Mason jar pendant light chandelier
Well, the house is nearly ready. My new motto: good enough is good enough.
I’m stepping out of my event planner’s perfection coat. I’m ready to have 50+ friends and fellow Austinites over for my book release party tomorrow. I leave early early on the following day for the first leg of my book tour, 9 days on the road (and in the air) in the Northeast.
It’s all happening very fast, I must say. I’m getting notes from pals who pre-ordered from Amazon telling me they’re getting confirmations that the book has shipped. Whether or not I feel ready, the book is hurtling itself into this world. I really hope you like it!
A few loose ends linger. Like what to wear in Albany and Boston (while it’s already ‘feels like 99’ degrees here in Austin), and how to fit all these layers into my little roller board suitcase. Like the pile of wall-hangings laying in my entryway. Like the brown butter rice krispies treats and buttermilk biscuits I’m going to make for tomorrow.
One pressing matter has been solved. Light-age for the book-selling table tomorrow!
A dark corner and a mason jar later…;)
Here’s how I did it:
1. Get a pendant light cord with a screw cap that goes around the base. I think they all come with them when you buy them new. IKEA has them, but so do hardware stores and home improvement stores.
2. Stab a hole in the center of a used mason jar lid (save your new ones for making and sealing jams or pickles). I used a screwdriver for that first hole, but a large nail would probably do better. I then coaxed the hole open more with my wire cutters. You want the hole only big enough to fit around the base of your light fixtures threading. Be careful; the rough-edged metal is sharp!
3. I also poked holes around the rim of the lid to let some of the heat from my incandescent 40W bulb out (though only once I’d assembled the light fixture by screwing the jar onto the lid, so there was added stability in the center of the lid again). By this time, I’d dug around in the tool box a bit more and found a special poke-y tool, but a nail will work here, too.
Here’s the top view:
And the view from underneath:
;)
Layering set up:
- Band
- Base of drop light
- Jar lid
- Screw cap (securing jar lid to base of light fixture)
- Light bulb
- Mason jar
The layering keeps your light in place, the rim and lid keep the whole thing affixed properly to the jar.
4. I hung my new ‘chandelier’ from a sturdy, extendable curtain rod hook mounted on the wall.
;)
Cheers to DIY light fixtures. And, of course, cheers to you for reading my blog and checking out my book when it’s out on shelves tomorrow!
Crafting, Decorating
Reader Comments (9)
I love love love this idea- Thanks Kate. I'm soooo doing this--in what room?! I have no idea....I will make an excuse to add this to a room! Ha!
Oh! Very cute! This would be adorable in the basement in the canning room :)
It's not warm in Boston/New England right now - pretend like you live back in New York and it's early March or late November. Pack your umbrella if you can fit it.
Congratulations on your book!
soo tempted to try this in my bedroom; does it make the room darker than without the 'chandelier'? xx
What an absolutely cute idea!!!
Ha. When I see these at the flea it seems so hard!
I love that light fixture! We recently moved and I turned two blue quart mason jars into night stand lamps for our bedroom. I love them!
Also, you may already know this trick but it's amazing how much I can pack in a little carry-on (and I do this a lot) when I roll my clothes instead of folding them. I can pack for 5 days of varying dress styles (casual, business, variety of layers) in a small (14"x 22") duffel and my backpack.
I even took a risk on my last trip and packed my suit pants (which cannot be ironed - what was I thinking?) this way, rolling them around another shirt. It worked perfectly and my pants stayed creased where they were supposed to be creased and uncreased where they were supposed to be uncreased! I even repacked them when I flew to a different city and was able to wear them twice.
Happy traveling! What a fun trip it will be :-)
I have always loved these! Thanks for sharing your process :) and I am LOVING your book by the way. So inspired. Can't wait to write a review. :) And meet you in May!!!!!
Beautiful sharing with the readers. i really appreciate the way you guide us about mason jar chandelier. its really interesting and amazing.