diy schoolhouse light pendant

10 June 2011

I really, really wanted a schoolhouse light above the kitchen sink.  Of course, I didn’t want to pay a lot either. And for some reason, schoolhouse fixtures are e.x.p.e.n.s.i.v.e.  So, I remembered seeing this DIY fixture from Gus & Lula, and the wheels started turning.
We just had a regular old can light above the sink, so I got a light adaptor kit from Home Decorators with a coupon, so around $30.


I wasn’t crazy about the glass shade, and hell-ooo, I want a schoolhouse light, so I started tinkering around. I needed something that would fit around the rim of the schoolhouse glass shade so I looked around for circle shapes and this is what I came up with:
I took a wide mouth canning rim and glued the top to it with E-6000
(a heavy duty glue found at craft stores) Then, I cut the middle outjanuary 2011 015
and glued a regular size canning rim on top of that. january 2011 016
Then I drilled three holes around the edge of the bottom rimjanuary 2011 017 
So that my small screws could fit through. The screws will hold the schoolhouse glass in place.january 2011 022
Then, you will glue your lid contraption to the actual pendant converter (before you hang it up and then let it dry),
april 2011 062 1Be sure to use plenty of glue…no one is going to see up high and you don’t want your light coming and crashing down! (not that it happened the first time to me…ahem. Just trust me…use plenty of e6000~glob it up!)
and it will look like this:
april 2011 002 1Then, you are going to attach the glass fixture (found at Lowes or H.Depot for around $5) by tightening the screws with a screw driver. Another thing I want to point out here~see my first set of holes? They weren’t low enough to hold the glass in, so I had to drill some more. Drill low…
april 2011 009 1
So this one was my trial run and that night it came crashing down into the sink around 10:30 p.m. Oooops….not enough glue.
april 2011 016 1
So, here is what we’re looking like right now with the new glass that has held up beautifully for over a month now:
june 2011 104 1 Girl…..go do your dishes.
Oh, all right. The new glass shade is from the Goodwill~ $1 ~ wahoo!
june 2011 112 1 The jury is still out on the curtains…Tina B guessed it correctly in the comments: it’s the Jayda Bramble from Better Homes & Gardens fabric line. I need something to block the sun coming from the west in the evenings and I just made them like I did here, but maybe they need some trim or something extra? I love the fabric though…I’d love to hear (nice) thoughts :) I can’t show you all the cabinets because they’re not finished yet, but they’re coming…
june 2011 111 1 
edited to add: updated pictures, fabric here.

 Kids have their last day of school TODAY! Happy weekend~
signature p.s. the pictures are grainy because how in the heck do you take good window pictures without lightening the exposure a bunch??

20 comments

  1. I love it. It looks wonderful. I agree some trim would look good on the curtains.

    Ruth

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  2. I realize this is old now but I just saw on Pinterest. What is your wall color? I need a color for my kitchen and I have these same corner windows! Looks great and the curtains are great too!

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  3. Hi I love the window , the shelves above and the curtains. I have windows like that! I would love to know your wall color! I am looking for a new kitchen color! Thanks

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  4. Love it! I saw the dishes in the sink and then ur comment below! Laughed OUT Loud!! Very creative and smart! I think I will give this a try. Thanks for sharing! ;)

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  5. Michelle Lunt1/8/14, 8:10 AM

    Hi Melissa, I love your ingenuity on this light project. FEARLESS! And I really like the curtains as they are. You could get some of those clip rings to hang them from & that might add some excitement. Also, I love that you had the courage to post the photo with the dishes in the sink. You're AWESOME! I'm such a fan. Let's go to lunch. :D

    Warmly, Michelle

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  6. Can I ask what colour paint I see on the walls behind the vases?  It goes so perfectly with the curtain fabric.

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  7. Brilliant and beautiful.  I love everything about this little corner, the white vases, the plantings, the curtains, the pendant.  All of it.  Fantastic and soon to be replicated in my kitchen.

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  8. I love the DIY lighting fixture and the curtains. I especially love the realism of a sink full of dirty dishes! Your kitchen's looking great.

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  9. What a great DIY project! Very imaginative and it looks great.  I love the curtain fabric too. Such soft colors you could do a lot with.  Great job.  :)

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  10. Annie Wilcox Designs1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    Love it so much, as much as I love your blog, you keep me inspired.  I am up to my mess in stink from a septic issue, I will take this dig anyway!

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  11. Kathy@creativehomeexpressions1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    Great light, Melissa!  I love it and I love that whole corner there by your window.  I like the window treatments; I think they look fine as is.  I don't know if you want to get too "fussy" with them with trim especially since they are by the sink.  Maybe something cute along the top like pompom fringe in a color from the fabric.  Your doing a great job in here and I'm looking forward to seeing the cabinets.

    Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions

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  12. I'm TOTALLY diggin' the curtains!  I used the same fabric and went with the same basic concept...hem tape on the edges...clip rings on a tension rod...but placed just a tad over the mid-line of the window (so the locking mechanism wouldn't show).  I thought about adding some grosgrain ribbon across the bottom of  each panel...but, really, the fabric is so pretty (and kinda busy) the way it is...I just left well enough alone.  I would like to know, too...WHY ARE SCHOOLHOUSE LIGHTS SO EXPENSIVE?  I mean, it's just a glass globe and wires.  Your's looks wonderful!

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  13. Love the light!  Very nice! 

    As for the curtains, the fabric is beautiful and I wouldn't add anything to them.  Think it would make them too busy.  Something about them was bugging me, and I think I figured it out:  What about attaching them to clip rings from the rod instead of threading it through the rod pocket in the fabric?  Am I making any sense?  Then they'd be easier to slide back and forth too.  You'd probably need to play with the fabric a bit to loosen it up and give it a little pleating effect once it's on the rings.  Anyway, just an idea.  Everything is looking great!!!

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  14. So, I'm dying to know...  Where is this fabric from???  I need to get my hands on some for a laundry room re-do I'm hoping to start this summer!!  Can someone point me in the right direction??  Thanks!

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  15. I love it!!!  You are so stinkin clever.

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  16. atta girl. looks fabulous to me. uber cute kitchen! happy weekending.

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  17. Forever YoungWard1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    Beautiful!  So innovative, too--thanks for sharing:)

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  18. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    I *love* pom pom fringe, but I'm going to be using it on another part of the
    kitchen and that may be too much? We'll see....thanks, Katie!

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  19. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    A fabulous suggestion, and if it involves sort of the right size and hot
    glue, I'm all over it :) Thank you, darlin!

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  20. Debra-September Acres1/18/14, 9:43 AM

    I love your light! It is perfect over your sink. I like the curtains. Beautiful fabric. I think it's just enough to cover the window & give you the pretty look of curtains, without being too heavy.

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