Discover how to create unique upcycling lamps from pull tabs with this easy DIY guide. Learn how many pull tabs are needed and explore creative techniques for sustainable lighting projects. Perfect for eco-friendly home decor and recycling enthusiasts!
In this article:
- Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
- How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
- Getting Started and Inspiration
Creative Lamp Examples with Pull Tab Counts

How many will that be? The answer can be found here.
Curious about how many pull tabs you need to create a lamp? Wondering when it’s worth getting creative? How many cans of beer do you need to drink to build a small bedside lamp? Did you drink them all yourself?
These questions and more often come up and are quite valid. Having crafted various lamps from can opener pull tabs, I’d love to share my experiences with you. Intrigued by the number of tabs required, I’ve documented the counts through careful calculation and counting.
Here, I’ll showcase a range of upcycled lamps made from can opener pull tabs, along with the approximate number of tabs you’ll need for each.
How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
From my experience, the more pull tabs you use, the more impressive the lamp looks. Starting with emptying 1,200 beer cans may lead to some serious side effects and will take quite a while. In another post, I’ll explain how to gather thousands of pull tabs and what customs have to do with it.
Getting Started and Inspiration
To begin, a smaller number of pull tabs will suffice. A small bedside lamp requires around 120 pull tabs. If you’re unsure what this is all about, let the pictures do the talking, or check out this tutorial to see how easily pull tabs can be connected.
Let’s start with a project using 120 pull tabs and see how quickly you can create your own unique upcycled lamp!
Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
120 Pull Tabs



7 inch vinyl bedside lamp. Burned the holes in the vinyl with a hot needle and attached the pull tabs with nylon thread
Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Complete height: 26cm

250 Pull Tabs
Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Circumference: 40cm
A simple small ceiling lamp is much more impressive and beautiful. I made the transparent orange lampshade from old car indicator lights.



600 Pull Tabs


Here is a square version. Simply wrapped around a metal frame. Tied with nylon thread.
Height: 40cm
Depth/width 20cm

700 Pull Tabs


Height: 18cm
Depth/Width 44cm
With the same number of pull tabs, also angular, this lamp gets by. Flatter and as a ceiling lamp with a white vinyl record as glare protection.

750 Pull Tabs


Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Circumference: 40cm
Here I have combined 3 of the 250 Pulltab lamps to create a beautiful dining table lamp. Simply hung on a great old wine crate and the upcycling designer piece was finished.

1400 Pull Tabs
Height: 24cm
Diameter: 44cm
The flagship was probably the largest lamp I have built. It was worth it – everyone who sees this ceiling lamp is impressed and only realizes later what the lamp was made of.




Discover how to create unique upcycling lamps from pull tabs with this easy DIY guide. Learn how many pull tabs are needed and explore creative techniques for sustainable lighting projects. Perfect for eco-friendly home decor and recycling enthusiasts!
In this article:
- Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
- How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
- Getting Started and Inspiration
Creative Lamp Examples with Pull Tab Counts

How many will that be? The answer can be found here.
Curious about how many pull tabs you need to create a lamp? Wondering when it’s worth getting creative? How many cans of beer do you need to drink to build a small bedside lamp? Did you drink them all yourself?
These questions and more often come up and are quite valid. Having crafted various lamps from can opener pull tabs, I’d love to share my experiences with you. Intrigued by the number of tabs required, I’ve documented the counts through careful calculation and counting.
Here, I’ll showcase a range of upcycled lamps made from can opener pull tabs, along with the approximate number of tabs you’ll need for each.
How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
From my experience, the more pull tabs you use, the more impressive the lamp looks.
Starting with emptying 1200 beer cans may lead to some serious side effects and will take quite a while.
In another post, I’ll explain how to gather thousands of pull tabs and what customs have to do with it.
Getting Started and Inspiration
To begin, a smaller number of pull tabs will suffice. A small bedside lamp requires around 120 pull tabs. If you’re unsure what this is all about, let the pictures do the talking, or check out this tutorial to see how easily pull tabs can be connected.
Let’s start with a project using 120 pull tabs and see how quickly you can create your own unique upcycled lamp!
Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
120 Pull Tabs

Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Complete height: 26cm

7 inch vinyl bedside lamp. Burned the holes in the vinyl with a hot needle and attached the pull tabs with nylon thread

250 Pull Tabs

Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Circumference: 40cm

A simple small ceiling lamp is much more impressive and beautiful. I made the transparent orange lampshade from old car indicator lights.

