Get Rid of A Boob Light With a Wire Hanger
by
Valerie Ott
$17.99
2 Hours
Medium
I wanted to replace the "boob" light fixture at the top of our stairs with a more elegant-looking shade. I found an inexpensive drum shade that was the right size and shape, but it needed a diffuser to hide the light bulb.
Make supports out of a wire coat hanger
First, I needed to make sure the shade I found would hang properly on the existing light fixture. The nipple that was on the old fixture was too short so I had to buy a longer one.
Nipple for light fixture
The shade actually needed to hang upside down, so I marked the nipple with the finial attached to figure out the placement of the washer. Full details for this step can be found [url=http://homemademodernblog.com/2015/10/diy-flush-mount-drum-shade.html>here.[/url]
Trace shade onto freezer paper
Now here's the way I made a diffuser. I traced the shade onto some freezer paper and cut out three layers of the circles.
Iron the freezer paper
Next I ironed the shiny sides of the freezer paper together on a wooden cutting board.
Cut hole in light diffuser
Then I laid the diffuser on top of the shade to determine where the hole for the nipple needed to be cut.
Cut supports from a wire hanger
Next, I cut little pieces of wire from a coat hanger and bent them into L-shapes with some needle-nosed pliers.
Hot glue supports to shade
I then hot glued these little supports to the inside of the shade at regular intervals all the way around.
Finished drum shade
Finally I positioned the diffuser so that it would rest on the supports, then screwed the finial on to the nipple. Voila!
Light fixture before and after
This is one of my favorite projects ever, and after a year, it's still holding up great! Here's a more detailed step-by-step and a list of the materials you'll need to get rid of all the boob lights in your house!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 comments
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Super smart! Looks soooo much better!
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Definitely a much better look. Very innovative! Good job!
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