the funky (LED) globe pendant

I came across a super cool idea for that old globe collecting dust... a kinda funky looking pendant light. What a perfect fixture for a reading room  or an office space. It's fun, simple, and makes a really unique conversation piece.

For this project you'll need a globe, light kit from the hardware store, and maybe a couple of other things that you might not already have.  

the final product

Stage 1, disassembling your globe. 

Once you have your globe all you need to do is take it apart. Mine was pretty simple to pull out of it's fixture. Start at the top pop it out and then lift out the bottom. 

stage 1, taking it apart

Stage 2, where to cut for making pendant.

This stage is all laid out for you on the globe just pick a horizontal line and start cutting along it with a box knife. I used an up and down motion with the knife it helped me stay along my cut line. If you want to make two pendants cut along the equator and you'll have two halves. I wanted more of the diameter so I lost Antarctica and the South end of a couple more countries. 

 

stage 2, splitting the globe

Stage 3, sand the edges where you split your globe.
Use a 150 grit and sand off the cardboard area's to clean up the fixture. If your cut was rough this step will help you flatten it out so it looks good.

stage 3, sanding edges

Stage 4, stain or paint the inside then poly.
I chose to stain the inside of mine with a dark walnut. Whatever method you use give it a couple of coats and the proper time for drying. Once dried give both the inside and outside a coat of poly, let dry and do it again. You may even want a third coat?

stage 4, applying first coat of stain

stage 4, inside after second coat

stage 4, the first coat of poly on the outside.

Stage 5, drill your light fixture hole.
I'm using an LED pendant fixture and my hole needs to be 1 1/4" to accommodate the light. A hole that size is best done with a hole saw, it makes a cleaner pass through. Your hole will depend on your light kit.

stage 5, drilling fixture mount hole

Stage 6, connecting the light kit.
Assemble the kit per kit instructions. If you're converting and improvising with another fixture than do what ever you need to do for assembly.

stage 6, assembling the light

stage 6, view of the fixture poking through the mount hole on globe

stage 6, what the pendant looks like once assembled

Again this is a super easy project that looks really cool when done. I don't have pics of it hanging because she's going straight to market...