Turn an Old Basket Into a Hanging Lamp
3 Materials
$20
30 Minutes
Easy
In just a few easy steps, turn an old picking basket into a beautiful hanging lamp to give any space a warm, cozy glow.
Last June when I was at the Country Living Fair in NY. I had a little extra time to peruse some of the antique markets in the local area. Being in an older area of the United States, they were packed to the brim with amazing things. Some of the shops and barns even had sections of free things!
In one of the shops I was in, I found a beautiful, old, wooden picking basket. It was a gorgeous colour and size and yep... it was in the free section. I grabbed it quicker than was probably necessary ;) and put it right into my car. (Didn't want to risk loosing that gem!)
Fast forward a few months and as I was working on my Living Room re-do I pulled out the old basket. It was exactly what I needed to light up one corner. I turned it into a hanging lamp and it couldn't have been easier.
Here is how to turn just about anything into a hanging lamp...
To make my new light, I found this light kit that came with everything in the box (including the hangers!) that I needed, except a light bulb.
I chose an Edison style bulb that had an amber tint to it so that it wasn't too bright. There are a ton of different Edison style bulbs out there now that you can choose from to suit your room and needs.
To hang my new lamp, I drilled two holes into the ceiling and added plugs. The plugs came with the kit and I would definitely recommend using them. They will hold your lamp secure so that you never have to worry about it falling on your head!
Once the plugs were in, I screwed in the hooks and that was all I had to do.
To make the lamp itself, I drilled a large hole in the bottom of the basket and threaded the cord through it. Screw in the light bulb and hang the light and that is it. It really is that easy!
Pop over the blog for more pictures and other amazing vintage find projects...
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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4 of 6 comments
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This looks terrific! Do you know approximately how much weight the light kit can hold? Just wondering how heavy an object could be used instead of the basket. Very nice project!
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Such a great idea :) Looks awesome!
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Thanks Brenda! It is one of my favourite pieces
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