Are you tired of looking at lamp cords? Do you have a toddler or even a pet that you worry will get hurt with hanging cords or do you have a spot in your house where you would like to place a lamp but there isn’t an electrical outlet nearby? Would you believe you can create your own DIY Cordless Lamp in 3 Easy Steps? Let me show you how.
I’m going to let you in on a blogger secret…we bloggers know how to remove unsightly cords and outlets from our photos. As they say, there’s an app for that! However, in real life cords and outlets are a nuisance and interior designers’ torment. As a matter of fact, I’m looking at one right now with my desk lamp. Sigh.
The good news is there is a way around this! All you need is a few simple supplies and you can turn almost any table lamp or floor lamp into a cordless light. Even better, there are several ways to do this depending on the light fixture and whether it’s bright lighting you need or if you’re just looking for a little bit of illumination for some soft mood lighting. I’ll first take you through the 3 step process using a small table lamp that I use on my kitchen island. Then share some other strategies for going cordless!
About this Cordless Lamp
I wanted to set up a fun vignette on a tray for our kitchen island. Our island is center to our kitchen and since we made the island with an old vanity base it does not have an outlet. So I set out to create a cordless lamp and I love the way it looks right in the middle of our kitchen – cord free!
The Benefits of a Making DIY Cordless Lamp
- Safety – without cords hanging (a possible fire hazard) you can rest assured your home is a little bit safer with battery-powered lamps.
- No electricity is needed – this means when you lose electricity you have a backup light source.
- Versatility- Imagine a world where lights and lamps can be wherever your heart desires – a small cordless lamp in your bathroom or on your kitchen counter. A lamp on a landing on your staircase where there often isn’t an outlet. Perhaps you have the perfect spot for an end table in your living room but would need a long extension cord to reach one of the wall outlets. And just maybe you want to set up one of those home fabulous offices with a desk smack in the middle of the room!
- No ugly cords – you no longer have to look at cords in the way you do with traditional lamps.
Potential Challenges with Cordless Lamps
- Brightness – you may have to sacrifice a little brightness for looks. We chat about options below.
- Batteries – Yup, batteries – they will need to be replaced at some point. Some bulbs can be recharged I’ll share more about those below – but just know it’s going to be a little more work.
- Fitting the bulb- A DIY cordless lamp works great if your lamp takes a standard bulb. Some small lamps take a small chandelier-type bulb and I have yet to find a battery-operated one that small. My good friend Tina (Instagram @to_mimishousewego ) takes the GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb, turns it on, and flips it bulb side down to simply rest on the small light bulb socket – you would never know! Brilliant!
- Remote Controls – I mean just how many can we have?? Remote controls and items that need to be charged in our house seem never-ending. We are in the process of setting up one big charging station to reduce the charging clutter – I’ll keep you posted!
Supplies for this DIY Cordless Lamp
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- Small lamp of your choice (here’s the one I use)
- GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb (this is a pack of 2 and I recommend you get 2 so you can have one always charging)
- Wire cutters
Note: Another light bulb option that runs on AAA batteries is these AlltroLite 4 Pack Bulb Portable Wireless COB LED Light Bulb . These bulbs are a cool bright white and do not screw into a lamp but come with a holder that you can attach to just about anything. These bulbs come with an adhesive strip, AAA batteries, and a remote control. are included in this pack.
DIY Cordless Lamp in 3 Easy Steps
DIY Cordless Lamp
Equipment
- 1 Lamp of your choice
- 1 GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb
- 1 Pair of wire cutters
Instructions
- Step 1 – Screw the GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb into a regular lamp base so it will charge. It is recommended that for the initial charge it charges for 10 hours. (Photo shows a charged light bulb)
- Step 2 – With wire cutters and the lamp unplugged, cut the power cord off the lamp as close to the lamp base as possible. Note: If you think you will use the lamp with an outlet in the future simply gather the cord and tie with an elastic so you can tuck it behind the lamp to hide the cord.
- Step 3 – Place the charged GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb into DIY Cordless lamp and place the lamp where you would like to enjoy it. Flip the switch on to use it. Note: I recommend that you buy two light bulbs and have one in a standard Lamp (plugged in) so you always have one that is charged and can switch them out easily. However, you will find the charge lasts a long time. Also depending on the lamp and the lamp shade you may be able to screw the lightbulb in or just lean it on the socket upside down.
Notes
Other Cordless Light Solutions
The Puck Light Trick – Indoors
A puck light, named for its hockey puck shape is so versatile and an excellent choice when hanging a wall sconce. These disc-shaped lights come with a battery pack and remote control. We have two places at our home where we wanted to hang wall light fixtures but didn’t want to bring in an electrician to hard-wire them. The first is in our Kitchen on my baker’s station. We hung these school house style lights and added puck lights that work with remote control. We had to use smaller puck lights (2.75″ across) for these light fixtures so they would fit.
To assemble I purchased handy outlets to screw into the light bulb socket then used Command strips to secure the puck light to the handy outlet. Once the pucks were in place, I easily slipped the glass globe on.
The Puck Light Trick – Outdoors
The second spot is outside under our deck in our outdoor dining room. We hung two wall sconces made for outdoor use on our new faux brick wall and used puck lights with the socket attachment. These work with a remote control that has a timer or you can push the bulb and the light will come on. This is a great way to add functional lighting and show your personal style to a space without having to bring in an electrician.
Tip: If you are using puck lights in a fixture that allows light to reflect up and down, consider using two puck lights. You would simply use a command strip between two pucks – one facing up, one facing down.
Battery Operated Candles
If your just looking for some glow or ambiance and strong light is not the goal consider swapping out the light bulb for a battery operated pillar candle. The candle will flicker behind the lamp shade for a soft glow. Just make sure the candle will fit with your shade. This is perfect for your kitchen countertops or in a powder room.
Bonus Idea – Outdoor Chandelier
This past summer I revamped our under-deck space and created an outdoor dining area. I had this old wood and black chandelier that I was saving for nothing in particular. One of the arms was broken and I wasn’t sure if the lamp wires were working. I fixed the arm and gave it a fresh coat of paint. I removed all the internal wiring and cords with my wire cutters, removed the black wire that was woven through the chain, and hung it by the chain it came with. In place of the small candelabra light bulbs, I placed a battery-operated candle on the light bulb socket, there were 6 altogether. These candles operate with remote control. Viola – no hardwiring and a pretty outdoor chandelier!
Frequently Asked Questions
Nervous about cutting that cord? I hear ya – I was the same! First, consider where you want to place your lamp -is it for your kitchen island or are you looking for some extra reading lights using bedside lamps? This will help you choose the right size. Then check thrift stores and yard sales for inexpensive lamps. Target and HomeGoods have a lot of lamps too.
Of the 4 options included in this post, the GE LED+ Battery Backup Light Bulb (with rechargeable batteries) was the brightest and the warmest white light. Second is the AlltroLite 4 Pack Bulb Portable Wireless COB LED Light Bulb (battery power) but these give off a cool white light. Next are the puck lights (also battery power). Last would be the battery-operated candles.
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Such a simple DIY project but oh so satisfying to do away with some of those table lamp cords! Going cordless is a great solution to a common problem! I expect to see more premade cordless designs in the future, if you search on Amazon they already have a selection.
If you are an avid DIYer be sure to visit my DIY page – lots of projects there and many more to come! Thank you for visiting today for this DIY Cordless Lamp in 3 Easy Steps post!
Keep creating friends!!
