the wall, allowing the light to be diffused along the edges on the wall as well.

I had to find the right length of screws that would go thought the blocks and into the frame, but not show on the outside. The door weighs 15 kilos so I used three screws per block to attach it to the frame.

Once the wooden blocks were in place, I attached a simple hook used to hang heavy paintings to each one. I drilled two holes in the wall above my TV, inserted a plug and screw in each, and voil� !

Now I attached two more little wooden blocks to the bottom part of the frame to ensure that the distance from the wall was equal on the top and the bottom of the frame. For good order I used a couple of IKEA stick-on floor protectors on the wooden blocks so that they would not damage the wall.

Next I attached four DIODER light strips to the top of the door, and four to the bottom, using the sticking pads supplied with them. It takes some measuring to find the best spacing between them allowing for optimal light coverage within the panel.

Then came the task of making running the wires along the back side of the panel. I used little strips of black duct tape to stick the wires to the backside to make them invisible. That took about 1.5 hours, as you have to use enough tape so that it won't come loose in a couple of days....I led all the wires to the bottom of the frame where they exited in the middle.

Fortunately I didn't have to worry about hiding the wires at their exit point, as my TV covers this bit.

The final result was even better than anticipated!

~ Marc, Amsterdam, NL