Top
Subscribe for free and never miss a post

DIY Farmhouse Lighting ~ Kitchen Remodel Continues

Our kitchen remodel is going strong despite some setbacks that have been happening in our family, like continued mandatory overtime for my husband and our car breaking down (we are our own mechanics). We even had to say goodbye to my husband’s grandmother. No worries though, we are at peace with everything as God has richly blessed us, but it has certainly slowed us down. Such is life, right? So, I’d like to show you what I have been able to get done. My DIY farmhouse lighting!!

Upcycled Wooden Farmhouse Clamp as Wall Sconce by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

First, to catch you up to speed, I suggest you check out where we started, our flooring reveal and window treatments. So much goodness going on! I am super-excited to show you how I took these antique wooden clamps and turned them into sconces in our dining area. And I even made some funky industrial style DIY farmhouse lighting above our kitchen table. Nothing like a good repurpose to get your blood pumping.

Antique Farmhouse Wooden Clamps Repurposed by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

*Electrical materials provided by Snake Head Vintage (see full disclosure)

I spied a large assortment of these antique clamps at a flea market and snatched up a handful of them. These are the two smallest and I also have three large ones. My brain was reeling with ideas when I saw them, but when the lightbulb went off (get it? what a pun!) to use them in our remodel, I was so stoked.

A VISION

My vision wouldn’t come to fruition until a client of mine bought a coffee grinder from my shop . She turned it into a lamp for her parents.  Cool! I inquired about where she got her vintage supplies, and she directed me to Snake Head Vintage. I fell in LOVE!

Ever since I was a kid, I would pull things apart to learn how they tick. I was forever fascinated with how lights work and can be created. Remember my floor lamp I made from repurposed rocking chair rockers? Making this lighting is really the same idea, but using a different object to wire through.

Our current lighting was a candle chandelier and two sconces that have served us well for about 8 years and I decided to change it out for a new look.

Original Rustic Sconce in Kitchen Remodel | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Country Style Lighting in our Kitchen Before Remodel | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Dining Area Chandelier Before Kitchen Remodel | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

I’m showing you how I used my antique clamps to make my sconces so you can get the idea. You can turn pretty much anything you want into a lamp or hard-wired fixture.

Rustic Farmhouse Lighting Supplies to DIY | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

DIY TOOLS & SUPPLIES

My supplies and tools for one light include:

  • 1 – socket: I am hard-wiring these sconces (they will not be a plug-in type fixture) and am using a dimmable socket since this is for accent lighting.
  • cloth-covered wire (I used 2-wire flat wire) in length needed to reach connection source
  • 1 – strain relief
  • 1 – Edison style light bulb
  • 2-wire caps
  • electrical tape
  • a vintage tool, jug, camera, etc. to create into a light
  • screwdriver
  • scissors
  • multi-purpose electrical cut, crimp, strip tool

First, before starting any electrical work make sure your power is TURNED OFF at your electrical box. You’ll begin by determining the length of wire you need to be able to reach your power source. For me, I needed about 2 ft of flat wire, but I always add a bit extra since I’m not a professional at this and sometimes I make mistakes. ahem.

Two Wire Flat Cotton Covered WIre for Vintage Lighting | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 1

Once you have the length needed, you will need your strain relief piece and one end of the wire. Unscrew the strain relief to have it in two separate parts. Keeping a small amount of masking tape on the end will not only keep the cloth covering from fraying, but also make threading the wire easier.

Vintage Wire and Strain Relief Assembly for Farmhouse Lighting by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 2

Thread the cone-shaped part of the strain relief onto the wire. Begin by putting the narrow end on first and having the large, open end towards the direction the socket will be.

Threading Strain Relief Pieces onto Electrical Wire by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

For tips on how to thread the strain reliefs on different gauge wire (because it can be tricky!), check out this video tutorial by Snake Head Vintage.

STEP 3

Separate your light socket into its separate pieces and thread the bottom ring and socket base onto the wire next as shown. Here I’m showing the strain relief assembled to keep it in the picture, but you’ll want to keep it separated until wiring is complete.Threading the Light Socket onto the Cloth Covered Wire | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 4

Take your wiring tool and strip away the cloth covering and separate your wires. TIP: black is “hot”, white is “neutral” – sometimes there will be a green or bare copper wire and that will be your ground wire. You’ll want to leave about an inch and a half of length to work with. Typically you would need to use an underwriter’s knot before attaching wires to prevent straining your wires which would require more wire be exposed, but since I am using a threaded strain relief, this is not necessary.Cutting the Wire to Prepare for Lighting | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 5

Using your stripping section of your tool, pull off about and inch of wire coating to bring the wire to bare copper.

Stripping Electrical Wire for Farmhouse Lighting | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 6

When you get down to the bare wire, it’s easy to fray the ends unintentionally, so give them a twist and create a hook by bending. This will make attaching them to the socket easier.

