How to Hack Boho Kitchen Island Lights - 804 Sycamore

Amy Wadsworth
by Amy Wadsworth
2 Materials
$30
15 Minutes
Easy

In

DIY

How to Hack Boho Kitchen Island Lights

These boho kitchen island lights are my favorite DIY! These three darling lights took only 15 minutes to make and attach! And the price at $10 each makes it my kind of hack. It all started when we selected our lighting package for our home. I had five packages to choose from and I picked the best out of five packages I didn’t care for. We always knew we’d work on changing out lighting fixtures as our budget allowed, but the existing island lights drove us all nuts. My teenager called them plate lights – it’s pretty accurate too. The kitchen island lights would need to be the first to go, thus began the search for their replacements. And after searching the Internet for brass kitchen island lights and realizing that none of them were in the budget I started brainstorming a temporary solution. I had also been admiring all the basket light shades, they’re gorgeous and add so much warmth and texture to a kitchen with its hard surfaces and appliances. I’m so excited to show you how to hack boho kitchen island lights with these Threshold baskets for only $10 each. They are 12″ in diameter and super easy to transform into a shade – I even love the natural shade shape of these beauties. So, until I can get my brass pendant lights, we will enjoy and love our new boho basket lights!

Before I get to it, have you seen the prices on basket (rattan, bamboo, wicker, etc.) light shades? They’re pretty steep considering they’re just baskets. I’m sure the gorgeous boho style has increased their demand, but I had to try a more affordable approach. This hack is pretty straight forward, but I’ll list out the steps and you can watch the super short video too. Just be sure to be careful when using a utility knife or any cutting tool. And my existing kitchen island pendant lights were perfect for adding a new shade to, but I realize this won’t be the case for everyone. Before I even went on the hunt for baskets, I made sure I could easily disassemble the pendant light and understand how it was put together. I quickly realized how easy it would be to add a thin basket to my crazy plate lights.


How to hack boho kitchen island lights

  1. Carefully cut of the Threshold basket handles.
  2. Flip basket upside down and line up the base socket to the middle of the bottom.
  3. Use a sharpie to trace a line around the base socket.
  4. Carefully use a utility knife to cut along the sharpie mark.
  5. Add the basket to the light fixture and secure by screwing on the base socket.
  6. Then add your light bulb.


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Threshold basket This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your consideration in using my links!


I used the pendant light screw that holds up the crazy plate shade to trace the exact shape I need to cut out to fit this basket as the new shade.

Carefully cut around the traced line and then trim any basket hairs around the outside of the basket.

Well, that’s pretty much it – super easy and really affordable. I just love the way these look in-person. I was a little worried that my husband wouldn’t appreciate the look, but he thinks they look awesome – and that says a lot! I hope this post encourages you to think of alternative ways to create the look you love for less, and to have some fun doing it. Be sure to subscribe to receive my decorating and DIY inspiration.


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Tags:

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Amy Wadsworth
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3 of 6 questions
  • Stewy Stewy on Feb 15, 2021

    Yes, I know about LED bulbs, I have some BUT as they are far more expensive then regular bulbs, do you really think people who are DIY’s, on a budget will spend the extra $$ to buy them. I live in Canada & they are pretty expensive here.

  • Joannaliddy Joannaliddy on Feb 28, 2021

    Why couldn't you make the shades with a dollar store wire waste basket wrapped with dollar store jute cord/rope?

  • Shuganne Shuganne on Feb 15, 2022

    In the concerned and caring manner in which I hope this comment is offered, please consider editing out the video portion in which the camera operator uses a technique that I can only describe as seizure-inducing and nauseating? In lieu of this, a consumer warning would not be inappropriate.

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  • Pat Pat on Apr 15, 2021

    thrift store and get different shapes sizes and colors. Really BOHO then

    • Amy Wadsworth Amy Wadsworth on Feb 16, 2022

      That's a great tip! My home is more farmhouse with hints of vintage, modern, and boho, so the matching baskets worked best for my style.

  • Lori Ward-Laatsch Lori Ward-Laatsch on Feb 13, 2024

    Upon first look I was like noooooooooo I love those brass lights. Then I was like baskets really? And by about the 3rd look I really loved them.


    I have this stupid long bar on the ceiling in my kitchen with 4 lights that you can aim wherever you need them. Basically they took out the old fluorescent light that was then framed in and had the white plastic cover and painted it a different color and put in this long bar light I assume to cover whatever damage was there. They did the same in the 1/2 bath and I hate them I can't even figure out how to change the tiny light bulbs in them. And really I can't change them because it is just me who does not do construction or know anyone who could help and lets not even go the the electrical issues. I would take your lights either way except I would hit my head on them all the time because there is no island and it is a lower ceiling 60s townhouse, 😅

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