DIY: Industrial Copper Pendant Light

I had been lusting over the West Elm Metallic Cord Set for quite some time, when it occurred to me that I may be able to find something similar on Etsy. After a little bit of poking around, I found the shop Vintage Wire. It had copper cords and sockets at killer prices (just $13 for the cord and $8 for the socket). Not only that, but it had a wide selection of Edison-style bulbs starting at $6. I already had an antler that would work well as a sconce and mounting adhesive from another home project. Along with shipping, the entire order cost me about $30 (versus the $49 West Elm cord set, $29 sconce $10 bulb, and $14 shipping...in sum, $102!).

Materials Needed:

• Cord with plug
  
• Socket
  
• Edison-style bulb
  
• Mounting tape/adhesive
  
• Sconce (I used an antler)
  

Tools:

• Screwdriver
  
• Scissors
  

Step 1:
Screw, or pry off the bottom of the socket. You'll see two screws. Loosen those and set aside.

Step 2:
Locate the wires on the cord and remove cloth material about half an inch. String the bottom of the socket through the wire.

Step 3:
Strip the wires. Grab the top part of the socket and wrap the exposed wires around the screws, then tighten the screws. Screw the bottom part of the socket to the top.

Step 4:
Screw (again, lots of that in this tutorial) the bulb into the socket and plug it in to test it. The bulb should illuminate.

Step 5:
Add mounting adhesive to the sconce and adhere to wall.

Step 6: Wrap cord around antler and you're all set!

All in all, the most difficult part was stripping the wires (step three). The tutorial I read online did not specify exactly how to strip wires, so I used a scissor to shave the rubber off the wire until I exposed the copper. I'm sure there is a much easier way to do this, but that's what I came up with, given my supplies and experience.

I really think this industrial copper pendant light looks awesome. I am super proud of it and really happy that I got what I wanted (dare I say, better than what I wanted?) for way less money. Pendant lights also allow for me to save room on my bedside table, which is great, since I do not have a lot of space.

Total time spent: 30 minutes
Total amount saved: $76.55