Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Turn A Basket Into A Pendant Light

This is the story of making an old basket into a pendant light using just this $10 thrift store basket that we found along with two other simple supplies.

how-to-turn-a-basket-into-a-pendant-light

Here she is all wired up and hung in front of the fireplace.

Basket Light 16

But allow me to further illuminate the basket to light conversion process. Har-har.

Beach Sherry With Basket

The first step was heading over to a local lighting outlet (The Decorating Outlet) to check out any existing pendant lights that they were selling cheaply (that way we could convert one into a pendant for our big basket shade). While we were there we saw this awesomesauce basket pendant that was selling for $322 (originally $460). Wowsers.

Basket Light 1

Feeling inspired, we poked around for any affordable pendant light that we thought would work with the rest of our kitchen (we wanted a simple clean-lined canopy, an oil-rubbed-bronze finish, and ideally something with a shade since that meant it would come with a piece that would hold that shade up – and therefore could hopefully be converted to hold our basket up instead).

Enter this dude, stage left (he’s the one on the left with the $19 price tag). Sure he’s not much to look at in this pic with that crazy yellow shade, but the simple canopy, oil-rubbed bronze finish, and the fact that it had a screw-on-shade-holder-thingie (that’s a technical term) under the yellow shade = jackpot.

Basket Light 3

So for $19 we made him ours. Ikea actually sells light kits that we love for $6, but since we wanted something in an oil rubbed bronze finish it would have been an extra $7 for spray paint to make it that color and then we’d need to buy a canopy (which can usually be found for around $6 but sometimes they’re a bit more ornate than we’d like) so the simple all-in-one-ness of the $19 pendant made it the perfect choice. Here are all of our supplies laid out on the table (total spent = $35, including the secondhand basket).

Basket Light 4

I’m sure you’re wondering what those silver donut-looking things are, so allow me to explain. They’re actually pipe plates from the hardware store for $3 a pop (the things you usually see at the bottom of a pipe to finish things off where it meets the floor, the wall, or the base of your cabinet). The issue was simple. We needed something round and solid to keep our pendant light from slipping through the opening of the basket…

Basket Light 5

… so we bought them in two sizes since we didn’t know which one would slide through and which one would hold. In other words, we needed something big enough to support the basket and not slip through the opening (the one below was too small, so it did).

Basket Light 6

We also needed something that was the right size to catch on our light bulb part of the pendant (the one below was too big, so it didn’t hold).

Basket Light07

 

But when we swapped them and tried the bigger one on the basket, it wedged right into the hole at the top of the basket and held tight instead of sliding through like the smaller one had.

Basket Light 8

And when we tried the smaller one on the end of the pendant, it caught nicely under the piece that used to hold the old glass shade on, so we knew it should hold the basket up.

So because we needed the small one to catch on the pendant and the larger one to catch on the basket, we realized that if we stacked them and then used the plastic ring that came with the light to hold the old shade up (to hold those two pipe plates in place) it would essentially hold the basket up. So I just screwed on that plastic shade-holding ring…

Basket Light 11

… and said a few silent prayers to the basket light gods. Then it was time to hold it up to see if it worked (while channeling Zoolander apparently). Hootie hoo, we had basket light liftoff!

Basket Light 12

 

And for anyone wondering if it’s a total fire hazard, thankfully paper lampshades or lanterns and other woven-ish basket lights are totally safe as long as the bulb doesn’t rub against them and everything has room to vent (so it doesn’t get crazy hot like it would if everything were enclosed or touching). See how the bulb hangs down and away from the shade so there’s no point at which it touches or even comes close enough to get the basket hot? That’s the key.

Basket Light 22

We love that it looks so clean from the underside (when we were trolling the aisles of the hardware store we were worried we might not find something quite as seamless-looking, so we’re really thankful).

