Tuesday, September 18, 2012

quick little industrial pendant light



With me, if it's not chairs, it's lights.

This one's a quick little pendant project that's very industrial chic. A few simple materials, too! I started with a clamp on lamp kit (a hanging lantern kit would be great, too, with the added benefit of longer cord length), and a low-wattage bulb.



The light cage came from Bring. It cost a buck. If you don't have one lying around from an old outdoor light fixture and you don't live in the Pacific Northwest (where salvaged building stores abound), you can try a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or try searching for "light cage" on Amazon or eBay or Google. They run more in the 3-20 dollar range there. But they're still less expensive than the completed industrial pendants you'll find here, here, here, here, or here.



Spread out the prongs on your light kit a little. You want them to catch the edge of the light cage and support its weight.



Pass the cord through to see if it'll do its job.



Then, get out the 18-gague wire and pliers you should have thought of sooner. Silly you.



Two six-inch lengths, bent in the middle, ought to do it — one for each prong.



Thread a wire through each prong and wrap it securely around the top of the cage.



Here's a close-up from the side. Don't over think it.



Add a bulb! I'm considering adding some foil tape to the bulb to make it prettier, but it'll do for now. Mine is a torpedo bulb from Satco. I think it's a compact fluorescent. It's a 7 watt bulb with 40 watt output, and the base stays cool.



All done! Hang from a ceiling hook, or hardwire into the ceiling if that's your thing. If your cord is shorter than 8-feet, you can use a power brick hidden behind some stuff on a bookshelf or something, and plug your light into that. Voila!



Wheeee! I love it. It's hanging alongside my 5-cent pendant shade; the idea is to add one more for balance, but that can wait until I find my other piece (I hid is somewhere where it's really safe . . . even from me).


p.s. you can make these photos larger just by clicking on them, but you probably already knew that. ;)

Linking up to:

Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday

Cap Creations Thrifty Love

2 comments:

Amy of While Wearing Heels said...

You may not have carpentry skills (from your shelf post) but you certainly have some electrical skills. I love this pendant light. It's very cool. And, now I can see that you would have appreciated the masks my husband willingly donated :)

Laura said...

I love this! You made it look so easy- I'll have to try this once I find something cool to turn into a light. Thanks!