A couple of months ago, our very talented photographer Jane was flipping through the pages of Architectural Digest looking for a creative spark, and came across a classic Louis Paulsen pendant. You know the one. The setting was lovely, the colors on point, when all of a sudden she noticed that she thought they could be made out of tableware. Yes, tableware, as in all things plates, bowls, and cups. She came to me and said, “do you think we could make something like this with paper plates and bowls?” All it took was one look for me to respond with a resounding, “YES!” and we got to brainstorming a DIY plate and cup lighting fixture.We originally thought we would use paper plates, but then realized that they didn’t offer us the interesting shapes we were hoping for. We decided to take a chance, using melamine and plastic plates for our crafting, and scored BIG time! The variation of shapes is endless, not to mention inexpensive. Each one of our lamps were made for under $20. With the help of a drill, spray paint, and a glue gun, the fixtures came to life, and we’re not going to lie…we are absolutely in love with the outcome!

DIY Hanging Light fixtures

Materials:

• Plastic plates, bowls, cups (we got ours from here!)
• Drill
• craft knife
• Hot glue gun
• Spray paint (this brand is the best for our purposes!)
• Hanging light cord (we got ours from Ikea but you can find them here)

Instructions:

1. Using the variation of tableware plan what you would like your fixture to look like.
2. Pick a color palette.
3. Assign colors to the individual pieces of the figure.
4. Drill or cut (using the craft knife if the plastic is soft enough) a rectangle big enough to pull the light cord through.
5. Spray paint the individual plates, cups, bowls, etc to the correct colors, you will probably need to apply multiple coats of spray paint and let dry.
6. Once pieces are dry string the first piece of your fixture to the base of the cord.
7. Cut a small piece of cardboard, cut a slit in it and wedge the cord into that space to secure the cord. This is an important step, it will help balance your fixture and help it hang straight.
8. Hot glue the cardboard to the dinnerware piece so the cord is centered in the rectangle. (This can be repeated periodically if you feel that the fixture needs to be stabilized)
9. Add the second piece of the fixture and apply hot glue to secure it to the first piece of the fixture.

Repeat step 9 until your fixture is assembled correctly!We’d love to see your lighting fixtures. Tag us with #LarsMakes when you post them!