Picture a desk lamp that glows in your favorite color the moment something happens online, and you printed the whole thing yourself. That is the idea behind the Octolamp, a playful smart sign a maker known as martinwoodward shared with the community on MakerWorld.
The Octolamp is a 3D-printable light shaped with a nod to the familiar developer-culture aesthetic. Inside, a small circuit board runs WLED, one of the most popular open-source firmwares for hobby LED projects. Because it uses WLED, an inexpensive ESP32 or ESP8266 handles all the lighting, and you control colors, animations, and brightness right from your phone over WiFi.
What makes it a great weekend build is how it stitches together three approachable hobbies at once: printing the housing and diffuser, a little beginner electronics, and a splash of smart-home tinkering. It is also Home Assistant compatible, so the lamp can react to real events instead of just sitting there. The full assembly guide, wiring diagram, and parts list are published openly, so you are never left guessing what goes where.
Here is the short version of how it comes together. Print the parts in PLA or PETG, choosing a translucent or white filament for the front panel so the glow spreads evenly, and an opaque color for the frame. Flash WLED onto your ESP board using a browser-based installer, then wire a short strip of addressable LEDs to the data pin with a shared ground. Press-fit the electronics into the printed shell, power it over USB, join its WiFi hotspot, and pick your first animation. From there you can tune palettes and effects to taste. WLED ships with dozens of built-in animations, from gentle color fades to reactive patterns, so it is easy to find a look that suits your space. Keep your wiring tidy and double-check the shared ground before powering on, and the build stays beginner-friendly from start to finish.
Ready to try it on your printer? A project like this rewards good, consistent filament, especially for that diffuser panel where layer quality shows. Grab a spool of reliable PLA or PETG from Flarelab, load your slicer, and give the Octolamp a print. It is a fun way to turn a roll of filament into a gadget that actually lights up your workspace.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code to build the Octolamp?
No. WLED is installed straight from your browser and configured through a friendly web app, so there is no programming required to get your first animation running.
What kind of LEDs does the Octolamp use?
It uses addressable WS2812B (NeoPixel-style) LEDs, wired to an inexpensive ESP32 or ESP8266 board that runs the WLED firmware.
Which filament works best for the glowing panel?
A translucent or white PLA or PETG diffuses light softly and evenly for the front panel, while an opaque color gives the frame a clean, finished look.
Can the lamp react to GitHub or smart-home events?
Yes. Because WLED integrates with Home Assistant, you can trigger colors and animations from automations, so the lamp can respond to notifications, the weather, or a build passing.
Inspired by coverage on Adafruit's 3D printing blog. The Octolamp design was created and shared by martinwoodward on MakerWorld; check the original project for full files, wiring details, and the bill of materials. Rewritten and reimagined for beginners by Flarelab.
Originally published at flarelab.com.
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