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DIY: Hanging Lamp
Homemade lamps are a cheap way to personalize any space and add colour to rooms that are only temporary quarters or that you aren’t allowed to paint. My mother taught me this technique when I was an impoverished student. I can afford to buy lamps now, but I still find it more satisfying to make them. Although it’s easy to do, wiring a lamp will make you feel impressively handy. And lamps make good gifts!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Everything should be available at your local hardware store or home building centre (and some dollar stores).
- A pull-chain light socket.
- A light bulb
- A long extension cord. The thinner the better.
- Wire strippers, screwdriver, ruler and box cutter/utility knife.
- A lampshade. Designed to cover a bare hanging light bulb, Japanese paper shades are the simplest option and can be found in any Chinatown. Alternately, inexpensive regular shades can be purchased at garage sales, thrift shops and dollar stores but may take more creativity to attach. You can also make your own shade or re-cover an ugly one.
- Insulated staples and a hammer. For hanging your light.
- A piece of string or ribbon.
Ensure nothing flammable (like the shade) touches the light bulb or socket. Keep the light unplugged until the project is complete and turn out the light when you leave the room. Do not cross the wires (explained below).
The Build
Cut the outlet off the extension cord. Using the knife or box cutter and starting at the cut end, split 4 cm of the cord down the middle.
Your extension cord should now fork off into two strands of cord, each 4 cm long. Using wire strippers, strip the plastic coating off each piece of cord, exposing the copper wire beneath. Generally, wire strippers are designed to strip wire of multiple sizes (called gauges). You may need to adjust the gauge to fit your cord. Stripping the wire takes some force. Be aggressive—it should feel like pulling apart stale licorice.
You should now have two strands of exposed copper wire, each made up of itty-bitty wires. It’s important that you keep these two strands of wire separate and do not allow them to touch or cross each other when you are attaching them to the socket (which will cause the light to short). Take one of the strands and tightly twist all the itty-bitty wires into one. Repeat with the other strand.
Disassemble the pull-chain light socket into its four parts: top cap, outer casing, cardboard shell and socket. Take the cap and string both strands of the extension cord through it, pushing the cap down the cord and out of your way. Then loosen the two screws in the socket.
You are now ready to attach the wires to the socket. If you are wondering which way the socket goes, just think about how the light will turn on when it hangs from the ceiling. You want the pull-chain to pull down. Take one strand of wire and wind it tightly, once around the screw, below the head. Tighten the screw. Trim off any excess wire. Ensuring the wires don’t touch or cross, attach the other strand to the other screw.
Reassemble the socket, finishing by snapping the cap on so that it clicks shut.
Screw in a light bulb, plug it in and you’ve made a light. (If you haven’t made a light, unplug it. You can probably troubleshoot it yourself. Start with the simplest solution, like replacing the light bulb. You can always disassemble, cut off what you’ve done and then start over from the first step.)
Attach the shade. To hang the light, fasten the cord to the wall and ceiling with a couple of insulated staples. Attach a ribbon, string or beads to the pull-chain to make it long enough for you to comfortably turn it on.
These basic principles of wiring apply to all lamps. You can use them to fix old, broken lamps or to make new lamps out of almost anything: bottles, wire and beads, crystals, rice paper and bamboo sticks, acetate, baskets, papier mâché. Your imagination is the limit.