700 Pull Tabs

Height: 40cm
Depth/width 20cm

Here is a square version. Simply wrapped around a metal frame. Tied with nylon thread.


700 Pull Tabs

Height: 18cm
Depth/Width 44cm


With the same number of pull tabs, also angular, this lamp gets by. Flatter and as a ceiling lamp with a white vinyl record as glare protection.

750 Pull Tabs

Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Circumference: 40cm

Here I have combined 3 of the 250 Pulltab lamps to create a beautiful dining table lamp. Simply hung on a great old wine crate and the upcycling designer piece was finished.

1400 Pull Tabs

Height: 24cm
Diameter: 44cm

The flagship was probably the largest lamp I have built. It was worth it – everyone who sees this ceiling lamp is impressed and only realizes later what the lamp was made of.

Discover how to create unique upcycling lamps from pull tabs with this easy DIY guide. Learn how many pull tabs are needed and explore creative techniques for sustainable lighting projects. Perfect for eco-friendly home decor and recycling enthusiasts!
In this article:
- Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
- How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
- Getting Started and Inspiration
Creative Lamp Examples with Pull Tab Counts

How many will that be? The answer can be found here.
Curious about how many pull tabs you need to create a lamp? Wondering when it’s worth getting creative? How many cans of beer do you need to drink to build a small bedside lamp? Did you drink them all yourself?
These questions and more often come up and are quite valid. Having crafted various lamps from can opener pull tabs, I’d love to share my experiences with you. Intrigued by the number of tabs required, I’ve documented the counts through careful calculation and counting.
Here, I’ll showcase a range of upcycled lamps made from can opener pull tabs, along with the approximate number of tabs you’ll need for each.
How Many Pull Tabs for Different Lamp Projects?
From my experience, the more pull tabs you use, the more impressive the lamp looks. Starting with emptying 1,200 beer cans may lead to some serious side effects and will take quite a while. In another post, I’ll explain how to gather thousands of pull tabs and what customs have to do with it.
Getting Started and Inspiration
To begin, a smaller number of pull tabs will suffice. A small bedside lamp requires around 120 pull tabs. If you’re unsure what this is all about, let the pictures do the talking, or check out this tutorial to see how easily pull tabs can be connected.
Let’s start with a project using 120 pull tabs and see how quickly you can create your own unique upcycled lamp!
Upcycling Lamps from Pull Tabs
120 Pull Tabs

Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Complete height: 26cm

7 inch vinyl bedside lamp. Burned the holes in the vinyl with a hot needle and attached the pull tabs with nylon thread


250 Pull Tabs


Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
A simple small ceiling lamp is much more impressive and beautiful. I made the transparent orange lampshade from old car indicator lights.

600 Pull Tabs


Height: 40cm
Depth/width 20cm
Here is a square version. Simply wrapped around a metal frame. Tied with nylon thread.


700 Pull Tabs

Height: 18cm
Depth/Width 44cm


750 Pull Tabs

Diameter: 18cm
Lampshade: 13cm
Circumference: 40cm
Here I have combined 3 of the 250 Pulltab lamps to create a beautiful dining table lamp. Simply hung on a great old wine crate and the upcycling designer piece was finished.


1400 Pull Tabs

Height: 24cm
Diameter: 44cm
The flagship was probably the largest lamp I have built. It was worth it – everyone who sees this ceiling lamp is impressed and only realizes later what the lamp was made of.

