Looking to spice up the look of your backyard or patio this summer? If so, adding a burst of colorful light in the form of a hanging lamp will most certainly do the job!

Today, we are going to highlight an illuminating tutorial from YouTuber Mark Montano that is economical as it is fun and crafty. The good news is that you can purchase all of the materials at your local dollar store or garage sale, and the great news is that once you get the hang of it, this craft is fairly simple to make on your own at home.

The basis of this DIY outdoor lamp is, believe it or not, a colorful rag rug—something that may seem like an odd choice, but once you see those colors glowing in your yard, you’ll never question it again!

To get started on making your very own rag rug lamp, be sure to first gather together these necessary materials:

  • 2 wire basket planters
  • Large colorful rag rug
  • Light cord
  • Light bulb
  • Spooled wire
  • Fabric scissors

Now that you have everything you need to make one of these, closely follow these instructions:

  1. Remove any excess fringe that may be hanging off of the rag rug. Once complete, snip around the threads that hold the fabric together, and gently pull each strip out one at a time.
  2. Now that your “rug” doesn’t really resemble a rug anymore, take a close look at those fabric strips. If you think that they are rather thick, then slice them down the middle so that each piece is about 2 inches across.
  3. Select one of these fabric strips and tie it to the base of the wire basket. From there, weave this piece in and out of the metal “caged” ends so that it is creating a spiral design. Continue until you are left with a few inches of extra fabric at the piece’s end.                                                                                                                                                     
    man weaving fabric in metal basketMark Montano
  4. Choose an opposing color of fabric and tie it to the end of your original piece. Once secured, repeat the spiraling technique that you performed with the first strip.
  5. Complete this practice with all of the colors, eventually working your way down until the entire metal basket is covered. Tie off the very last piece of fabric into a knot. Follow these exact instructions to make another identical one.
  6. Take your light cord and pull it through the small opening in the base, then connect the light bulb so that it is housed in the center of the wire basket. Once hooked up, take your metal wire and secure your second piece to the first, so that the bottoms are touching.

rag rug lamps hanging in yardMark Montano
The end result is absolutely gorgeous! We think these would add some serious personality to any summertime backyard bash.

Now, we have to admit that this particular tutorial can be just a tad tricky. To see Mark’s brilliant weaving method for yourself, be sure to click on the video below. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to make even more of these vibrant lamps!

What do you think of this outdoor lamp project? Have you tried this DIY yourself? If so, do you have any helpful tips to make the process go even more smoothly?