That whole how-we-did-it rundown probably sounded a lot more complicated than it really was, so we made this quick video of the process, which is much much easier to understand (even on mute if you’re at work). It was a super quick process that took less than four minutes once we gathered our supplies.

Then it was just time to wire it up in the place of the flush mount fixture that we grabbed at Ikea a while back (which we think we’ll reuse in the hallway to replace an old boob-ish light that’s hanging there). Voila! Basket light in the hizzouse.

Basket Light 15

We love how it looks with our oil-rubbed bronze pendants over the peninsula. Glass and woven natural fibers are one of our favorite combinations and the simple oil-rubbed bronze wiring ties them together so they look related without being too matchy-matchy. It’s amazing how much more defined the “fireplace zone” now feels with its own little feature fixture. And thankfully it’s nearly seven feet from the ground, so even our tall family members can pass under it without a problem.

My favorite is getting to enjoy it twice thanks to the reflection of it in the mirror that I snatched from the guest room. It’s also really pretty to see it layered in front of the hallway wall. Here’s a shot from the peninsula. It’s amazing how the new chair, the mirror from the guest room, and the new basket lamp completely upgraded that little corner of the kitchen. So glad we finally started paying attention to that zone (especially since Clara spends a ton of time playing on that rug or reading with us in the chair).

Basket Light 19

 

Here’s the view through the opening in the dining room:

Basket Light 20

 

And here’s the view from the cooking area of the kitchen. The layered, textured look that the basket light brings is really nice – it even ties into the dark floor and the new mirror so there’s more of a “nautral” vibe going on, which is a nice foil to all the modern touches like the corian counters and the floating shelves.

Basket Light 24

 

And of course it’s fun to compare what the room looked like when we bought the house:

Tour Kitchen Bef2

As for what our new light looks like when it’s on, with a clear bulb it’s a party. Check out that awesome light streaming out of it. Of course if we went with a frosted eco bulb (like an LED or a CFL) we wouldn’t get those fun lines, but we’ll probably upgrade when we get to the store to check out our options. For now we just popped a clear bulb in there since we had it laying around from the old light in our hall bathroom that we replaced.

Basket Light 28

So that’s the story of our $35 basket light thanks to a $10 thrift store basket, two $3 hardware store parts, and an oil-rubbed bronze pendant from a local outlet for $19. Might be our favorite light we ever made. Well, I guess it’s tied with our clothespin chandelier and the office pendant. Have you guys been adapting/upgrading any lights lately? Or turning random things like a basket into a pendant? Or laying on the floor with the camera aimed at the ceiling to capture pics from below? Feels weird, right? Clara totally came up to me and laid right down beside me and said “what is we doing mommy?” Adorable.

Update #1: After hearing from a bunch of commenters that these baskets were actually used to catch fish in Asian and African villages, a reader named Elizabeth actually sent us a photo of them in action from a trip that she took to Northern Guinea where she attended a fishing festival.

Fishing Basket

How insanely fascinating is that?! Now the hole at the top makes sense. Apparently that’s how they reach in to get the fish once they trap it with the basket in shallow water.

UPDATE #2: We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they use around 90% less energy.

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Comments

  3. Jessibee says

    Nice! It looks very sophisticated and really finishes off that side of the kitchen. I liked the Ikea light a lot but it was more of a blender-inner so it will be great transplanted to the hallway.

    Also Sherry…the orangey tank + turquoise earrings look gorgeous on you! Home decor, DIY and fashion all in one post… high five!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Jessibee! That was my “wait, let me put earrings and a not-black shirt on so I don’t look like I’m tired and covered in dog hair” moment – haha.

      xo,
      s

  4. Cheri says

    I made a pendant lamp on the *real* cheap two years ago out of a $10 hanging lantern fixture from Pier 1 and a funky cylindrical, clear glass lamp shade with protruding diamond geometry (less than $1 at the Restore). It hangs over the table in the kitchen (which is small and dark) and really livens up the space! Oh and it makes pretty diamond patterns on the ceiling! I posted it in my Facebook photo album, lets see if I can find it and I’ll post the link…..

