DIYers hack the cutest IKEA Night Lights

The IKEA range of children’s night lights offers adorable designs and practical features to soothe anxieties and create a calming bedtime environment. From playful cloud shapes to friendly animal figures, these night lights provide a gentle glow that chases away shadows without being too bright.

But wait, there’s more.

We’re taking these charming IKEA night lights a step further with creative night light hacks that will transform them from store-bought to spectacular. Let’s get hacking.

A Star Wars Fan’s Night Light

Are you a Star Wars enthusiast, a lover of DIY projects, and a bit of a night owl? If so, you’re in for a treat. Thanks to Yahbluez’s creative genius, you can now transform the humble IKEA MÖRKRÄDD night light into a stellar Death Star night light, a nod to the famous space station.

What You’ll Need:

A 3D printer (FDM or SLA will do the trick)

The free 3D model for the Death Star night light (available online)

An IKEA MÖRKRÄDD plug-in night light

Patience and a touch of the Force (optional but recommended)

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Death Star

Prepare Your Printer: Before you start, make sure your 3D printer is ready for action. This means checking for any updates, ensuring the print bed is level, and selecting the right type of filament.

Download the Model: Yahbluez has provided a free 3D model of the Death Star that’s designed for beginners to print easily. Download the file and prepare it using your preferred slicing software.

Print the Death Star: Once your model is sliced, it’s time to print. The Death Star design is optimized for a hassle-free printing experience, so even those new to 3D printing can expect smooth sailing.

Assemble the Night Light: After printing, the Death Star will be ready to house the IKEA MÖRKRÄDD night light. The design cleverly integrates with the light, so no additional tools are required. Gently place the MÖRKRÄDD light inside the Death Star shell—everything fits together without the need for glue or screws.

Test the Light: Before you get too far ahead, it’s a good idea to test the night light to ensure it’s working properly. Turn on the MÖRKRÄDD within the Death Star shell and bask in the soft glow of your new galactic lamp.

Final Touches: Adding paint or other decorations can further personalize your Death Star. Some may prefer to keep the raw, printed look for that authentic DIY feel, while others might want to add a layer of metallic paint to mimic the steel exterior of the actual Death Star.

Enjoy Your Creation: Place your new Death Star IKEA night light on your bedside table, desk, or shelf. It’s not only a functional piece that will light up your space when darkness falls but also a unique statement of your crafting skills and love for the Star Wars saga.

The fun doesn’t stop here. Many IKEA items can be hacked into night lights that will fit beautifully in kids’ rooms.

Cloud Night Light for Kids

Place the paper on a soft surface. With a pencil, make holes along the boundary of the cloud. Poke the lights through the holes and fix the wire with tape at the back of the sheet. Lastly, place the sheet into the picture frame and secure the batteries within the thickness of the frame.

DIY night light supplies you’ll need:

1. IKEA RIBBA picture frame
2. Drawing of cloud printed on A4 paper
3. Pencil
4. Tape
5. Battery-operated string LED lights

Hang it up and turn it on at night. It is best to get battery-operated string lights with a remote control so you won’t need to fiddle with the picture frame every time you want to turn the lights on.

Super Hero Night Lights

Is your child’s room overflowing with cutesy nursery decor they’ve outgrown? Don’t toss those adorable IKEA SMILA moon and star lamps just yet. With some creativity and budget-friendly supplies, you can follow Ruby Basham’s footsteps and transform them into something new that fits their current interests.

This project is perfect for a superhero-themed room, but you can easily adapt it to any theme your child loves.

Materials: 

IKEA SMILA wall lamps (minus the original shades)

Colorful plastic serving bowls with lips (available at Walmart for around $1 each) – Make sure they’re big enough to cover the base of the SMILA lamp completely.

Mod Podge

Paper graphics of choice (you can use custom drawings, printouts from the internet, or magazine cutouts)

Screws & drywall anchors (if needed)

Nylon spacers

How to make a superhero night light for kids

Design: Fire up your computer and create awesome superhero-themed (or Barbie) graphics to decorate your bowls. Alternatively, you can use pre-made prints or magazine cutouts. Ruby further personalized the graphics with her kids’ initials.

Decoupage: Adhere your chosen graphics to the outside of the plastic bowls using Mod Podge. If you want a cool shadow effect that only appears when the lamp is lit, you can decoupage the graphics on the inside instead.

Mount the Lamp Base: Following the IKEA instructions or using existing holes, securely mount the SMILA wall lamp base (without the original shade) to your wall.

Prepare the shade: Take your decorated bowl and mark three mounting points around the lip, spaced evenly apart. Using a drill, carefully create holes at the marked points on your plastic bowl.

Marking the Wall: Hold the bowl over the mounted lamp base, aligning the drilled holes with the wall. Use these holes as a guide to mark drilling points on the wall itself.

Install light: Drill holes into the marked points on your wall. If your wall requires them, use drywall anchors for extra support. Now, it’s time to mount the bowl. Insert screws through the holes in the bowl, then into the wall (with drywall anchors if used).

Space for the Cord: The optional nylon spacers come in here. These little cylinders (found in the hardware section of stores like Lowe’s) create a gap between the bowl and the wall. This space is crucial – it allows the lamp cord to pass through comfortably and prevents heat build-up from the bulb. Slide the nylon spacers onto the screws before tightening them completely.

And Shazam! Your SMILA lamps are reborn as superhero night lights, ready to illuminate your child’s imagination.

Night Light Hacks for Every Room

No matter which IKEA night light you choose, there are plenty of ways to personalize it or make it even more functional:

DIY Décor: For the crafty, you can paint your IKEA night light, add decals, or cover it with paper and fabric for a unique look.

Smart Home Integration: Some IKEA night lights can be integrated with smart home systems like Philips Hue, allowing you to control them with your smartphone or voice.

Projector Power: Night lights can cast starry skies, patterns, or calming images onto your walls and ceiling. Glenn turned the 11-inch REGOLIT paper into a night light with mesmerizing effects. The original white shade was too bright so she painted it with acrylic black paint. With the help of a friend with a steady hand, a pattern of holes was punched into the painted shade. This transformed the REGOLIT from a regular lampshade into a beautiful, textured night light. The final touch was placing the lampshade on an old night light base. It works beautifully in a corner of her living room.

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