Kitchen Light Fixture

Hey guys! I'm super-excited to show you my new kitchen light fixture today because it's a lesson in "making do." This project came about because I desperately wanted to change our kitchen light and was so inspired by all of the DIY light fixtures I featured a couple of weeks ago, that I thought I'd try my hand at making my own, too. I thought. And thought. And just when I was about to give up and buy one, I had a Eureka moment when I found a basket I had. Hmmm. Would this fit?

You guys! It was like it was made to be my new lampshade! I unscrewed the old fixture and took off the globe, revealing the electrical plate. The basket fit perfectly around it. But I had to spray paint the part I was still going to use, so I had to take the whole thing down from the ceiling. Here it is prepped for paint. As you can see, I was very careful to wrap the wires and light socket with painter's tape so it would remain free of paint.



After the paint was dry, I put the plate inside the basket (and again marveled at how perfectly it fit), pulling the wires through the bottom of the basket. I did have to bend the socket a little so that the bulb would hang down right in the middle of the basket. I used the same screws that had originally secured the light to the ceiling, because luckily they were long enough to accommodate the extra depth of the basket (small though it was). After adding a clear bulb, voila! Here's the before and after shot.



Like I said, I'm so happy with the way this turned out, mostly because it cost nothing and was a cool exercise in working with what I have.

Other DIY Lighting Projects:


DIY Light Fixtures


Spray Painted Light Fixture


Chandelier Makeover