Introduction: 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.
More photos at:
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)!
Please visit my website for more projects and info on this one:
John & Kristie: Mini-Pendant Chandelier
Step 9: More Photos...
Just a couple more photos...
29 Comments
7 years ago
Does the transformer or unit have a fuse? I've tried to find one on my unit and so far I can't figure out why it suddenly stopped working. Thanks!
8 years ago on Introduction
Wow this simply looks great, did you make pictures of the mounting process to the ceiling?
8 years ago on Introduction
So it has been nearly 7 years since you made this awesome beast...how has it held up? Are there any changes or things you would or have done differently?
8 years ago on Introduction
What wood did you use to build this chandelier, the same as on your floor?
10 years ago on Introduction
good idea. & now i wait sale in IKEA. Some units for this i find here Интернет-магазин нормативной литературы
10 years ago on Introduction
You are a GENIUS
That's exactly the what I had in my mind with the smallest expense
I love you for this
Thanks a lot!
Ellelastact
12 years ago on Introduction
You clearly have a very good eye as well as the "skills to pay the bills". Nice to see such a high standard of photography on an instructable too. Thank you for sharing your project.
12 years ago on Introduction
This is very cool. Our closest IKEA is 5 hours away {{sigh}}--but with some do-it-yourself lamp sockets, electrical wiring, similar votive cups (they are so cheap at Wal-mart), some cut pipe (spray-painted or not), you could make this for about $50-$75 bucks or so!
BTW--A great way to both protect AND cap wired connections is with a high-temp hot glue gun! I I tried it on a whim when I was installing my in-wall surround-sound system (which I installed in a two-story living room). I had so many connections to bridge, and didn't want to have to try to deal with soldering the bridges when they are 20 feet of the ground), and needed the bridges to be as flush as possible, since I was installing them in a shallow groove in the drywall--so capping each bridge was out of the question.
It works so easily, and is much better than electrical tape or capping because it won't separate under strain. I have since used it on lots of electric circuits, and it's really a life-saver. I should probably do an instructable on it. :)
13 years ago on Step 9
Sweet lens and imagery! I love this idea and hope to do this myself.
13 years ago on Step 2
using a pipe cutter would be easier than using a dremel for most people
14 years ago on Introduction
To me, the hardest part is not the carpentry, but the electrical wiring. I don't want to wire it wrong to make it short-circuit or overload. Any recommendations of what to read? And the circuit diagram of this set up will be very helpful as well.
14 years ago on Introduction
is there a link to the lamps? I tried the IKEA website and managed to find the one lamp but not the kit that you described... any idea on what key words to search to help me find it?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
The name was misspelled. It should be "KRYSSBO"
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00095475
16 years ago on Introduction
is speaker wire a good wire for this? can it handle the current required for a light? i like this design a lot, but don't want to risk causing a fire. i have no knowledge of electrical so maybe this will sound crazy to others.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
if you ever cut open an ordinary household extension cord, you'll be amazed how minimal the wiring inside is.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
for the low voltage side, yes. for the high voltage side, no. use NM-B 14/2 (aka romex). use wire nuts if you don't have heat shrink. avoid electrical tape, its not fun (read: sticky nasty mess all over the wires and your hands) if anything needs fixing later on. generally speaking speaker wire is all class 2, which means it is rated to 70V. low voltage landscape lighting cable is good to 35V.
Reply 16 years ago on Introduction
The average current a 100 watt stereo can put out at around 3/4 volume can easily be 50-70 volts you know.
Reply 16 years ago on Introduction
let's put things right: Amperes are used to measure current. For any kind of wire, the Volts are less important, since the wires transport current, you just have to be sure the insulation is enough. Anyway, you should be Ok with the speaker wires and low power lamps. It's a little hard to understand but i'll try to find a good introduction to electronics and post the link later.
Reply 16 years ago on Introduction
Yes, well the person was wondering if the wires could handle the voltage. I'm not a dumbshit, I have an uncle that's all into the electrical whatnot, he's even bought me little electrical kits and the booklets, the whole deal. Of course the wire is going to be fine on speakers, it is called speaker wire after all :p. I have thick rubber wire that was origionally part of a cord for some kind of power tool hooked up to my 260 watt speaker, I just need one more like it,..where's my drill?..
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
I think Maujabur was only pointing out there is a difference between current and Volts. You said the "average current ... can easily be 50-70 volts", which isn't correct because Volts are not a measure of current, whereas Amps are.
Current is the measure of flow of charge through an electrical device, while Voltage is the force that tends to move the electrons. If we think of electricity as water, then Apmeres would be similar to gallons per minute (GPM), and Voltage would be similar to pressure per square inch (PSI).
To the original question, it really depends on the number of lamps, what type of bulb, and what gage speaker wire you are using. The instructable shows the lamps wired in parallel, which means that each lamp receives the same ammount of Voltage, 115VAC in the US. The current flowing through the plug is the sum of the current used by each lamp.
A 60W bulb operating at 115VAC uses ~.52 Amps (Power = Voltage*Current, so 60W/115V = .52A). If you are using 6 lamps as shown here, with 60W bulbs, then the supply wire would need to carry 3.13 Amps. 12 lamps, 6.26 Amps.
To be on the safe side, go get some romex wire from your local hardware store, as that is what is most likely supplying your electrical outlets anyway.