DIY Homemade Pendant Lights

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of pendant lights - you've probably seen my Pendant Light Love post.  Because of my pendant passion I've been on the hunt for some DIY pendant light ideas...some inexpensive yet eye-catching light fixtures that you can create to totally personalize your space.  I'll show you my inspiration pieces, hand-crafted by some very creative and talented people, and then show you some products you can purchase in order to model your own.

We'll start with these half-globe pendants - my ultimate favorites of the bunch:

pic from Rosebud's Cottage

You can find a new or vintage globe and slice it in half with a jigsaw or even a hand saw.  The one below is extra handy because it has a nice thick equator line which makes a nice guide for cutting it in half:

Globe ($35) from Amazon.com

Next, we have a super cute colander pendant light:

pic from Flea Market RX on Etsy

Make one on your own with a colander you have on hand, or one you pick up for cheap at the store.  If you use a metal colander, you'll need a drill-bit that can go through the metal base.  You can always spray paint it, if it's not the color you want.

White Metal Colander ($10) from Ikea

A wire-basket pendant has a fun vintage flair to it:

pic from Ashley Ann Photography

A great tutorial on how to craft this pendant can be found {here}, using a wire basket similar to the ones shown below:

X-Small Marche Basket ($10) from The Container Store

Set of 3 Metal Baskets ($69) from Opentip.com

How 'bout a mason jar pendant - adorable over a kitchen sink or island:

pic from BootsNGus on Etsy

You can find inexpensive old mason jars at flea markets or antique shops - sometimes you can even find cool colored ones.  An even easier route to take is purchasing a Ball glass canning jar at you local grocery store, similar to the one below:

pic from Nathan Beaver

(Please Note: With this pendant it's very important that you punch several holes in the metal lid, so the heat from the light can escape properly.)

Finally, an organic and casual-looking basket pendant, sure to make light dance off the ceiling:

pic from Two Ellie

You can find woven baskets everywhere - hardware stores, garden stores, Ikea, Target, Marshall's - I could go on and on.  I found this tightly-woven basket online:

Woven Banana-Leaf Basket ($22) from Amazon.com

You may be wondering, "Ok, so what do I use to turn these pendant shade ideas into actual hanging pendant lights?".  They're called pendant light kits, and they come in a range of sizes and finishes.  Make sure to find one you can disassemble to string your pendant shade on, or be able to attach your shade to the light socket in some other way.  You can find pendant kits at your local hardware store, or online like the one below:

 Single-Light Mini-Pendant Kit ($13) from Amazon.com

Has anyone seen any other cool DIY pendant light ideas?  I'm still on the look-out for some other great ideas, so you'll have to let me know.