How to Make a Kumiko Pendant Lamp 2026

Making a kumiko hanging lamp is a wonderful DIY job that you can do to implement anywhere in the home.

There are a total of 401 pieces in this lamp, which made it a fun and extremely challenging project.

For those who don't know, Kumiko is an ancient Japanese technique for assembling strips of wood into geometric patterns without the use of metal fasteners.

The grids and filler pieces in this project are 1/2″ x 1/8″ basswood strips and you will need Kumiko templates to cut them at the appropriate angles.

Both the templates and strips are linked below in the 'Tools I Used' section.

Video on how to make a kumiko hanging lamp

Click to see the Video.

I will refer to the kumiko section as three separate parts. The main grid (consisting of all the vertical and horizontal strips), the angled grid (the strips that run diagonally on the main grid), the filler (the small strips are cut to make the intricate patterns within both grids).

Tools I used: 

These are the tools I used for this project; however, similar results can be achieved with similar tools.

• Kumiko Templates
• Table saw
• Chisels
• Japanese hand saw
• Hot glue gun
• Dental syringe
• Router
• Drill press
• Random orbit sander

Materials to make a kumiko hanging lamp:

• Kumiko Strips
• Epoxy
• Black diamond pigments
• Covering tape
• Lamp cable
• Light bulb

#1: The main grid

• The main grille is made with three strips of different sizes. (4 – 17 1/4″) (6 – 6 1/4″) (6 – 1 3/4″) For Kuimko, it is very important to be extremely precise when cutting all of your pieces.
• To make sure these are all the same length, I glued them together, trimmed one side of the strips so they were even, and cut the other side to size.
• I used a table saw with a cross sled to accomplish this (and many other steps in this project) but it can also be done with a band saw or hand saw and the same goes for cutting the half rounds.
• There are a lot of half rounds to cut in this project and this is where we start to build the pattern we are looking for. All the dimensions I used for this panel are illustrated in the next step.
• To make cutting the half rounds easier and for their respective angles, I made this sled for my table saw. The back fence is 90 degrees to the blade and the slant fence is 30 degrees to that fence.
• The slots in the sled are 1/2″ apart and were intended to place a small piece to record the previous half turns, but spacing is disabled for this panel, so I measured the half turn spacing for each strip and used a Stop Block for repeatable cuts.
• Once all the half-rounds are cut, the rack can be assembled.

#2: The angled grille

• This is the first time I've incorporated an angled grid into a project and I did a practice piece before this.
• Because of this, I was taking great care to measure all the half turns accurately, so I had no surprises (mistakes) later.
• I started by cutting the three half-rounds into the small angled strips.
• With those cuts, I then cut the center half-round on the longer strips.
• Then I used the small strips as a template to mark the other two half rounds on the long strips.
• I did it this way to make sure all of these half turns are spaced correctly so they intersect correctly.
• I also added small angled sections to the ends of this grid and to space them evenly, I measured from the half turn of the center of the long strips. With all those half turns cut, this angled gray can be assembled

#3: Combining the Grids

• Now it's time to combine the two grids and this is where a couple of things can go wrong.
• If the half turns are not spaced correctly, the movements can become distorted when assembled and will complicate future steps.
• To help prevent that, I'm using the grids to mark the mid-turn locations
• . I'm cutting the half rounds on the main grid first, so I centered the angled grid on the main grid and traced the strips to mark where I need to make the cuts.
• I took the strips I needed to cut from the made grid and cut them with the sled on my table saw.
• These needed to be cut at 60 degrees, so I added another fence to the sled.
• With those half-turns cut, I reassemble the main grille and place the angle in the new half-turn slots. I made sure it was centered and marked, and cut these half rounds the same way.
• The grille was then mounted and those are all the half turns needed for these panels.

#4: Cut the strips

• I glued certain sections at a time and use the dry glue.
• I removed them so the panel would cut the extra lengths of the strips.
• I used a Japanese saw for this and they work great. Removing sections of the panel made it easier to cut the strips and glue making sure the strips were exactly where I needed them.
• If you plan to do this project, think about which sections you need to glue first so you don't paint yourself into a corner.
• Also, if your half wraps are tight enough, you may not need glue. I added it just to be on the cautious side.
• I'm a belt-and-suspenders type of person.

