Magic Light Trick
Do you have a spot in your home that you would love to have a light, but you don’t have an outlet? No problem! I’m sharing a magic light trick that will let you add light anywhere in your home without having electricity.
Ok, so last week you got to see my big fireplace makeover reveal. Did you miss it? You can find it HERE. I teased that I’d be sharing the magic light trick this week, though…so here are all the details!
We (I really) want to eventually close in the open space on the fireplace (where the television is “supposed” to go) and beef-up the mantel itself. First…I’m not a huge fan of tv’s above the fireplace. I want it to look pretty…I mean, that’s what we’re all here for, right? Also, a tv up that high really isn’t that comfortable to watch. So, our television sits on an old bomb box on the wall next to the fireplace, making the bump-out of the mantel a bit useless. For now, I’m styling around it, but maybe someday we’ll do the next phase of the makeover.
All of this to say, we didn’t run new electrical for the swing arm sconces I wanted to install. I grabbed them for a great price…you can find them HERE. Since we weren’t going to run electrical, though, I wanted to find a way to have them be somewhat functional and not just for looks. Although, let’s be honest…they look pretty darn good just as is!
I found the magic light trick on Instagram a while back from the blogger, Nesting with Grace. I was intrigued, but also, I’m not handy or crafty, so this even seemed like a stretch for me. I needed a way to light these sconces, though, so I gave it a go. Wanna know something, friend?? It worked! I’m still waiting for them to somehow stop working, fall apart, or out of the sconce, but they haven’t!
Okay, so the blogger I found the magic light trick from mentioned in her own blog post, that a follower of hers had a handy husband who had a serious light bulb moment. See what I did there? So, he found a plumbing attachment of some sort that works the same way the base of a lightbulb does. It’s similar in size and has threading that screws right into the sconce…just like a light bulb. I took myself down to the local Home Depot and was able to find just the plumbing pieces I needed! It’s called a hose barb adapter with a ¾” MIP. Friend…I have no idea what that means for plumbing, but I do know that for the magic light trick, it means it will thread into the part of the sconce where a lightbulb would normally go.
All YOU NEED FOR THE MAGIC LIGHT TRICK:
Barb Adapters-This is what you’ll stick to the puck light that will allow you to screw into the light socket.
Adhesive-I’ve used e6000 or super-strength Command Strips.
*If you don’t want to be changing batteries all the time, rechargeable puck lights are a great option! I just ordered THESE and they work so well! Worth the up-front investment, as you’ll save on the cost of batteries.
Awesome…I have something that has two ends, one of which will screw into the light. Now, how to attach said piece to the LED puck lights I was planning to use for the project. (You can find the LED lights I used HERE.) I decided to use 3M Dual Lock Velcro strips. (You can find them HERE.) They’re like super-strength Command Strips. There were 4 total strips in the package I bought (two for each light), so it worked out perfectly! I first stuck the strips together, using their Velcro sides. Then, I took the protective paper off one, sticking it in the middle of the back of the LED puck light, centering it as well as I could. I then removed the protective paper from the strip on top. I placed the plumbing piece in the center of the top strip, pressing down for one minute to create a secure bond. Make sure that you attach the smooth end of the plumbing adapter onto the 3M strip—the threaded end needs to face out so that you can screw it into the sconce.
* Since first writing this blog post, I have also used e6000 industrial adhesive to stick the barb adapter to the puck light, for a little more stability. The velcro strips work just as well, but I like to have options, so I thought I’d share the update with you!
All I had to do then was screw the threaded end into the sconce! It doesn’t thread all the way in light a light bulb does, but it goes in far enough to make a secure connection. Then…it was time to test them out! The great thing about the LED lights I chose is that they come with a remote and can be set on a timer. What could be easier than that?!
I am so happy I didn’t listen to my non-crafty self and tried the magic light trick! It added another layer of awesome to our fireplace makeover and gave me something to be proud about accomplishing on my own! If you want to try your own fireplace makeover, I’m sharing all the items below that we used (each item is linked for easy shopping!). Good luck and I can’t wait to see the afters! Happy lighting!
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If you decide to try the Magic Light Trick, share a picture in your Instagram stories and tag me so I can see! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.
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