How to Make a Basket Pendant Light

Basket Pendant Light DIY

Who doesn’t love a good pendant, basket light?! Well we sure do, but we don’t like the price tags we normally see on them. We put together a short tutorial to show just how easy it can be to make your own basket pendant light at home for a fraction of the cost.

Many ordinary baskets can be used as a pendant shade, you just have to find one that suits your style. We’ve used all sorts of baskets in the past, but the one we used in this tutorial was a rice basket we found on Etsy. Others have been your typical woven storage baskets, a fruit basket – we’ve even used an old rice paddy hat! This is an opportunity to get creative and make something really original!

We like to use cloth covered electrical wire and accessories from ColorCord when we make our basket lights. They have an amazing selection of cord colors and wiring hardware.

You can use any electrical wire and accessories from any supplier, just make sure you have all the pieces you need ahead of time, and be sure to measure out the length of cord you want plus an extra 1-2 feet just in case. Once you’re ready to assemble your pendant, follow the appropriate wiring instructions for the specific materials you purchased. If you are not skilled at electrical work, have a professional install the pendant light for you.

Another option is to create your pendant light with a really long cord and have a plug on the end. This way you can just insert it into an outlet, as opposed to installing a ceiling canopy. Here is a pre-assembled plug kit, so all you have to do is just modify your basket to fit, and skip all the fuss.

Supplies:

Basket
LED Light bulb
Electrical Wire
Socket
Socket Cover
Cord Grip
Ceiling Canopy

Tools:

Wire Cutter/Wire Striper
Tape
Xacto Knife and/or scissors
Screw Driver
Tape Measure
Ladder for Install

You can use almost any basket that looks cool flipped upside down. Just make sure it has an internal depth of at least 5-6″ in the center so that your light bulb doesn’t hang out the bottom and look odd. Some baskets will already have holes in them, but if not just use your Xacto knife or scissors to snip small pieces out at a time. Make a small hole, no larger than 1/2″ in diameter, directly in the center. If the hole is not right in the center, your basket might not hang straight. So grab a tape measure and find the center spot before cutting.