Happy Tuesday! With 9 months and a few days to go until the wedding, we still have LOTS to do! (I have a wedding countdown app on my phone.) We are in the very early planning stages, but meanwhile I am busy working on the lighting for the engagement party and the wedding. Naturally that means crystal chandeliers! So, how to put a chandelier on a plug? And, why? Let’s find out!
How do you put a a chandelier on a plug and why? Well, I’ve had several of my chandeliers put on plugs over the years. Often, like in our current house, the builder didn’t put a light box in the ceiling of every room. (that was extra, because who wants that, right?) So, in a few rooms, I wanted a light and this was the easiest way to add wattage and bling. Most any electrician will gladly put a chandelier on a plug for you for a small fee. Then all you need to do is plug it in and swag it over. Here is one of my petite chandeliers that I had put on a plug. Currently it lights up my gift wrapping station as there is no other light in the closet.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, and you feel comfortable doing this, you can buy a swag kit from the hardware store and put the fixture on a plug at home. The kits cost less than $20 and comes with a plug, wire, and various colored chain. You can pick which color chain best matches your fixture. Sometimes I will buy lengths of old gold chain on eBay for this purpose if I want to keep the vintage vibe of a light. I found a local electrician that will put a light on a plug for me for about $25 per fixture. I usually supply the chain and kit, but they can provide that too.
Recently I made my own lamp out of a water jug and used a lamp kit. It was very straight forward and simple and most importantly it works! I was pretty proud of myself. I felt confident doing this project myself but usually leave the technical stuff to the professionals. It is amazing the DIY things available at the hardware store!
But, since most of my chandeliers are old or vintage, I like to make sure they are checked out by a professional. So why not them put it on a plug while they are at it? If ever in doubt, have an electrician do it for you! Here is another cutie I found on eBay:
I bought this fantastic chandelier last year on our online garage sale. Trust me, this thing is HEAVY! Because it is so old and unusual, I wanted to make sure it worked. And it was safe. So for about $35 dollars, the electrician checked it out for me and added a plug. In hindsight I wish I had them put it on a dimmer as well. You can buy a toggle switch that allows you to adjust the brightness or you can buy one from the electrician. But, alas, I didn’t think of it in time. So, I will need to use very dim bulbs for this one. Here is how it looks now:
We plan to rent a large white tent for the engagement party and we want lots of string lights and a chandelier in the center. These days most rental companies rent chandeliers, but for $100 each, why not buy your own so you can use it again? Plus, I’ve seen some of the rental’s chandeliers and some of them don’t have crystals. (GASP) I bought two cases of string lights after Christmas for 75% off, so I think we are good for lights…..
You can also buy this little plug at the hardware store by Leviton. It is just a few dollars and you can put anything on a plug and then add an extension cord. Just follow the directions closely. I put this chandelier on a plug myself. Pretty nifty!
I have about 6 chandeliers on plugs now that we can use this year for parties and the wedding. When we build our retirement house in a few years, these beauties will come with me and find a new home. (I’ve already warned my husband.) Every room in the house and quite possibly the garage will have crystal chandeliers! Just thinking of it makes me happy.
Ok. Hopefully now you are inspired to find those vintage diamond in the rough chandeliers and put them anywhere and everywhere! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day! Thanks for stopping by! xoxo Dell