Before you begin: This is another step that you need to skip if you are still waiting on the E600 glue to cure between the bowl and base. The lampshade bowl and base will undergo a bit of manhandling when installing the LEDs, so it is very important that you let the glue dry. If your glue isn’t dry, skip the LED installation and begin working on sculpting the ramen ingredients while you wait.

If the glue is dry and you’re ready to install your LEDs, flip the bowl over so that you can see the bottom of the lamp base. Locate the hole where the original power cord fed through the external side of the lamp base [Image 4.01]. My lamp base had a little plastic piece plugged into the hole that, when removed, made the hole big enough to accommodate the DC plug [Image 4.02], but if yours is too small use a drill to enlarge it to the size of the DC plug.

Pour an ample amount of hot glue around the body of the plug [Image 4.03], holding it in place and keeping it parallel to the bottom of the lamp until the glue cools.

Take the end of the LEDs, and thread them through the center hole in lamp shade base [Image 4.04] and pull them out the top of the funnel on the inside of the lamp shade [Image 4.05].

Pull the wires taught, and turn the lamp upside down again. Add hot glue around the center hole where the wires feed to the inside of the lamp [Image 4.06]. When the hot glue has cooled, you can flip the lamp back over [Image 4.07] and begin attaching the LEDs.

First, arrange the wires so that they are wrapped around the inside of funnel without any sort of bending or pinching and so that the beginning of the LEDs is on the outside rim of the funnel [Image 4.08]. Hot glue the wires in place [Image 4.09].

Next, peel away the paper protecting the adhesive on the the back of the LEDs a few inches at a time and hot glue them to the outside of the funnel [Image 4.10]. The adhesive on the back of the LEDs isn’t great, so make sure you use hot glue. Continue to add the LEDs to the outside of the funnel, moving down in a spiral [Image 4.11]. When you get to the bottom of the funnel, cut away any excess LEDs at the nearest cut mark.

LED Installation Alternative: If you purchased LEDs with a pre-installed DC power connection, the cord between the plug and LEDs is most likely too short to run through the center and out the bottom of the lamp base. Instead, drill a hole in the side of the lampshade bowl near the lamp base, poke the DC plug through the hole, secure it with hot glue from the inside of the lampshade, and wrap the LEDs around the funnel, working from the bottom to the top.

Connect a DC 12V inline switch to a DC power source, and then plug them into the female connection installed in the lamp [Image 4.12]. Plug the power source into a wall outlet, flip the switch, and tada! Let there be light [Image 4.13]!