Every once in a while I like to design and build decorative lights. Figure 1 shows some outcomes of these endeavors. The light on the left resulted from an exploration of translucent 3D printing materials. The shape is a simple, twisted linear extrusion. The ridges have a pronounced undercut facilitating the light transport from the core to the outside. Also note how the internal support structure of the print shimmers through the material creating an interesting texture. The light in the middle of figure 1 is 3D printed as well. It has a flower-like structure and is precisely designed in such a way that it can just barely be printed without support structures. The light on the right is a pendant made from mild steel that house a tiny green LED in a rectangular cutout. The LED is powered by two small button cell batteries that are housed in the lower part of the pendant. With these batteries the LED can be powered for about 20 hours.

Figure 1: Decorative lights