Ikea Hack Drum Light

We live in a 1950's house that for some odd reason has no light fixtures in the ceilings in any rooms except the dining room, bathrooms and kitchen. Our living room was a cave and we were just tired of sitting in the low lighting lamps provide. Our first step was getting a contractor out put an electrical box in our ceiling, which was a lot less of a hassle than we expected. Then we looked and looked and looked for a light fixture. Because we have an open floor plan and low ceilings it was a challenge. Try and find a large flush-mount or semi-flush mount drum light under $400. They don't exist. We found this out after buying 3 different lights, returning them and looking some more. It was four months and my parents were headed to Chicago and asked if we needed anything from Ikea. We quickly looked at light fixtures and saw nothing except for a drum light shade that was giant. 28" wide and 16" deep. Really big, you guys. Brent checked out the assembly instructions and showed it to me, and I thought we can alter this to make it exactly what we want. Here are lots of pictures and instructions on what we did. I am SO happy with the outcome.

Here are the assembly instructions that came with the shade.

Measure 2, or 3 times. We wanted the shade 8 inches high.

Score and cut little by little

The ribbon edging was easily pulled of and still sticky to reapply after cutting.

We popped out the plastic clips on the side we were not using.

We used the lamp shade piece we popped the clips off of as a template to know where to put holes on the newly cut side of the shade. Then used this scrapbooking hole punch to push two holes in and an exacto knife to clean it up.

They easily popped right in.

Reattach trim ribbon and snap rim onto shade. 

We wanted a diffuser and this shade didn't come with one, so we had a local glass place cut a piece of 1/8 inch white tinted plexi. It was the most expensive part of this project, at $50, but so worth it in the end.

We purchased a semi-flush cheap light fixture and Brent made it the length we wanted it. We had to attach the light shade at the same time he wired it to the ceiling, but it was pretty easy.

                                         

We bought an attachment that screwed on the bottom of the fixture where we would screw on the diffuser with a finial.

Shimmy the diffuser in and here is the finished product with the light off.

                                        

    

With the light on....I'm in love and can't wait to get rid of the 1990's floor lamp. Brent and I had a great time doing this project together and instead of $400. We spent $120 all said and done.