Ombre Neon Zip Tie Pendant Lamp

I had been hanging onto a pendant lamp kit from IKEA for almost a year, so when I started putting together my craft room I decided to finally put it to use.  I wanted a light that I would never have the courage to put anywhere else in the house.  I wanted something trendy, wild, and colorful to inspire me to take more risks with my work.  I drew on inspiration from a Décor Hacks post, bought my materials at the dollar store, and got crafting.

We featured this zip tie lampshade from A Little Glass Box on Décor Hacks and I was in love.  Please visit the link for her amazing tutorial.  They actually made the entire shade from scratch, while I used quite a bit of help from the dollar store!

To make an Ombre Neon Zip-Tie Pendant Lamp, you will need:

dollar store wire trash can

pendant light kit (mine is from IKEA) and light bulb

several packages of dollar store neon zip-ties

wire cutters

pliers (if you have tiny, weak muscles like mine)

I began by using my floral wire cutters to snip a hole for the light kit in the bottom of the trash can.  Start small, you can always make the hole bigger.

Keep trimming until your kit fits through the hole but is still snug. 

I didn’t take any in-process shots of me attaching the zip ties.  Naughty, Jess.  Basically, I used the small zip ties at the top.  One color per row; one zip tie per opening.

After I ran out of small ties, I started doing rows of the larger zip ties.  One color per row; one tie every three openings.  The large zip ties are MUCH easier to use than the small ones.  I had to use pliers to tighten some of the small ones because they were being buttheads.

If you are not picky about the color of your zip ties, you might be able to get a better deal at a hardware store than at the dollar store.  I used 5 packs of ties and, while the ties technically hang past the bottom of the lampshade, I think I might go back and add a few more rows to make the lamp shade look as full as my inspiration from A Little Glass Box.

The light looks really great when it shines through and around the neon zip ties.  The light casts shadows on the ceiling and wall in all kinds of cool angles.  I wouldn’t hang it in our living room, but I love the funky, colorful inspiration in my work room.

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Thanks,  Jessica Hill