Upcycling a Beautiful Antique Blue Glass Pendant Lamp

3 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

I came across this antique blue glass and brass lamp and I had to have it, although I wasn't sure what I was going at the time. (This was originally published here AugustDecemberHome 2016/06/19)

The lamp is designed to be plugged into the wall and hung from a hook. The gold tassel is attached to a pull chain to turn the light on and off.We decided to remove the plug and convert this light to a ceiling pendant for our stairway landing.

To do this we used a canopy kit that matches the brass. this will cover up the wiring and allow us to hang the light from a hard-wired ceiling fixture.

Once we determined the overall length we will need to hang our light, I cut the cord to size. I cut about 8" longer than I needed, so I had enough room to wire it, and so there isn't any unnecessary pulling on the wire. The canopy kit and chain will bear the weight of the light itself.

To shorten the chain, I just bent it sideways and unhooked the links. Then took the opened end and looped it through the hoop on the bottom of the canopy. Next, I bent the link back with pliers.

Remember to shut off the power before doing any electrical work.To hardwire the light to the ceiling fixture, I fed the wire through the support bracket in the receptacle. then used the marrets from the light I removed to attach the wires.The long brass bolts the stick through the support bracket will be used to hold the canopy in place.

After wiring up the light, I secured the canopy to those long brass bolts. The canopy kit includes everything you need to hang the light and connect the chain.

I removed the gold tassel from the chain and made sure the light was in the on position. Now it's controlled with a wall switch and looks fantastic at the bottom of our staircase.

Here is the final product. You can really see the quality and detail in the brass work. Hope you like it as much as we do :)


Check out some of my other DIY projects here

Suggested materials:
  • Canopy kit for ceiling light   (Amazon)
  • Wire strippers   (Amazon)
  • Marrets/Wire Connectors   (Home Depot)
August December Home
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Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Tom Lea Zinter Tom Lea Zinter on Feb 05, 2021

    How does your electricity get billed if you’re not on an individual meter?

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  • Barbara Lux-Smith Barbara Lux-Smith on Feb 04, 2021

    I would love to try this but 8 live in a rented apartment. Shutting down the electricity would not be possible. Wonderful lamp and a very good installation.

  • Debbie Debbie on Apr 19, 2022

    Absolutely beautiful!! Great conversion!!

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