A DIY Moon Lamp Brings The Outside In For A Serene Sleep

Biophilic design involves bringing the outdoors into your home to connect with nature through architecture and decor. The outcome is a more healthy and harmonious space. While many of these designs involve big modifications like living walls and skylights, you can also make smaller changes to bring nature in. There's something serene about moonlight, so it's no surprise that lunar-inspired lamps are so popular. For those with a little creativity and some craft materials, you can DIY stunning celestial home decor on a budget. And, that's exactly what Instagram user sonyaart_22 did by turning to the ancient art form of paper mache.

Surprisingly, the main ingredient in this moonlight craft is a common home staple — toilet paper. Using glue, the tissue is stuck to an inflated balloon to create the orb shape. Once dry, it hardens, and the balloon is popped. Throw in a strand of LED lights, and you've got yourself some custom nature-inspired illumination on a budget. 

Are you ready to use your toilet paper to DIY a beautiful moon lamp? You'll need a few supplies, including PVA craft glue like the TSSART scrapbook glue, a balloon, a hot glue gun, and some popsicle sticks. You'll also need a string of LEDs like this 2 Pack of LED Fairy Lights. Keep in mind, LEDs are better than regular light bulbs for this project because they produce less heat than other bulbs. They can still get warm, though — so be sure to turn them off before you go to bed. With your supplies collected, it's time to craft.

Use hot glue to make three squares out of 12 popsicle sticks and stack them on top of each other. Next, inflate the balloon to your desired size. Mix two parts of water with one part of craft glue and thoroughly coat paper pieces to stick them on. Once the sphere is dry and hardened, snip the end of the balloon and pull it out of the bottom of the sphere. Stuff in the lights and set it on the popsicle sticks. Turn on the LEDs to add a little lunar illumination to your bedroom and bring the night sky inside without overspending. 

DIYing anything leaves room for artistic license. There are many ways to personalize your moon lamp to better match the decor in your room. One way is by modifying the original design with color. Rather than plain white toilet paper, try colored paper or a high-shine option like Larcenciel's Metallic Colored Tissue Paper. You can also add a little food coloring or glitter to the glue and water mixture to enhance the look of your luminary. Another way to modify the design is by adding texture. Craters can even be created by rubbing circles of tissue off of the balloon and adding thinner layers back to cover the holes, like Kreative Dude demonstrates. 

As you seek methods to make the light unique, don't forget the base. Wooden popsicle sticks are a cheap and easy foundation for your orb. You could coat them with a metallic color like FolkArt's Sahara Gold Acrylic Paint, or use a wood stain to retain that natural element. Or, an alternative material, like Clear Acrylic Popsicle Sticks can add to the celestial vibe. However you customize your light, you'll have a one-of-a-kind biophilic design element to enhance a serene slumber.