Disposable cups are hardly ever re-used, and they often find their end at the local landfill. So to cut back on this paper waste, six innovative designers in Japan have banded together to save the world from being overrun by paper cups. Using reclaimed cups, the crew has created a honeycomb wall lamp that shines bright, well beyond its stunning and sophisticated modern design.
The designers Chengyuan Wei, Guanyun Wang, Ye Tao, Jianxing Cai, Chao Chen, and Xuanxing Yang came up with the upcycled lamp. Each paper cup was first cut in half length-wise, and then arranged in a scalloped roof-tile pattern held together with hot glue. Resembling a fish-scale pattern, the lamp shape slopes into an organic half-egg shape.
The lighting elements are fitted at the bottom, creating a gradated warm glow. The cup bottoms cast columns of light that fan out around the bottom of the lamp. Since it casts such a warming, luminous glow, a lamp like this could be a great weekend craft project to fend off the winter blues!