Preparing Electrical Wire Ends for Farmhouse Lighting | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 7

place your wire hooks around the corresponding screws and tighten down. FYI: The gold screw is for your hot wire and the silver is for your neutral wire. In this case, it does not matter which one you hook where because this is a single socket connection.

Attaching Wire to Vintage Light Socket | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

STEP 8

Now that your wiring is attached you will need to assemble the socket. Begin by threading the socket ring over the bottom of the socket and tighten down. Next, thread the inner part of the strain relief into the bottom of the socket. Make sure you have backed out your adjusting screw so the strain relief can thread in. Once in, tighten the adjusting screw on the socket and then thread on the cone-shaped strain relief piece. Again, tighten the adjusting screw on the strain relief piece to secure it all together.

Attaching Wiring Strain Relief to Socket | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Now your socket is assembled and ready to add to the clamp. Since one of my clamps already had a hole in the one end, all I needed to do was create a hole in the one to match using my drill and a spade bit.

To put it all together, I threaded the socket and wire into the hole.

Making Antique Farmhouse Clamp into Sconce by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Since I wanted my wire to be hidden, I took a couple of my heavy duty staples in bunches of two or three and tapped them in with a hammer over my wires. That way they lay flush to the clamp.

Using Staples to Hold Wire Flush | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

LAST STEPS

The place where I was putting this sconces was a messed up by the previous owner. I decided to finally fix the mess and cut correct holes using my drill with spade bit, and my cordless jigsaw.

Cutting Lighting Hole with Cordless Ryobi Jigsaw | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

After that, I connect the sconce wires to the wall wires by twisting on wire caps and then wrapping them in electrical tape. To hang it on the wall, I counter-sink a few screws through the clamp. Done!

THE REVEAL

Repurposed Farm Tool Wooden Clamp as Wall Sconce by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Upcycled Antique Wooden Clamp turned into Industrial Farmhouse Wall Sconce by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

For the dining area, I used the same steps. However, this time created a dual lamp using a longer clamp and a couple of enamel shades taken out of a local barn. How’s that for DIY farmhouse lighting?

Rustic Industrial Style Farmhouse Lighting by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Dining Table with Repurposed Farmhouse Lighting by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

I love the new look and it’s funky industrial, farmhouse feel. The shades have imperfections, but that’s what I love about them…you can’t find that in a box store. The sockets are an antique brass finish that will go perfectly with my antique brass faucet and hardware.

Reclaimed Enamel Barn Lighting by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Reclaimed and Repurposed Farmhouse Lighting by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

That completes our dining area farmhouse lighting and next is the kitchen and laundry. So many have asked about my window treatments, and I showed how I achieved the look for all 7 windows for less than $30 in my last kitchen update (head HERE) I was attempting to get that all completed with my son’s help. However, my compressor died mid nailing our coffered ceiling. I ain’t about to hang stuff with hammer and nail. no siree. (sorry for the blurry pic that my daughter snapped, but you get the idea)

Hanging Beadboard in Kitchen Remodel | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

So I sat for an hour or so and tore apart the compressor and rewired it back together. Whew!

I hope you’re enjoying seeing our progress. Also, please pin and share our funky DIY farmhouse lighting so others can create their own home too. ♥

Create Your Own Farmhouse Lighting with this Step-by-Step DIY Tutorial by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Up next, I know you”ll want to see a vintage chest makeover. It’s a good one! Head HERE.

blog signature

let's get socialMEWE  |  PINTEREST  |  GAB

More of my projects like my DIY farmhouse lighting:

Knock-Off Pottery Barn Bench | Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.comVintage Industrial Teen Boy's Bedroom Makeover by Prodigal Pieces | www.prodigalpieces.com

Comments

  1. Sue Pagels says

    Love it all – looks fantastic!

  2. Jamie K says

    Oh My!!!! Absolutely Love it All! Wow! You never cease to amaze me!

    • Larissa says

      Fantastic to hear! Thank you, Jamie. I can’t wait to show you all the rest. 🙂

  3. Sherry Fram says

    Love the clamps! Awesome job on the sconces & the light in the dining area! They look fantastic! Love the shades on the light in the dining area!

    • Larissa says

      I’m loving your excitement!! Thank you so much, Sherry. 🙂

  4. gwen says

    First, Let me say that I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s grandmother’s passing. I hope she had a lived a long, fulfilling life.

    Your new sconces and hanging light are fabulous! And I love your VERY thorough instructions of wiring. I could definitely do this! THANKS!

    • Larissa says

      Thank you so much, Gwen. She was a never-stopping 88 year old lady who got to sit in her favorite spot as she left this earth. What a blessing!

      As for the lighting, I couldn’t be happier with it. I hope you give it a whirl!

      • gwen says

        how wonderful for Grandma and for you all!
        we have an old clamp that i think was for making furniture – very long! i’ll have to check it out WHEN we start our kitchen/dining area remodel!

  5. liz says

    You are so dang creative! I love this lighting! I am not messing with anything electrical but I love what you did.