    Reply

  5. Vanessa says

    Just when I think you have made a room beautiful and complete you go and make it even better! Your house just gets better and better!!

    Reply

  6. Elizabeth says

    your basket definitely looks like a fishing basket used in africa. the basket is used to trap the fish in shallow water and then you reach through the top hole to scoop your fish out. i emailed you some pics from a guinean fishing festival that i went to a couple years back… not sure if you check your email, but i don’t have a blog to link to. it makes a great light fixture!

    Reply

  9. Koliti says

    Dwell in possibility –

    Love your creative, transformative eye and your “how can we utilize our resources to make this happen” skills.

    By combining desparate items, you have added a unique, ingenious, and functional natural layer to your dwelling. The eye-popping-WOW-factor and price-point are unbelievable!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, isnt that weird! Someone actually just sent me pictures they took in Africa of people using the exact same baskets to catch fish! So apparently they’re old fishing baskets!

      xo,
      s

  12. Melissa says

    I love it!

    I was thinking of you when I purchased the perfect purple ($8) lamp shade with the intent on hanging it with a cord kit. Buuuuuuut, the glare from the bulb is insane. Is there a way to fix this so I can lay on the couch and watch TV without blinding myself?

    THANKS!!

    Reply

  13. Carolyn L says

    Sups creative, dudez. :)

    I want to move into your neighborhood and come over to drink wine in your pretty kitchen on those pretty stools under that pretty light. I’ll bring the pretty wine bottle (since that’s how I judge wine).

    Reply

  14. Langley says

    love you guys – wanted to point out a typo: “My favorite IT getting to enjoy it twice thanks to the reflection of it in the mirror from the guest room. “

    Reply

  17. AJ says

    Love the light, it is gorgeous, I would totally pay a lot for that in a lighting shop. Have you considered taking the beams in this room back to a wood tone? I think that would look nice with your mirror and the new light.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sadly the beams aren’t spaced in any way that makes sense (none in the cooking side of the room and three in the fireplace side of the room) so leaving them white keeps that from being as obvious!

      xo,
      s

  19. Dallas Landrum says

    1. Never clicked on one of your videos before and shame on me because you’re hilarious.
    2. I’ll bet John makes funny faces at you while he’s Spielberg-ing, doesn’t he? Because mine totally would.
    3. Oh yeah, love the basket light and how lucky are you guys that those flanges fit?
    4. Flanges is a fun word. So is shablam.

    Reply

  21. Sheela says

    I love this! You both have done a fabulous job (as always), and your fireplace space is truly becoming so warm and inviting while also being gorgeous! Yay for cool African/Filipino fishing baskets! (Yes, I got that info from previous comments because I’m not hip enough to know cool stuff like that!) :)

    Reply

  22. Lisa says

    Great job! And seeing the before-and-after again is amazing. I’m wondering if the prior owners of your house read your blog or have maybe even visited to see the updates in person? I wonder if they are impressed or insulted by all your changes? Would love to hear about that!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They actually do read our blog! They’re very sweet and supportive and they joke that they love watching us do all the work so they don’t have to break a sweat. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  23. Kathy says

    I’m curious about the basket’s original function: Do you know if it was a lampshade before? It’s an unusual shape and had an opening at the top/bottom.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I actually learned from the comments that people use them as fishing baskets in Asia/Africa (the fish swims in the wide bottom and can’t swim out the smaller top so it’s trapped). So interesting! Someone even sent photos that I have been meaning to add as an update of an African village with a bunch of people standing in the water with identical baskets! It’s amazing.

      xo,
      s

  24. Suzanne in NW IL says

    Cute idea and if telling the project (he) “looks handsome” while trying to get it to piece together right, then by golly, I’ll call all of my lighting projects “handsome” so be it!

