easy tropical-style light cover

the summer heat arrived here on June 30th,
so i've been busy completing some fun new EASY projects around our home

(which has a tropical, tiki vibe going on all year long!)

since these projects work perfectly well as 'summer' season decor content,

 i thought i'd share them here on the blog this month!

so... let's get tropical!

first up, a ridiculously EASY way to make a builder-grade light fixture

look a lot more fun for summer... in just two steps!

continue reading to see what i did!

Q

the overhead lighting in our house is standard builder-grade can lighting:

and i hate it. 

they don't dim, the light takes FOREVER to reach optimum levels,

and the light in our entry' vestibule' always looks too yellow with the sand/tan painted walls. 

(this is the ONE case where yellow is NOT good, in my opinion.)

that said, we've never replaced a single interior light bulb
in the seven years we've lived here, so there's that eco-friendly bonus.

it is the least hospitable, welcoming 'entry hall' light source i can imagine.

so i figured out a way to make that weird yellow light work with our decor

and appear to be more purposeful than it really is...

i put a hat on it. 

yeah, i did! i had a few of these palm leaf woven beach hats on hand

and decided to give this idea a try.

you've probably seen these hats with a folded-over 'brim' most of the time - 

i unfolded that so the hat would look a bit more like a round medallion shape on the ceiling.

then i made one simple alteration to it:

i cut a big hole in the top of the hat!

basic scissors did the trick easily, and i made the hole smaller than the size of the can light.

then i climbed up on a stepladder and used four clear plastic pushpins

to mount the beach hat 'light cover' onto the ceiling.

in daylight, the hat looks beachy and tropical and fun.

when it's dark and i flip the light on, it's a warm, welcoming light

that bathes anyone in this small (8X8) space in warmth.

i also love how the woven details of the hat stand out with the light on...

all in all, i find this a much nicer look than the bare-bones fixture 'before'.

these hats run about $2.99 at stores like Party City (where i get mine)

so it's a fast, easy, VERY low-cost summer accent that is easily removed come fall.

this idea would also translate well to create a tropical / beachy lampshade - 
simply remove the regular lampshade and pop the woven hat onto the lamp's harp

(the metal loop that holds the lampshade on) without cutting a hole in it,
then replace the finial on top of the hat and the harp!

don't miss a post! click the 'follow' link in my sidebar >>>
follow my socials for more content:

related content:

boho chic embellished sun hats

painted sun hat summer 'wreath' 

shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycled ideas #684  

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Donna!

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #153

modern on monticello | home matters linky party #437

coastal style,beach style,DIY,decorating,re-purposed,diy decorating,summer,up-cycling,tiki style,lighting,tropical home decor,beach hat light cover,summer home decor.