Tristy Lee -DIY | Home Decor | Art | Project Inspiration

     Our first lighting project ever was DIY Pendant Lights for our entryway.  As an architectural designer Jet is obsessed with lighting. He has catalogs full of exquisite modern chandeliers, pendant lights, and wall sconces. When we were building our dream home we knew we wanted unique lighting. The lighting choices we loved, unfortunately, blew the budget.  .

DIY Pendant Lights.

     We searched high and low for unique lighting, and we could not find the right design within our budget.  Inspiration hit and while walking through our local TJMAX. We saw these hand blown vases from Poland that they recycled glass blue color vases.  I turned one upside down and said, “Hey, Baby, wanna build some lights?” Jet is incredibly handy and frequents Home Depot. He said, “I think they make pendant lighting kits. Why not?” We were scared.  

Things you will need for the project:
1. Pendant Light kit
2. Drill
3. Diamond hole saw drill bit
4. Glass Vases

*Tip– if you’re going to see the bulb, then buy an interesting one. There are a lot of options.  We choose a long Edison type bulb with a warm glow.

Look locally for glass artists.  Hand blown glass vases have incredible detail and color options that will look custom and unique.

Research on how to drill holes in glass

The first stop on a DIY adventure is usually YouTube to look for similar projects. I was pretty nervous to start this project for two reasons.  One, we were only able to find precisely three vases, and we had the electrical in place for three lights.  Second, drilling into the glass was not something that we had tried on any past project.  After reviewing several YouTube techniques on how to drill holes into our glass vases, we decided to try the diamond drill bit and water method.

We were under a lot of pressure.  The house was moving along faster than we could keep up with our DIY projects.  The electrical was already in place, and they were ready for the lights before we even started.  With my heart racing and breath held, I held the vase as Jet starting to drill through the glass.  Sweet! It worked just like the video, and soon enough, we had the holes needed to hang our vases with the pendant lights.

 DIY light fixture customization:

It seems like every project requires some customization. This time the pendant kit would not be enough to complete the project.  Due to the weight of the vases, we decided we needed something to help balance the weight load from the vases.  Jet explained, “We need something to work as a washer with a bolt in the vase.” When we don’t know how we want to approach a project, we consult the experts at Home Depot.  In the electrical department, we found some low profile circular junction boxes. (I don’t even know what a regular use for electrical junction box, but I’m sure Jet knows.)  The whole point is you can often repurpose things, and these work correctly to secure the vase in place and distribute the weight.

Want more Lilies and Jets:

New Home Lighting Ideas

DIY Wall Sconces

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DIY Kitchen Pendant Lights

Make sure you grab your Free Guide to Project Planning. We are always working on new DIY and Home Décor projects. Follow us on Instagram for previews and behind the scenes access to all things Lilies and Jets.