Wednesday, August 22, 2012

DIY/Knock-off Pottery Barn Pendant

Browsing Pinterest, I saw this DIY Pendant Light and instantly knew I wanted to make it for my entry!  I pinned it and figured maybe someday I'd find the time to get all the materials and components to make it...someday turned into a few weeks later!  So now, I'm sharing my Do-It-Yourself Pottery Barn Knock Off Pendant!

Here is the inspiration for this light fixture.
Pottery Barn Hundi Lantern - $299.00

And here is what my entryway fixture looked like before this project:
Doesn't it just scream inviting entry?   -___-
yeah, not.


So here's what you'll need:
  • Glass cake cover or vase
  • An old light fixture (make sure it actually works!)
  • Three S Hooks: 2 1/8" closed S-Hooks (found at Home Depot) *Tutorial calls for 6, I only used 3

  • Galvanized Steel Hanger Strap: I used 3/4" wide, 28 gauge (found at Lowe's) *I used approximately 2 feet

  • Utility Chain: Three 1-foot sections of chain (I used this kind from Home Depot - they even cut it for you free of charge!)
  • 6 gauge wire or Gorilla Glue
  • 3/4" wide ribbon (the color is your choice!)
  • Fabric tape measure
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Spray Paint (the color is your choice!)
  • blue painters tape
  • newspaper




This little beauty is actually what started the whole project.  I was browsing the aisles of Marshall's waiting for my friend to finish in the fitting rooms and found this cake cover on the clearance shelf for $5.00.  I immediately thought about this project and had to buy it!



Next, I had to find a light fixture to transform.  I began this hunt thinking I would probably end up at Lowe's buying a new fixture to use because there was no way I was finding one.  Who really has these anymore?  I gave it a shot anyway and made a stop at Goodwill on my way home from work one evening.  Within two minutes, I found this for $19.99!  Isn't it just hideous?!


I got up to the register to pay, and the cashier tells me the sale sticker of the day is blue which means all blue stickers were .99.  This lamp was marked with a blue sticker..SCORE!





After making a trip to Home Depot for the additional supplies, I was ready to begin! 

1.  First I took apart the light fixture which unscrewed pretty easily and didn't require any tools.
                                 



2.   I covered the wiring and white candelabra pieces with newspaper and tape and painted EVERYTHING brass with a brown spray paint.



I used Rust-oleum spray paint (in "Antique Brown") which was left over from another project, plus it's what matches the rest of the fixtures and hardware in my house.
  


3.  While the light fixture pieces were drying, I measured the thinnest part of the cake cover with a fabric tape measure, then measured and cut the hanger strap, leaving a little extra so the end holes on the hanger strap overlap and can be secured together.   


I secured the hanger strap together with a piece of 6-gauge wire I had left over from another project.  You can use Gorilla Glue for this too - it's just messier and requires a dry time..I guess I'm impatient!

After sealing with the wire, I insterted the s-hooks pointing up - one through the overlapping ends, and the other two s-hooks at even distances apart (creating a triangle when looking at the from above).


4.  Using ribbon, cover the hanger strap by running a piece of ribbon along both sides.  You may need to cut holes and wrap the fabric around the s-hooks.  Alternately, if you like the look of the holes on the hanger strap, you can spray paint the strap.  I recommend doing this after attaching the s-hooks (not when spray painting the rest of the pieces), as the paint may scratch off.



5.  Now it's time to hook your chains to the s-hooks!  Using needle nose pliers, bend the last link at one end of the chain and hook onto the s-hook.  Repeat this step for the other two S-hooks. Clamp the chains closed and touch up of the spray paint if needed.







6. When the fixture is dry, it's time to reassemble!  The assembly and pieces you use will vary depending on where you are hanging the fixture.  Because this is going in my entry (which is not a grand entrance by any means), I only had about 2 feet of "clearance" between the top of the door and the ceiling, and measured the fixture (with the glass included!) and assembled, ensuring I had enough door clearance.

7.  Finally, bend the each of the three free ends of chain (not the end connected to the s-hooks!) and attached them to the top of your assembled fixture, spacing evenly.  The tutorial I followed used an additional set of s-hooks here, however I didn't think it was necessary so I skipped that step.


8.  Wire the fixture into your ceiling (which is much easier than you think), and viola!! 





What do you think? :)



Now, let's break down the cost:

  • Glass cake cover: $5.00 (Marshalls)
  • Light fixture: $.99 (Goodwill)
  • S Hooks: $1.96 ($.98 for two) (Lowes)
  • Galvanized Steel Hanger Strap: $2.50 (Lowe's)
  • Utility Chain: $1.89 ($.63 per 1' section) (Home Depot)
The rest of the items I already had or were free:
  • 6 gauge wire or Gorilla Glue
  • Ribbon 
  • Fabric tape measure
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Spray Paint (the color is your choice!)
  • blue painters tape
  • newspaper

This brings the grand total to $12.34!  Not too bad for a $299.00 pendant! 

I hope you enjoyed reading!



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