I know some people have guessed on what my DIY project was this week, and finally it's done. A Pottery Barn inspired Mason jar light fixture! It is my main light in the kitchen and it couldn't be more perfect. I found several tutorials months ago and decided that's what I wanted above my island. When our fluorescent light went out in the kitchen, I took it as a sign that it was time to do it. I should've taken into account that my hubby would wait a few more months to actually do it. I don't know anything about wiring or electricity so I had to wait for him to help because no way was I going to get electrocuted.
We got the rest of our supplies on Sunday and got to work. The
one at PB is huge with 16 lights. My kitchen is definitely not big enough to accommodate a light fixture of that size and neither can my wallet accommodate the $400 price tag. So we narrowed it down to 10, then the jars we wanted came in a box of 9, then we lost a socket in the never-ending abyss of the truck so we ended up using 8 jars. It lets off the perfect amount of light so I am happy with it.
What you need:
50 wire nuts-$5
Black spray paint (had already)
Drill (had already)
Wire cutter (had already)
Phillips screwdriver (had already)
Wood-$20 (we got the big piece bc we needed it for another project)
TOTAL: $86.92
This picture makes the lights look fluorescent almost but they aren't. I used 25 watt bulbs because i knew anything higher than that would light up my house like a beacon in a lighthouse. They ended up being the perfect wattage.
So this is how we did it!
First, we took down all the old light fixture stuff, all the way down to the hole with wires coming out. Whoever previously installed ours didn't know what they were doing because it was hanging on by one screw and it wasn't even in a stud...just drywall. I'm surprised it hadn't fallen already.
Next, cut a piece of wood that fits into your previous frame or build a box if you didn't have one.
An Adams Thing did theirs out of metal. Make sure the wood isn't too flimsy or the weight of the jars could make it bow. Start to map out where you want your jars, mark it, and decide if you want staggered. We did staggered so we knew they wouldn't bump into one another.
Then, drill a hole where you want each pendant; make sure it is big enough for the wire to go through. Feed the wire through and snip off. Use more than what you think you should. You can adjust the height later.
Time to start the wiring. AHHH! My hubby got started and he patiently showed me how to do it all. Connect one small piece of wire to each hole. Slice & strip the wire up an inch or so then twist the ends together. Make sure you twist the HOT with HOT, this chord has ridges on one side so make sure those stay together when you connect them. Once all three HOT ends and COLD ends are twisted then put a wire nut on each end. The three ends should but the 1 going in the hole, 1 coming from the left, and the one coming from the right.
Next, measure out how long you want your lights to drop down. We did about 16 inches from the board. We cut them to 17 inches because you still need a little left to wire the light socket in.
Now let's go over to the mason jars. Drill a hole in the center of the lid for the wire (get as center as possible) then more holes around for the heat to vent out. DO NOT forget that part or they could overheat and explode.
Put the wire through the mason jar lid. To wire the light socket, split and strip the last inch of wire again. Then twist the wires around the screws and tighten down. Do this 8 times…it seems like it took forever.
If you want the pipe to give you a straighter look to the pendants then make sure those are cut and spray painted. Measure and cut those to fit between the top and the lid. We forgot to put those one before we attached the sockets so we had to do it all over again…ugh.
Without the pipe
With the pipe
Then finally mount it on the ceiling. My hubby did not want it to be attached by screws because if something had to be fixed in the future then he wanted easy access to it. He used door hinges and 2 I hooks. Genius. I'm going to spray paint that soon & stain the wood to match my future countertops ;)
It's a great amount of light and it goes with the country theme I am wanting to do. Next is the countertop, then the sides of the cabinets, and finally the white plank wall. I can see it all coming together. Almost done! YAY!
What do yal think about my new light? My mother-in-law is already requesting one. :D
