How to: Convert a Plug-in Light to Hard Wire Light

The Rozy Home
by The Rozy Home
$50
30 Minutes
Easy
Don't you hate when you find the perfect pendant light for your home only to see it's got a plug at the end? That happened to me. I was walking through a craft store looking for supplies for a project and I saw an orb light I love. I've loved them for a while, but most cost well over $100. This one was only $40! $40 for a light? Count me in.
I wasn't sure if it was safe to convert a plug-in light to a hardwired light so I decided to talk to my electrician and found out that most new plug-in lights are self grounding. Also, the switch that would be controlling the light was on a 5 switch box so the whole box is grounded. To make it easier he told me "the big end of the plug is black and the small end is white." Sounds easy enough.
Note: Please take great care when dealing with electricity. If you are not comfortable with this, or any, electrical project please contact a professional. If you are unsure of whether the plug-in light you purchased will work in your home, please reach out to a professional before beginning.
The light as I purchased it (it even came with a light bulb)!
I had to purchase a canopy kit from my local hardware store.
I determined the length of rope/wiring needed and cut it to size. My wiring was covered in fabric so I cut it down enough to expose the wires. Luckily each wire was actually distinguished as black and white.
Next, I prepared the wires for hardwiring.
The light I purchased (as well as many I have seen since) have two caps screwed together (covering a larger screw that attaches to the lighting fixture).
I unscrewed the caps and removed the top piece.
Next, I slid the canopy over the wiring.
I unscrewed the bottom cap and pulled it up so that it would thread through the bottom of the canopy hole.
This is how the bottom screw looked when threaded through the canopy hole.
Next, I threaded the top screw on and screwed the two pieces (the top and bottom screw) together. As you can see, the fabric that was covering the wires was frayed.
I cut back the frayed fabric and wrapped electrical tape around the area to ensure no loose fabric was exposed.
My hubs wired the light as you would any light (white to white, black and black). As I mentioned, the light did not have a ground, so we wrapped the ground from the house to the green screw in the junction box. And that was it! All-in-all, it took less than 30 minutes to complete the entire project. We love the look of the light and spent less than $50 for the entire project. It just goes to show you can have high-end home details without the high-end price tag.
The Rozy Home
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 5 questions
  • Cra323402 Cra323402 on Feb 08, 2018

    Could this be done on a ceiling fan?

  • Chris Chris on Apr 10, 2018

    I have a hanging light above the pool table in the house I just bought. I want to wire it to a switch instead of having to plug it in. It has a non-grounded plug and both prongs are the same size. If I cut the wire to get it to a switch and power, how can I tell which wire is hot or neutral if both wires are the same coming from the fixture?

  • Royce Russell Royce Russell on Oct 13, 2018

    I am installing a light fixture that has a plug and I am converting it to hard wire. The light I am installing doesn't have a ground wire and the junction box does not have a green screw so how can I ground the fixture?


    Thanks - Royce

Comments
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2 of 37 comments
  • Christina Christina on Nov 18, 2017

    Nice! I love the pendant and was happy that you were able to convert it. It looks relatively easy, too. Thanks for the inspiration and the useful advice.

  • Carol Cole Carol Cole on Nov 24, 2018

    I love it. It did a great job.

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