    Consider it done :)
    Smiles, your fan in NW IL,
    Suzanne & Kevin L.

    Reply

  25. Carrie says

    Super cute! I love it!
    If you are talking about replacing the light in the long hallway I totally call dibs! :) Boobish or not I love the vintage feel of it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh not that light, we love that one too. The boob-ish one in the hallway that leads to Clara’s room (not our bedroom/the deck). Sorry to be unclear!

      xo,
      s

  29. Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says

    I have been looking for something cool like that to transform our living pendant light for. evah!

    Side note, we used to live in Cambridge, MD and I never went to that flea market you always go to. I’m totally bummed about that. :( But, we just went back for a visit and on our vacation to do list was to go to our local auction house. Great steals … and even better people watching. :)

    Reply

  30. Nette @ This Dusty House says

    I absolutely love it! It’s so creative. I’m always amazed by people who can look at something like a basket and see it as something else.

    Question: how high are your ceilings? We haven’t figured out our living room light yet because they’re regular 8 foot ceilings, we have some tall friends, and I don’t want to go with a simple ‘boob light’ to keep it out of the way. I want something that makes a statement! But, we’re worried about it hanging too low. This definitely looks to be an ok height though!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Our ceilings are a little over 8 feet, so our rule is usually that if something has a very small “drop” (see how short the cord it between the canopy and the basket?) it can work. John is 6′ tall, but we hung the basket almost 7′ from the ground, just to be sure even taller folks don’t have to duck. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  31. John says

    I’m on the scout for affordable neat little tricks precisely like this, very clever! I call this art and interior design meshed together – thanks for inspiring, really glad I stumbled across your blog! :) – Jon@kdcuk

    Reply

  33. Steph says

    I just have to say that I reallllly love this kitchen corner. The layered elements of the mirror and the hanging light really bring a sophistication to the space. I think it’s gone from looking sort of dorm roomy (with the stuff on the mantle before) to really beautiful and nicely coordinated. Well done, guys! I love it!

    Reply

  34. Jamie says

    Great light fixture! I do think it’s fascinating to know where it came from and what it’s used for, gives it a whole new meaning. See, if you didn’t have this blog you might not have ever known that! Very nice!

    Reply

  35. Charlotte says

    FIX ME! My 40 year old bathroom is in need of a total make over, starting from the floral wallpaper to the sink fixture that no longer works. Thanks for the opportunity. Love your site.

    Reply

  37. Randa says

    Wow, I loved the look when I read the post yesterday, but the historical background of the basket given in the update makes it super-duper-ten-times-as-fantastically cool!

    Reply

  38. Sunnie says

    That’s awesome to find some history about the light fixture. Its even cooler now! I’ve followed for a while so I saw the whole kitchen redo but I still love seeing the pictures of it now compared to what it used to be…just amazing! One of my favorite before/after’s of all time!!

    Reply

  42. Devon says

    Hey! This is really cute, but I think the unfinished edge is a little funny. Of course it’s a matter of preference, but what if you got a piece of rope or jute or something and just hot glued it all around the bottom to give it a more finished look?

    Reply

  45. Tess says

    Hi J & S,
    Love your vision for the basket, it’s perfect for that spot. Would you mind sharing what you’re thinking for the fixture over the dining room table? (apologies if you’ve already discussed this somewhere!) I am in a similar situation, trying to find something larger. As I page through all these sites I keep thinking, “What would Sherry and John do?” Thanks for your time!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re hoping for something full of texture and in a dark oil-rubbed finish that’s even more giant. Will keep you posted when we hopefully find something!

      xo,
      s

  49. Priscilla says

    Totally love it! I want to go make one now! I love that is was once a fishing basket too – What a great story :)

    Reply

  50. Trude says

    It looks amazing! I’ve ixnayed all baskets in our house because of my dust allergy, but the light this casts has me thinking about making an exception… :)

    Reply

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