Mini-Pendant Chandelier Made From IKEA Lamps

I really like the look of mini-pendant lights. The more lights, the better! My vision was to arrange about 20 of them in a line, scattered about in an semi-organic pattern. I needed to construct a mount and figure out a way to convert the line voltage to 12 volts to power the 10 watt lamps. I'm not much of an electrician, and I was trying to keep the project around $300, so I figured it was best to cannabilize several existing low-voltage, mini-pendant lamps. IKEA hooked me up with three KRYSSBO lamps that came with some nice looking, glass pendants, bulbs, and the necessary transformers. I grabbed a spool of speaker wire, some wood, and I was set.

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John & Kristie Mini-Pendant Chandelier

Step 1: Get Multi-Mini-Pendant Lamps From IKEA

I got three of the KRYSBBO model with 7 lamps each, for a total of 21 lamps. The lamp comes with the bulbs and transformers.

Step 2: Snip the Bulb Attachments From the IKEA Lamp

I used a dremel tool to cut around the metal tube attached to the bulb assembly, exposing a couple inches of wire to attach to my own wiring that will drop from the frame.

Step 3: Assemble the Frame or Mount for Your Suspended Mini-pendants

A simple rectanglular piece of wood with a matching frame of slightly smaller dimension to allow space for the wiring and transformers.

Step 4: Glue the Frame to the Concealing Mount

Be sure your frame is thick enough to allow room for your transformers.

Step 5: Reinforce With Countersunk Screws

This will end up being heavy, so make sure it's sturdy. Lightly sand the edges and surfaces, wipe, and paint the outer surfaces of the frame and mount to match or coordinate with your ceiling.

Step 6: Suspend the Lights

Attach wiring to your bulb assemblies and make them look night with shrink-tubing or segments of aluminum tubing to slide over the wiring connection. Drill holes in your mount and thread the wiring through the holes, suspending your pendants with a knot in the wire. Connect the pendant wiring to the transformers, not exceeding the total maximum wattage as indicated on the transformers. Connect the transformers to your home's lamp wiring.

Step 7: Tweak Pendants and Install

At this point you can flip the switch and tweak your pendant placement. To secure the mount to the ceiling, I had to crawl up into the attic space and install some 2x4 segments as cross members and secured with bracing to receive four carriage bolts that I drilled through the mount, ceiling and newly installed 2x4's. The carriage bolt heads were countersunk and concealed with white plastic caps.

Step 8: Enjoy Your New Chandelier!

I think this particular style of lighting has a nice, modern look to it. I see similiar lamps in designer magazines all the time, but I couldn't find anything like it in the stores - thus, I made my own!

I hope you enjoyed this instructable (my first)!

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John & Kristie: Mini-Pendant Chandelier