Thursday, October 10, 2013

DIY Lampshade Pendant {Budget Friendly}


 Today is a fun DIY post on how to create custom pendant lighting, using a lamp shade and about $5 worth of items from your local home improvement store. (this post contains affiliate links)

 

This all started when my best friend Heather sent me a picture via text asking me if I wanted these lamp shades for $2.99 (for the set)!   Mustard quarter foil Threshold shades from Target.... wrap them up and put them in the cart!  YES! 

In fact the only reason Goodwill had them was because the shipping tags messed up the bar codes, and at this exact time those same lamp shades sat on the shelf in Target for $24.99 EACH!


I ran to my local Home Depot to look for the plug in bulbs that you can use for the paper lanterns, and was told a little secret on how to create this for much less.

Here is what you need.
 



 First you will need to cut off the female end of your Indoor extension cord.  Toss this, you will never need it again.
 

Next, split the end of the cord down the center, about an inch or so long.
 

Your Bulb socket  has a twist off top. Take that off and you will find 2 channels with metal prongs where you cord will go.
 

Place your cord into both channels. There is no right or wrong way to do this step.
 

Twist your cap back on tightly and you are done!  You now have a plug in light bulb for about 1/4 of the price you would have paid elsewhere.
 


But who wants to have to plug in their light every time they want to use it?  Not I, so let's move on!

  See below how to properly assemble the bulb and cord.
 

Now its time to add the Cord switch .  Locate the place that you will want the switch to be, and slit only ONE side of the extension cord.
 

Tear back each side about an inch as shown below.
 

You will then carefully need to strip the plastic from with wires.  It works best to use a wire stripper, but if you do not have one, you can very carefully do this with scissors.
 

Unscrew your switch box, and place your cord and wires in as shown.  The wires will be wrapped around the screws. (there are directions in the package on how to do this)
 

And that's it!  Put the cover back on the switch and you are good to go!
 

Here is one of the lights hung next to the bed.
 

And here is my instagram picture I shared when this was finished!  I LOVE the way it lights up my white plank wall.
 

You can't see the cord, but they run down into the corners, and the switches are at the end table height.  Makes bedside reading and blogging much easier when you don't have to climb out of bed to turn off the light.
 


Thank you to my readers for stopping by today.   Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest, and you can find me on Instagram and Periscope @OneThriftyChick.
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10 comments:

Http://whatmeeganmakes.com said...

Oh my goodness! This is a perfect tutorial. Thanks for linking up to Tickled Pink Times Two.

PJ @ Planned in Pencil said...

I need these, like hard core! Luckily my husband can wire just about anything, and your project was so well written. I'm pinning, thank you for sharing it at the Pinworthy Project Party. I'm also featuring them on Planned in Pencil this week.

Jan said...

Visiting from Shabby Nest Frugal Friday. That is the neatest thing you did with those lamp shades. You are SO brave putzing with those wires -- anything electric terrifies me. I don't even light screwing and unscrewing light bulbs, and if a plug does not go easily into an outlet I move on to the next one. Just one of those things. I would not dream of doing something like this, and I so admire people like you who can! BTW, they really add a lovely nuance to your room.

mollymom said...

Don't you need to strip the wire that goes into the light bulb top thingy? Otherwise, how does the electricity get to the top and then to the bulb?

Cleo Rogers said...

Thank you so much for this share! It always boggles my mind as to how in the world can I create this great stuff! Thanks again, there's hope for me yet! ;D
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Bryan Hubbard said...

Thanks for the tutorial, Jenn! It’s quite easy to follow, and pretty much foolproof. It's great for those who want to install lighting fixtures in their home, and not have to pay for labor costs. Well, it doesn’t have to be costly, as long as you can find affordable products with almost, if not the same quality that will suit your budget. Cheers!

Bryan Hubbard @ Douthit Electrical

Laura said...

I'm wondering the same thing as mollymom above. Thanks for this tutorial!!

Unknown said...

Hi Laura! Those light sockets have metal spikes inside that pierce the cord reaching the wire, so there is so need to strip the wires. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this!

Unknown said...

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