DIY Pendant Light Ideas: Shades You Can Make at Home

Yes, you can make a pendant light yourself. The easiest route is to buy a ready-made cord set and build only the shade, which keeps the wiring out of your hands and leaves you the fun part.

Below are easy DIY pendant light ideas, the sizing rules that make them look right, and a few notes on bulbs so the finished lamp is pleasant to sit under.

Save

How do you make your own pendant light safely?

If you're wondering how to make your own pendant light, split the job in two: the electrical part and the shade. A DIY pendant light kit gives you the socket, cord and canopy already assembled, so you only design what goes around the bulb. Choose a kit that carries a recognized safety listing, and ask a licensed electrician to connect it to your ceiling box if you're not comfortable doing it.

Keep any shade material well away from the bulb. Paper, fabric, rope and rattan can scorch near heat, so leave a generous gap around the bulb and use an LED. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's LED basics page, good-quality white LED products are expected to last 30,000 to 50,000 hours or longer, and they run much cooler than old incandescent bulbs.

What materials and tools do you need?

• A pendant cord kit with socket and canopy
• A shade frame: an old lampshade, a wire globe, a metal ring or a basket
• Covering material: paper, linen, rope, hemp or woven cane
• Glue suited to the material, scissors, a tape measure and pliers
• A warm-white LED bulb

Which DIY pendant light shade ideas are easiest?

Rope or hemp wrap

Wrap rope around a wire globe or an old drum frame, gluing as you go and leaving small gaps so light spills out in patterns. It's forgiving, and a messy spiral just looks handmade. If you have a dog that chews, hang it high or choose a hard material instead.

Paper hanging lamp

To make a hanging lamp with paper, glue sheets or strips over a wire frame, or fold a pleated paper shade around a ring. Paper diffuses light softly, but keep it clear of the bulb and use an LED only.

Fabric makeover for an old shade

Recover a tired lampshade with linen, or slip a woven sleeve over a plain drum shade. Linen gives a soft, even glow and costs very little.

Basket pendant

An open-weave basket turned upside down makes a good shade. Cut a hole at the top for the socket, and the weave casts patterned shadows on the ceiling. It suits dining nooks and kitchens.

Painted interior

Paint the inside of a plain metal shade in a metallic finish to warm the light. Glossy interiors bounce more light, while matte ones soften it.

Save

Save

What size should a pendant be?

Sizing is where DIY lamps most often go wrong. Over a dining table, leave about 30-36 inches between the tabletop and the bottom of the pendant, and keep the shade roughly two-thirds the width of the table or narrower. Over a kitchen island, a row of two or three smaller shades with even spacing usually reads better than one oversized piece.

Measure first, then cut a paper template to the shade's size and hold it up. It takes five minutes and saves a rebuild.

DIY pendant light ideas for a living room

In a living room, a pendant often hangs over a side table or a reading corner rather than a table. Hang it lower there so it feels cozy, but keep it out of the walking path. As an architect, I'd choose a diffusing shade such as linen, paper or woven cane for seating areas, because it avoids glare when you're looking up from a sofa. Pair it with a lamp or two so the pendant isn't the only light. If you want more inspiration, see these elegant DIY pendant light ideas and more shade ideas for a stylish home. For tight rooms, the small living room ideas cover layout.

Save

Which bulb should you choose?

Pick a warm-white LED, around 2700-3000K, for living and dining areas. The Department of Energy explains that correlated color temperature is one of the primary metrics for the visual appearance of light, so check it on the box. Add a dimmer if the bulb and driver are dimmable, since a pendant often has to serve both dinner and homework.

Light also affects how you feel in the evening. The Department of Energy notes that "Light plays a key role in setting and regulating the body's biological clock." I'd keep evening lighting warm and dim.

Save

Do pendant lights still look current?

Pendants remain a standard way to light a table, island or corner. Handmade, natural-material shades are popular, but classic shapes like globe, bell and drum age well. Since a DIY shade is cheap to redo, you can follow a trend without much risk.

Frequently asked questions