(Pardon my missed posting last week - I got swept into the holiday weekend!)
5. Hang that pretty fixture from a plant hook in the ceiling. If there is a chain, swag it with flourish. Enjoy your newly lit, no-longer-creepy entryway.
My tiny little apartment had a very dark, tiny little entryway. With no options for floor lamps, or an entry table, and no desire to do electrical work in a rental, I was seeking a rare treasure: a plug-in chandelier.
Budget? $10.
Here's a how-to in 5 simple steps:
1. Visit your neighborhood re-use store and look through their lighting section. I found this fixture, sans globe, at Value Village for $1.99. And lucky me, they were having a 50% off President's Day Sale! Price: $1.
2. Find a "quirky bowl". Depending on your style, and the final size you want, there are several creative options. For a small square pendant lamp, consider a tissue box cover. For a larger fixture, a punch bowl works well. The overall goal is you will 
need an existing hole in the middle of the bowl, or you will need to be able to drill a hole for the cord to go through. Glass is bad unless you are really talented. A thin plastic works well. Unless you are using a halogen bulb, most materials should be safe. This was a pretty floral bowl from the seasonal section at Target. Price: $5.
need an existing hole in the middle of the bowl, or you will need to be able to drill a hole for the cord to go through. Glass is bad unless you are really talented. A thin plastic works well. Unless you are using a halogen bulb, most materials should be safe. This was a pretty floral bowl from the seasonal section at Target. Price: $5.
3. If the bowl shape you like isn't the color you like, change it! I liked this hammered bronze spray paint. Price: $1 (I already had the spray paint on my shelf.)
4. Drill a hole in said quirky bowl.
4a. If your bowl is tall enough, your hole only needs to be big enough to feed the chain through. The bowl can rest on top of the fixture.
4b. If your bowl is more shallow, your hole will need to be big enough for the lightbulb base to fit through. The bowl will sit between the top of the fixture and the bowl. Use a strong glue or epoxy to affix the fixture to the top of the hole.
5. Hang that pretty fixture from a plant hook in the ceiling. If there is a chain, swag it with flourish. Enjoy your newly lit, no-longer-creepy entryway.
Wow, Kim, that looks amazing! I love DIY projects, especially when they're functional and pretty. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the April 20th invite: Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are so horrible at getting out of the house; I'm glad you're so much better at thinking of exiting things to do. So, the only problem is that we may or may not be closing on a house on that day. Should every thing go according plan, we'll be getting keys to our new home and probably won't be able to join you for your birthday celebration. If things go haywire, well then, you will have two exceptionally grumpy folks drinking away their sorrows at your bash. :)