#5: The Framework

• This frame is made from African Mahogany and I cut the strips to 1/2″x 3/8″.
• After cutting the first miter on one end, I used the panel to mark where I needed to cut this frame piece to make it the correct length.
• With one piece cut to size, I glued it into place and repeated that process for the rest of the frame, referencing the first piece.
• I also marked and cut each frame piece for each side of each panel. That way I had extremely precise adjustment frames.
• With the frame pieces cut, I glue the corners together around the frame opening. I add glue, close the frame with tape.
• I also add glue to the inside of the frame and glue the Kumiko panel to the frame.
• I also add tape to close any gaps between the panel and the frame, if there is any.

#6: The filling

• The filling is the fun but challenging part of making Kumiko.
• The process is very similar for diamond sections on the angled grid, except that the filler pieces are cut with 30- and 60-degree templates to reflect the angles on that grid.

#7: Epoxy

• Next is the epoxy. First I cover some plywood with facing tape which will act as backing boards.
• The facing tape does not stick to the epoxy as it dries and will allow me to easily remove the panels later.
• I secure the panels to these boards with hot glue which will prevent the epoxy from leaking under the panels.
• I used a weight on the panels to make sure they lay flat on the support boards. It is also important here to make sure the panels are level. I checked the level in both directions and added shims where necessary.
• I started mixing the epoxy and made two separate pours for this project, each about 1/8″ deep. The first pour is a light level and the second is where I added the color pigments.
• This way, more light can filter through. The sides of the lamp. To get the epoxy into the tight pockets, I used a dental syringe.
• Once the first pour enters its gel state, I start mixing more epoxy and added blue and green pigments to get a navy turquoise mix.
• I had to mix a few layers of epoxy so as not to have too much in the cup and risk it reaching its exothermic state too quickly and solidifying in the mixing cup.
• That's why I knew I would have different shades of blue for each batch. So I mixed enough epoxy to fill the same pockets in each panel and repeated until all the pockets were filled.
• When the epoxy is completely dry, I removed the backing board panels with a chisel.

#8: Cutting chamfers

• Next I cut a chamfer on the back of the long and one of the short sides of the panel. That short side will be the bottom of the lamp and the long sides will be glued to the other panels.
• I felt it would be more precise to cut these chamfersIt is with a Router table, but I don't have one. So I turned my Router upside down and tightened it real tight in my vise and installed a 1/4″ bit. I felt confident doing it this way but I wouldn't recommend it if it doesn't feel safe for you as you have a very small base to use as a reference.
• With those cuts, I held the four panels together to measure the length of the piece the wire will be attached to.
• I will not provide dimensions for this piece as it depends on accuracy.
• You were cutting in the previous steps and on the lamp wire I plan for you.

#9: Piece of lamp cord

• I cut this piece to length and used my table saw and sled crosswise with a stop block to precisely cut the tenons on the ends of these pieces.
• With those cuts I drilled a hole in the center of this piece for the head of the lamp.
• The treads on my piece were not long enough to go through the entire thickness of the wood, so I drilled a slightly longer middle hole so the entire lamp would rest on it.
• Drill these holes with a drill, but a regular drill will work fine, just make sure you drill as straight as possible.
• If you are using front drill bits, it helps to drill the largest hole first.

#10: Panels

• While at the drill press, I installed a fence and drilled most of the mortise into the frame of two of the panels. I then cleaned the mortise with a chisel.

#11: Sanding

• Prior to assembly, I sand the front and back of the panels to clean up any inconsistencies in the Kumiko parts and the epoxy.
• I sanded the epoxy with 120 grit which left a bit of a rough surface.
• This helps deactivate the light through the epoxy.

#12: Assembly

• I start by gluing the bead into the mortise first and use a clamp to make sure it is seated properly.
• I add glue to the chamfers and using clamps to hold these pieces together would have been complicated, so I use rubber bands instead.
• I made sure not to add too much glue here, as I didn't want to squeeze it out too much to clean it up later.
• I also used wood glue and it won't be visible if it gets a little squeezed out.

#13: Finishing

• Once the glue dried, I removed all the rubber bands and removed the dust with a brush in a vacuum. I used spray lacquer as a finish that focused primarily on the mahogany to bring out the rich orange color.

#14: It's all done!

And with that, everything is finished. While I was pouring the epoxy, I decided not to add any epoxy on the diamond sections. That way, more light can pass through and highlight the warm wood tones against the cold blue epoxy.

Remember that you can make a kumiko hanging lamp with the measurements you think are necessary.

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