    • Larissa says

      hahaha…electrical can make you pull your hair out if you don’t fry it out first, but it sure is rewarding when you can step back and say, “I did it!!”

  6. Debra says

    You go girl! Phil. 4:13

    • Larissa says

      Yeah, I’m weird like that…ha! 😀 Thank you, Mary!

  7. Kathy says

    Love your imagination and talent on repurposing items for light fixtures!….
    But…can you tell me more about the window treatments that can be seen in the photos? They look like a combination of blinds and a woven wood valance. It’s the use of the valance that really caught my eye.
    Thanks, Kathy

  8. Marie, The Interior Frugalista says

    Clamp lights – Larissa, you never cease to amaze me with your creativity and DIY savvy skills. Your lighting is AMAZING – conversation pieces for sure! Gotta love those Edison bulbs too?

    • Larissa says

      It certainly will be fun to have it all done. Thank you so much, Marie! 🙂

  9. Lesley - England says

    Fabulous! I love all of it! Could you please post an image of the console table to the rear left of the final photo? I’m dying to see how you’ve styled it! Thank you. xx.

  10. Teresa B says

    Love everything that you have done! Really love the lights!

    • Larissa says

      I still sit and gaze at them because I love them so much! Thank you.

  11. Funky Junk Interiors - Donna says

    Larissa, I swear if you lived near me, I’d be over every day begging to buy stuff off your walls! This is junk genius! I just love the rustic wood.. YUM! Featured you this weekend on Party Junk, thanks for linking up!

    • Larissa says

      hahaha…likewise, girl! Thank you for the feature and love. 🙂

  12. Terry says

    Larissa,

    Would you mind sharing where you purchased the pieces to create your lighting? I’m having trouble finding the socket pieces.

    thanks!

    • Larissa says

      If you click the text “Snake Head Vintage” in my post, it will take you there, and if you have a question from them, ask for Paul. 🙂 Let me know if you have any additional questions.

  13. lesley opheim says

    Such a great and cool idea…LOVE IT!!!
    Might even get my boyfriend to do one for me!!
    Thanks

  14. Diane Scharin says

    Beautiful! My question is where did you buy all the electrical supplies?

    • Larissa says

      Hi Diane. Thanks for the love. I had the link to Snake Head Vintage in my post. They are awesome!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Client Love

I love it! Larissa is amazing. She listened to what I wanted and then she took care of the rest! This is my second piece I've bought from her and I'm in love! I highly recommend her.

~ Laurel

Prodigal Pieces
2020-03-21T21:34:13-04:00

~ Laurel

I love it! Larissa is amazing. She listened to what I wanted and then she took care of the rest! This is my second piece I've bought from her and I'm in love! I highly recommend her.

I love this cart, it's exquisite. The item was received in extremely secure packaging, no damage to the item. The delivery person was very professional and courteous. Larissa of Prodigal Pieces is so very amazing. A rating of 10 is deserved. Thank you, Larissa.

~ Stephanie

Prodigal Pieces
2020-03-21T21:39:34-04:00

~ Stephanie

I love this cart, it's exquisite. The item was received in extremely secure packaging, no damage to the item. The delivery person was very professional and courteous. Larissa of Prodigal Pieces is so very amazing. A rating of 10 is deserved. Thank you, Larissa.

I should have left this review MONTHS ago! I absolute love this lunch bag. I honestly carry this 5 days a week. It is the perfect size! Not only can you put your lunch in it, it can also hold your book. I enjoy reading at lunch, so I have all I need in one cute bag. Thank you so much Larissa!

~ Mikki

Prodigal Pieces
2020-03-21T21:43:16-04:00

~ Mikki

I should have left this review MONTHS ago! I absolute love this lunch bag. I honestly carry this 5 days a week. It is the perfect size! Not only can you put your lunch in it, it can also hold your book. I enjoy reading at lunch, so I have all I need in one cute bag. Thank you so much Larissa!

Awww…I love this sweet Cat with an attitude!! SO SO adorable! Well worth the money, and he will become a priceless treasure in my home! Thanks Larissa for always making your ideas turn into true treasures!

~ Sharon

Prodigal Pieces
2020-03-21T21:45:37-04:00

~ Sharon

Awww…I love this sweet Cat with an attitude!! SO SO adorable! Well worth the money, and he will become a priceless treasure in my home! Thanks Larissa for always making your ideas turn into true treasures!

Perfect purchase from start to finish! Absolutely adorable piece so creatively thought out. Packed with the greatest of care with lightening fast delivery. Very customer-oriented and friendly crafter. Could not ask for more! Thank you!

~ Deanna

Prodigal Pieces
2020-03-21T21:52:00-04:00

~ Deanna

Perfect purchase from start to finish! Absolutely adorable piece so creatively thought out. Packed with the greatest of care with lightening fast delivery. Very customer-oriented and friendly crafter. Could not ask for more! Thank you!
0
0
Prodigal Pieces