Glass is an aesthetically-pleasing design element extensively used in DIY projects. The visual beauty of glass allows design enthusiasts to practice a high level of creativity in designing artistic interior décor projects. However, glass is an incredibly fragile material offering homeowners very limited customizability when it comes to design. That’s the reason why Plexiglass is being used widely as a lightweight contemporary alternative to the conventional glass.
A brief about Plexiglass
Plexiglass is a lightweight thermoplastic and is available in the form of clear sheets of acrylic and scientifically known as Polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA. The modernistic glass alternative is a transparent plastic material having a high-end design versatility and customizability. Also known as acrylic glass, it has incredible impact resistance and is a ductile alternative to fragile and brittle conventional glass. Besides strength, the material is also highly flexible and is a perfect choice for modern architectural and design projects.
Why is Plexiglass widespread in use?
In this modern era of class and sophistication, a trendy and stylish transparent plastic provides the homeowners a luxury to practice ingenuity in design. Plexiglass is widely used in designing windows, windscreens, aquariums, and LED screen because of its aesthetic beauty and augmented durability. The incredible design versatility of Plexiglas makes it a perfect glass alternative and is also used in the medical industry to design lightweight and strong medical equipment.
One of the leading reasons for the widespread use of plexiglass is its remarkable light transmission characteristics. The contemporary thermoplastic readily transmits light and can be used in any home applications where glass is normally used. Despite readily transmitting light, the plexiglass offers less glare and better clarity as compared to normal glass. It is also safer and durable than the normal glass and is not easy to break and shatter. That’s why it serves as an ideal material choice for DIY projects.
Acrylic glass is incredibly lightweight and is easy to handle and use. Its lightweight provides design enthusiasts with a greater degree of design freedom and encourages them to explore their creativity. Cutting panes of thermoplastic is incredibly easy and simple as compared to the normal glass that easily shatters and breaks. This enhanced customizability is one of the leading reasons why this contemporary alternative is preferred over the normal glass by DIY enthusiasts. Custom cut plexiglass is safe and imposes no risk as they don’t easily break and when they do break, they shatter into harmless spherical fragments.
Design enthusiasts can mold this contemporary thermoplastic into any desired shape and style as per their unique design needs. Besides this, DIY enthusiasts can select from a wide range of color options available in plexiglass. Commonly, shades of orange, red, yellow, brown, and blue are widely used in designing DIY projects. Black and white acrylic sheets are also available for design lovers in need of elite class and sophistication.
Major uses of acrylic glass on DIY
Lightweight acrylic sheets serve as a perfect material choice for DIY projects as it offers unparalleled customizability and design versatility. Most commonly, these sheets are used in parallel with LED lights to provide a matchless visual beauty. For instance, edge-lit acrylic displays are widely used in offices and homes to capture the attention of the passersby. DIY acrylic glass lamps are also widely popular as it offers homeowner an elegant decorative solution for renovating interior space.
These contemporary sheets of acrylic can be used in multiple applications around the home and most popular one includes the following:
• Glass Cabinets
• Kitchen Backsplash
• Wall Shelves
• Picture Frame
• End and Coffee Tables
• Bed Frames
• Home Décor
• Home Improvement Projects
Their easy-to-cut and easy-to-mold characteristics make them perfect for a wide range of home improvement and DIY applications around the home. They are easy to handle and install and comes in a variety of aesthetically-pleasing finishes and color options. In addition to this, they are strong and best to design durable DIY projects. The other attractive characteristics and features of plexiglass include anti-glare, UV reduction, shatter-resistance, and improved resistance to erosion and weathering.
How to set up a decorative acrylic glass lamp by DIY
Setting up a decorative Plexiglas lamp is incredibly easy and requires minimal effort and maximum creativity. In simple words, it is merely a piece of acrylic sheets scribbled and illuminated with RGB LEDs on one end.
Step # 1 – Engraving and Designing Acrylic Sheet
For customizing acrylic sheets, a mini CNC engraver is all it takes to customize the sheets in the desired decorative shapes. DIY enthusiasts can use a combination of different engraving techniques to create their unique designs. While engraving, it is recommended to pour water over the sheets to prevent it from overheating.
Step # 2 – Setting up a Wooden Base
A wooden base is needed to set up a decorative acrylic lamp powered by electricity. To make a wooden base, CNC engraver is commonly used to engrave required shapes with the help of a router. Any wooden material can be used to make the base and simple oil polishing is needed to make it look more elegant and classic.
Step # 3 – Finishing the Workpiece
After setting up the wooden base, a jigsaw is needed to finish off the workpiece and separate the engraved contour. It is advisable to cut the workpiece in one natural flow to avoid roughness near the edges. Finally, the workpiece is filed to make it in the perfect size needed to hold the acrylic sheet in place.
Step # 4 – Setting up Electronics
Lastly, a USB-powered RGB LED strip is integrated into the acrylic glass lamp and is an economical option to lighten up the lamp.
The Final Word
Decorative and fancy DIY Plexiglas lamps are incredibly easy to make and can revamp the entire outlook of interior space. Their inclusion injects a unique sense of design ingenuity and their versatility allows them to smoothly blend in with the themes of the contemporary design.
