Homemade Pendant Lights
Single points of light floating above the heads of passers-by, pendant lights have the versatility to provide luminous accents in a variety of contexts. Use pendant lights to create soft, atmospheric light, add visibility above a workspace, provide permanent interior lighting or add temporary porch lighting while entertaining. Make one-of-a-kind, homemade pendant lights by creatively assembling individual lamp parts. By using ready-to-go parts, the need to mess with the electrical wiring inside the lamp is eliminated. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hanging lamp cord
- Cord sleeve, your choice of material
- Small lampshade
- 2 ceiling hooks
- Light bulb
Instructions
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1
Purchase a lamp cord from a lamp-parts supplier or hardware store, or extract the cord from a used lamp. Hanging lamp cords have a bulb socket on one end and a plug-in on the other.
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Pull a fabric cord sleeve over the socket and cord to conceal the cord. There are a cord sleeves available, depending on stylistic preferences. It is also possible to make your own by sewing a long, skinny tube.
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3
Thread the cord into the bottom of a lampshade, through the ring on the metal tripod and out the top of the shade. Any small fabric or metal lampshade for a standard-light bulb lamp will do, as long as it is an uno-style shade. Uno lampshades have a dropped ring large enough for pulling the cord plug through. The shade will suspend from the cord with the tripod ring resting on the bulb socket casing.
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Secure a ceiling hook to the ceiling at the point you want to hang the light. Secure another ceiling hook at the edge of the ceiling, above the nearest wall socket.
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Tie a knot a few feet up the cord from the bulb and shade, bunching the cord sleeve between the knot and the bulb socket. The position of the knot depends on how high or low the lamp is to hang. Hang the cord by the knot from the first ceiling hook. Run the cord along the ceiling to the other hook and down to the socket. Screw a light bulb into the socket and plug in the cord.
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Tips & Warnings
Lampshades can also be refurbished. Options for fabric shades include drawing with fabric markers, gluing on new fabric or fringe, and staining. Options for metal shades include painting with metal spray paint, adding a patina, and hole-punching decorative patterns.
Rummage sales, yard sales, antique shops and thrift stores are fun places to shop for lamp parts.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
