Easy DIY Pendant Lights From Old Chimney Caps

by Angie Forte

I found a couple of galvanized chimney caps at the salvage yard. I liked their shape and size and thought they would make great pendant lights. Making a lamp/light is very easy. They even have DIY kits with everything you need...super convenient.

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Two finished pendant lights hanging from an old tobacco stake. I made these with wall plugs but they could easily be wired for an existing overhead fixture.

These are the chimney caps along with a few other items I found at the salvage yard.

A quick hole drilled into the top of each cap and added a threaded stem and nut to hold it in place. The lamp cord was pulled through the stem and the lamp base or socket was wired from underneath. Hardware stores carry easy to install wall plugs, just 2 simple screws and pop the plug closed...my kind of DIY!

I used a black bulb socket (recycled from a broken lamp) because I thought brass would not look right with the galvanized metal. The bulb socket, however, has exposed wires and needed to be covered and I did not have (nor could find) the black bulb socket cover. So, I improvised by adding a rubber stopper (I think they are called protective caps for chair legs!) to the socket to insulate the exposed wires. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the stopper and the socket fit perfectly.

Here's a peek at how I used the lights in a photo shoot. This was just before sunset so they were not turned on. I do recommend using an LED bulb because heat-producing bulbs will also heat up the galvanized metal. That may not be an issued, depending on where I end up using them. Thanks for checking out my pendant light post!!