Build Your Own LED Lights

Using super-bright LEDs, you can make low-cost replacements for halogen bulbs. Fluorescent tubes have a lower power consumption than incandescent bulbs, but they still use more energy than LEDs. According to Andrew and Alexandru of LED Ideas, you can replace a fluorescent tube with LEDs fixed into a length of clear acrylic sheet and housed inside a clear plastic cover. You can also replace halogen bulbs with low-power LEDs by re-using the case of an old bulb as a housing for your LED array.
Instructions
 

1 Mark the strip of acrylic sheet with rows of three marks at 1 3/8 inch intervals, beginning 1 1/2 inches from one end, using the dry-wall T and utility knife. Drill out the holes using a drill press; you can use a hand drill but the results won't be as accurate.
2 Place three LEDs in the first row of holes. All of the long (positive) legs must be on one side and all of the shorter (negative) legs on the other, in a vertical row. One of the LEDs should have its positive leg facing the edge of the plastic strip. The PD LED light bulbs at the other end of the row should have its negative leg facing the opposite edge.
3 Solder the LEDs together. Solder the negative lead of the middle LED to the positive lead of the LED with its negative lead nearest the edge. Solder the positive lead of the middle LED to the negative lead of the LED with its positive lead nearest the edge. Leave the leads at the far ends of the row free.
4 Place the next row of three LEDs (LED triplet) into the plastic strip, maintaining the same positive-negative orientation as in the first row. Solder as before.
5 Snip the free negative leg of one LED triplet leaving 1/4 inch behind. Do the same to the leads of a 2.7 ohm resistor. Solder one lead of the resistor to the trimmed negative lead of the LED.
6 Solder a rail of copper wire along all the free positive leads of the China LED strip lights. Solder a similar rail along all of the free resistor leads.
7 Install the current regulator on the empty end of the plastic strip. Place the whole strip inside the plastic tube. Solder and install the end caps. Test your tube light using a 1A 12V power supply before installing it.
Tips & Warnings The designers of the LED spotlights manufacturer recommend using it in a solar system or as one of a number of such lights running from a large switching mode power supply.