This Little (Inexpensive) Light Of Mine…

You may have the same problem I have.
Boob lights.

You know the ones. These.

That is the official DIY blogger term for these simple flushmount lights that are so popular with builders and budget renovations. I get it, they are cheap and they get the job done. But they are so not awesome. And I like awesome more than not awesome. And I light my light fixtures not to resemble awkward anatomy.

So I fixed the boob lights in our bedroom and hallway…for less than $15 a pop. There are two ways to do this, so let me share.

I purchased two drum lamp shades at home goods on clearance for $12 a piece (originally $14 & $16, so even without the sale they won’t break the bank). One is a cool white and the other is called “gray” but it is really “greige.” It is important for converting a boob light to a flushmount drum light that the shade be a spider shade. That means it has the rods that criss cross across the top of the drum.

Option 1: Just screw it.

For our bedroom, I decided a filter wasn’t really necessary, so I went the easy route. I removed the glass on the light, just like I would if I were going to change the light bulb.

You should have a little nut that was threaded onto the metal pole, holding up the glass.

All I did was screw the shade onto the pole with the nut (too many awkward words).

That is all there is to it. The threading on the metal went all the way up, so I just tightened it until the shade sat right below the light bulbs. If you look underneath, you can see the bulbs, but with the layout of this room specifically. it isn’t noticeable, and l like the grayish color inside the shade shining through.

Total cost:
Shade: $12

So many projects in the works for our bedroom!  Those Euro shams and gold link pillow are new. Stay tuned!

Option 2: Put a filter on it.

If you want a little bit more finished look, it’s easy peasy and doesn’t add much cost.

For the hallway, I purchased half a yard of white muslin fabric for less than $2 at Joann Fabrics, and a roll of piping (or ribbon that looks like piping.)

First, iron the fabric and cut it slightly larger than the circumference of the bottom of the shade.

Then, use some Craft Glue and line the rim of the shade.

Then lay the fabric on top and pull tight. The fewer wrinkles the better. Let it set for a few minutes to let the glue dry.

Next, pull down the edges and glue the piping/ribbon down for a finished look. I had to cut around the edges a little more so that the fabric could hide behind the ribbon.

Tip: line up the start of the ribbon with the part of the shade that fold on top of each other.

Some shades already have piping when you purchase them, in which case you could easily just remove the existing piping and then reapply.

Finally, to get the shade onto the light fixture, you will need to attach the little nut that came from the fixture to the hole in the “spider” part of the shade with a sturdy glue that will bond metals (like heavy duty super glue).

I just flipped the shade upside down and glued them together (you want the nut to be below the shade so that the shade rests on top).

Let it set for a few minutes, and then screw that shade onto the pole (you will probably have to twist several dozen times to get it up far enough.)

To change the bulbs, I plan on just lowering it a bit and changing them from above.

Total cost: $15
Shade: $12
Fabric: $2
Ribbon: $3

For comparison, here is a ceiling light from Lowe’s next to my creation.

Pretty simple, huh? I would love to be able to exchange every boob light for a beautiful, unique creation like the one in the office, but this simple fix is a major update on a dime, and I am happy with that!

What do you think?