Since the moment I moved into my new house I’ve been trying to find the perfect idea for our living room. Without any overhead ceiling fixtures, I decided to make an wood pulley pendant lamp.
It’s perfect because it requires no hardwiring – just access to an outlet and a hook to hang the pulley from. I also love that you can easily adjust the light to whatever height you prefer. Read on to learn how to make your own!
Materials for an Industrial Pulley Pendant Light:
- Vintage Pulley or Block and Tackle
- Large Hook or Ceiling Hanging Hardware
- Small Hook (to hold your cord in place)
- Cord Kit
- Edison Lightbulb
How to Make a Pulley Pendant Light:
- Clean and Paint Your Pulley
I bought my pulley on eBay – when it arrived it definitely needed a little love. You can keep yours as worn as you’d like but I taped off the wood and painted the metal black. After the paint had dried I cleaned and waxed the wood pulley.
- Install hook or hanging hardware into your ceiling
If you can locate a support beam, this is the safest way to hang your light. Because we have a plaster ceiling its difficult to locate the beams, so we used a screw anchor to hang our pulley. You can also use rope between your pulley and ceiling hook to add more texture.
- Pull your cord through the pulley
- Adjust to your desired height
You can find cord kits in all kinds of colors, patterns, and fabrications. I think it’s best to get a cord kit with extra length so you can adjust the light’s height easily.
- Loop the end of the cord over the hook and plug in
- Screw in your lightbulb
You’re done! I love this project since it’s so easy but really makes a statement!
