How to Make a Lamp Post Out of a Copper Pipe

Industrial and construction elements such as copper tubing add to an urban or eclectic style. Furniture and home décor designers have worked copper piping into sculputure, bookshelves, desks, fountains and various lighting elements. Copper tubing is especially useful in the latter application, since copper Ts, elbows and other connectors allow for some creative and conveniently hollow base construction.

Copper pipes, 1/2 inch or larger diameters
Copper Ts in matching diameters, 3

Instructions

- 1
  Join two equal lengths of copper pipe at opposing sides of a copper T fitting. Repeat the process for four more pipe lengths and two more copper Ts. The pipe’s lengths and diameter can vary, but for a no-fail process, use at least 1/2 inch or wider diameter pipe at a length of at least five inches each. If you used these measurements, you should now have three roughly 10-inch lengths of pipe, each of which has three openings: one on each side, and emerging from the center.
- 2
  Place two of your connected pipes parallel to each other, with their center holes facing the space between the pipes. Join the two pipes at these center holes, using the remaining length of connected pipe. You now have an “H” shape made with copper pipe.
- 3
  Twist the only remaining copper T, which is at the center of the “H,” so that it faces upwards. Cap the ends of all other openings with rubber pipe caps.
- 4
  Attach a long length of copper pipe to this upward facing opening. This is the pole of the lamp post. Play with, bend and twist at your pipes until the structure feels stable and looks the way you’d planned. Your DIY copper lamp post is now ready for wiring.

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