Little Brick Cottage… DIY Vintage Canning Jar Pendant Lights
In the kitchen at the ‘Little Brick Cottage’ we have a peninsula in the new floor plan, and it seemed fitting to have some pendant lights hanging over that peninsula. When I started looking however, I couldn’t find anything that stayed in our budget and looked like a simple farmhouse style light.
So, as it often does, necessity led to creativity…
I made some pendants to hang off the track light repurposing vintage blue canning jars and old zinc lids.
I’ve said before how much I like using track lighting, and the simple cleverness of the track pendant adapter for just this purpose, (like how I showed you I used it in the dining room at ‘Our House’). The versatility it gives is very effective, especially in a kitchen where a lot of specific task lighting is needed. You can just add another fixture if need be and point it to where you want. That’s what we have mounted above the peninsula here, so the small fixtures are for the function,
but I wanted something for the form part, you know to look pretty, and that’s where the jar pendant lights come into the picture. Here’s how I made them:
Here are all the supplies I used for this project. The chain I had in the junk drawer, and the lamp cord too… the track light pendant adapters I bought at Menard’s, the only place I’ve ever found them, they run around $8 each, the ceramic fixtures were less than that, I think around $3 and I picked those up at Menard’s too.
Oh and the jars and lids, well I didn’t get those at Menard’s, in fact I swapped one of the carpenters helping me with the cottage some of the old windows we took out in exchange for the jars and lids. His wife was thrilled to get the old windows for crafts, (I kept a few windows for myself to use) and I was thrilled to get the jars and lids… it was a great trade!
If you’re familiar with old zinc lids you know they have a glass liner inside them, I sadly had to hammer that and break it out to be able to repurpose these jars, but I consoled myself with at least this way they’re being used and displayed…
So once the lid glass was out here are the steps I did to simply wire together the lamps:
I drilled vent holes in the lid, just in case the light bulbs heated up inside there? I just figured better safe than sorry.
And speaking of lightbulbs, since you are looking directly at the lights, I used a super low watt bulb, also it had to be small to fit inside the mouth of the jar. Remember these pendants are for the form, not the function of lighting needs.
By having the chain hook to the pendant adapter at the top and screw into the rod in the lid, all the weight of the light, (which actually isn’t very much, but still…) goes onto the chain, and not onto the cord, which would not be safe.
The simple farmhouse style of the canning jar lights compliments the antique cottage’s kitchen so well. It’s a sweet statement of how life once was in this ‘Little Brick Cottage’.
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http://mrshinesclass.com/2012/06/02/saturdays-show-tell-showcase-8/
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Posted on May 24, 2012, in DIY - Crafts - Floral, Kitchen, Light Fixtures, Little Brick Cottage, Re-purposing, Uncategorized and tagged canning jar, decorate with a little bit, DecorateWithaLittleBit, fixtures, Menard's, pendants, peninsula, track light. Bookmark the permalink. 50 Comments.
SUPER CUTE! Featuring you tomorrow! XO, Aimee
Yay! Thank you so much for the feature Aimee! Little Bit
I love this! I’ll be sharing it on my blog tonight! Thanks for linking up to Classy Clutter.
Mallory @ Classy Clutter
Yay! Thank you Mallory for the feature!
What a cute idea! I may have to borrow this for the light over my sink! I already have the light kit and the jar so wow…..free light!! LOVE IT!! Thanks so much for sharing. Stopping by from White Wednesday
xoxo
jenny
LOVE it! Perfect for a farmhouse kitchen! Thank you for sharing your step-by-step post with Home and Garden Thursday – playing catch up!
Kathy
This is so cute! I love mason jars as lights, and I haven’t seen them done this way before. I am pinning it and sharing it tomorrow at my link party! Starts at 2 PST. Thanks!
Yay! thank you Karen!
Wow! Great project! Link it up with me on my Wow Us Wednesday, ok? Over at http://www.familyhomeandlife.com
So fun! I’d love for you to link up to my first ever linky party, Ta-Da Tuesday
check it out HERE ! <3 from your newest follower, I'd be delighted if you'd follow back!
Perfect, I love the look and so right for the farmhouse style you are going after. Great tutorial. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty
These are brilliant! So pretty and your tutorial looks easy to follow! I wish I had track lighting so I could try them
so cool! I was wondering how to make pendant lights out of old jars… I was just researching it today and then I found you through the A to Z link party tonight! Thanks!
oh fun! I don’t know how others are doing it, but I’ve done enough little wiring projects to figure out a way to make it work… there may be better ideas out there
Super cool diy lights. I would love for you to share at the Anything Goes linky at Bacon Time, if you want another fun place to share your talents. It runs every Friday to Monday.
Thank you! I’ll be there on Friday!
This is FABULOUS!!!!! It looks just perfect above the island! Love the blue tint to the jar too!
Thanks for sharing at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
Ahhh…my adoration of mason jars lives on. Thanks for fueling that fire! Those are just awesome – love the character they bring to the space!
Stacey of Embracing Change
Hey!
These are so cute and thanks for the detailed tute. I will admit, I love the look, but have felt intimidated about the process. Hmmmm maybe I can actually try it now!
Thanks for linking up!
Kim
I love these! What a creative idea.
Oh so cute! Pinning this one
Yay! thank you
Love those! They are so very very pretty!
Came over from HoH to see the canning jar lights. You are far superior to me – I would never tackled an electrical job. As I was reading, I was thinking about the heat building inside the jar. Then, of course you answered that! You are not no only creative, but your posts include the little details.
Distressed Donna Down Home
Thank you Donna, I appreciate your thoughtful comments! Little Bit
This is so cute! I love Mason jars =)
Visiting from Shabby Creek
Wow! I absolutely love these lights. You never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity and creativity. Thanks for sharing at Show & Tell!
Sharon @ mrs. hines class
SO cute! what a great idea!!
-Adriane
I LOVE these!!!!
I am a new follower. xo Ginger
Thank you so much for following! Little Bit
Hi, I am visiting from Sharon’s “Show and Tell”. I love your pendants. hat would work well over my kitchen island. Now, I just need to find the canning jars. LOL
Love this idea!
I love this idea! Looks Great!
I’m a new follower from http://www.naptimedelights.blogspot.com
- Sarah
What a great tutorial! I love the reclaimed-ness of this project…and did you know canning jar lights actually go for a lot of money on Ebay and Etsy? Thanks for the DIY idea!
I LOVE that look! I wonder how I could convert that look into patio lighting? Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.
SallyAnn
Great tutorial, love how they look. Fit right in to type of kitchen you’ve made. I have a few of the size jars you used. I was thinking how neat those lights would look with the bigger slightly green cast jars or mixing the sizes. I can never seem to leave anything as I see it, always have to change something. I have couple of those bigger jars and thought that would be a good use for them. I’d love to find more of the bigger ones. Found the ones I have in KY. The ones that are available here (Grand Junction, CO)are way too expensive.
Yeah, so funny about that kind of stuff Jane Ellen, back in the day when I was first married, those old jars weren’t worth ten cents apiece… now that everyone wants them, it’s a much different story.
and good for you putting your own spin on your decorating… that’s what makes it your!
Little Bit
Yay! Thank you Sharon for the feature! Little Bit
Yay!! thank you for the feature!
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