Oh we love finding a good DIY hack, and Instagram is full of them, so is our first go-to for really quirky really inventive ideas. This DIY wall sconce idea is something we have seen floating around for a couple of weeks now (it's also been called The Magic Light Trick), and we had to share because it's so easy but so effective whether you use it for living room lighting or for another area of your home. It basically means you can wall mount a light – be it over a picture, next to your bedside table or in a hallway, and not have to actually wire it into the wall. Genius! And a renter's dream...
Keep scrolling for the really easy to follow step by steps:
A post shared by Laurel Chick (@laurelchick)
A photo posted by on
Check out @laurelchick on Insta, she has a very handy highlight to show how she did this hack
You will need:
- A wall-mounted spot light – something like this from Dunelm that has a substantial shade
- A battery powered spot light – Lights4fun make really inexpensive ones that you push to turn on, but you could choose smart lights that have a remote control too if you are putting your lights high up
- A glue gun (or strong a strong clear adhesive)
- Command strips
Step one: glue your light in place
First of all, make sure your battery-powered light has batteries in it and make sure your battery-powered light is going to fit inside the shade of your wall light – you don't want to be able to see anything poking out! Also if you are using a push light rather than a remote-controlled one, check you can still push the light on and off as it sits in the shade.
Once you have checked that, run a thin layer of glue around the edge of the back of your light, and then press it into your wall light exactly where the bulb would go.
A post shared by Ruth (@mrs_macs_home)
A photo posted by on
Yes, this light was created using this hack! Check out @mrs_macs_home for her step by step too
Step two: stick your light to the wall
Even if you aren't renting you will probably want to use command strips for this, they are just easiest. Stick your command strips onto the part of your light that will be on the wall, check they are the right size and you won't see any strip poking out of the side. Then plan where you want your lights to go, make sure it's straight and stick it down! Voila, a remote-controlled DIY sconce, no electrician required!
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A post shared by nesting with grace • brooke (@nestingwithgrace)
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Check our this gorgeous use of the magic lighting hack from @nestingwithgrace
Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.
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