Create A Beautiful Light Fixture Using A Kitchen Gadget You Probably Already Own
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If you're looking for unique lighting options to brighten your kitchen, this DIY idea for making a light fixture with cheese graters is the perfect project. With three cheese graters, three hanging lights, a wooden board, three lamp kits, and a drill, you'll have a beautiful, new light fixture for your kitchen that's not too expensive to make. This cute DIY idea comes courtesy of Paige Hemmis, a house-flipper and real estate broker, who explained the steps on Hallmark's "Home and Family."
When working on this project, it's important to follow the directions in the lamp kits, since you'll be working with electrical wiring. Make sure your lights are unplugged from the outlet before you start to prevent being shocked. The lamp kits from Hemmis' tutorial can be found on Amazon, as well as the pendant light plugs. You could find cheese graters at a thrift store or from a store like Walmart.
How to make a cheese grater light fixture
To start, you'll need a wooden board that's 30 inches long and 1 foot wide. Try sawing a board to be this length or asking for help at your local hardware store. Using your drill, make three holes that are each 5 inches apart, but make sure the holes are a little larger than your electrical cords. Then you can drill a hole of the same size into the center of the handle on each cheese grater. When doing this, placing a piece of wood under the handle will help to keep it steady.
With a pair of wire cutters, remove the plug from your first hanging light cord and string it through the holes on the grater's handle and the board with the socket inside the grater. You'll also run the cord through the threaded pipe that comes in the lamp kit, which will rest in the hole in the board, allowing you to use a washer to secure the grater to the wood. Once you have the first grater done, do the same with the remaining two. From there, follow the kit's directions for safely dealing with the severed ends of your cords and attaching the cords together.
Customizing your cheese grater lights
If you don't like the color of your cheese graters or you can't find three of the same color, try spray painting them with a paint that's resistant to high temperatures. Now, your unique light fixture can be any color you'd like, allowing you to perfectly match it to your kitchen's décor. You can also try changing the color by heating the graters with a butane torch.
If you're worried about doing the electrical work for this DIY project, try simplifying it to avoid this tricky section. Rather than three graters, try using one so you won't have to worry about cutting and connecting the cords. While this will make for a smaller lamp, it'll take less time and effort to create.
If you prefer the look of three graters, however, you could keep their cords separate. Though this will require more outlets for all lights to be on, it allows you to skip the wiring, and you could choose to only turn on one or two of the lights rather than all three. However you decide to make it, though, this cheese grater lamp is a unique and beautiful way to transform the lighting in your kitchen.