How to Build a DIY Flush Mount Pendant Light: Post Pendant Build Sheet

Our Post Pendant is a short run of tubing between a ceiling canopy and a socket, and that simple shape makes it a great first DIY flush mount pendant light. We make the finished Post Pendant by hand in Denver with tubes from 2 to 8 inches, and when you need a longer post or you'd rather build your own, this guide and our build sheet walk you through the parts and the order they go together.

Download the Post Pendant DIY build sheet (PDF)

What you're building

The fixture is a round canopy against the ceiling, a straight length of lamp pipe, and a socket with a metal cover at the end. Inside, 18 gauge wires run down through the tubing from your junction box to the socket. This guide assumes you're comfortable stripping wire and wiring a socket, and if either of those is new to you, watch the socket video in the assembly section before you start. Since you'll be working with electricity, please read our DIY disclaimer before you begin.

Parts list for a DIY flush mount pendant light

The build comes in two versions, and the difference is the thread size of the tubing. 1/8 IPS tubing has a 3/8 inch outer diameter and comes in lengths from 2 to 12 inches. 1/4 IPS tubing has a 1/2 inch outer diameter and comes in lengths from 2 to 30 inches. Both builds end at a 1/8 IPS thread where the socket attaches, so choose whichever suits the look and length you're after. The build sheet below shows every part for both versions, plus the socket options.

Build sheet not showing on your device? Open the PDF in a new tab.

1/8 IPS build

• 1/8 IPS Lamp Pipe/Tubing (PTB-10)
• 1/8 IPS Thread Ready Canopy (PCY-001-18)
• 18 AWG Single Conductor Wire in black, white and green (W1P-18)
• Low Profile Transition (PJT-005)
• Socket and socket cover of your choice (see below)

The Low Profile Transition connects the tubing to the socket and keeps the socket from spinning when you screw in a bulb.

1/4 IPS build

• 1/4 IPS Lamp Pipe/Tubing (PTB-20)
• 1/4 IPS Thread Ready Canopy (PCY-001-14)
• 18 AWG Single Conductor Wire in black, white and green (W1P-18)
• Nozzle Transition, 1/4 IPS to 1/8 IPS (PJT-006)
• Socket and socket cover of your choice (see below)

The Nozzle Transition steps the thread down from 1/4 IPS to 1/8 IPS, so the same sockets fit both builds.

For wire, cut each color one foot longer than your tubing. The Thread Ready Canopy comes with its mounting plate, screws and wire connectors, so the only tools you'll need are a wire stripper, needle-nose pliers and a pair of screwdrivers (Phillips and a small flathead).

Choosing a socket and cover

This build works with most of our 1/8 IPS sockets, so you can pick the socket and cover for the look you want. The build sheet shows a few pairings to start from:

• For a shade: the Shade Ready Socket with Extended Threads (PSK-003) and a Half Cap Socket Cover (PSC-004). Together they form a lip that holds a shade with a 1⅝ inch opening, often called a Euro fitter, and you can add a Thread Cover (PSC-020) to hide the plastic threads under the shade.
• For an exposed bulb: the Basic Socket in ivory (PSK-001-101) with a Flat Top Metal Socket Cover (PSC-002).
• For a candelabra bulb: the E12 Basic Socket in ivory (PSK-101-101) with a Candelabra E12 Socket Cover (PSC-006). This is a two-conductor socket with no ground screw, so you'll only run black and white wire to it.

All of these sockets are self-locking, which means the cap and body stay together for good once they snap closed. Finish and check your wiring before that step.

How to assemble the fixture

You'll build this fixture from the socket up to the canopy. Our Socket To Me video walks through wiring every socket we carry. The video wires each socket onto a power cord with a cord grip, and in this build the transition takes the cord grip's place, threading into the top of the socket cap.

Jump to the ivory sockets (0:28), black sockets (3:10), porcelain sockets (5:55) or the E12 ivory socket (10:42).

1. Strip and tin the endsStrip the insulation from both ends of each wire. Twisting and tinning the stranded ends gives you a cleaner connection at the socket, and our tinning tutorial shows how.
2. Build the cap assemblyThread the transition through the socket cover and into the top of the socket cap, then tighten the small set screw inside the cap to lock it.
3. Slide it onto the wiresFeed the wires in through the transition end so the stripped ends come out the bottom of the cap.
4. Connect the groundConnect the green wire to your socket's ground. On our ivory and black sockets, that's the larger set screw inside the cap: loosen it, slide the wire into its hole with your pliers, and tighten it back down. Porcelain sockets have their ground screw on the socket body, so connect it along with the other wires in the next step. If your socket has no ground, like our E12 sockets, skip this step.
5. Wire the socket bodyConnect the black wire to the gold terminal and the white wire to the silver terminal. Ivory sockets use push-in terminals, while our black and porcelain sockets use terminal screws, and the video shows each one. Give each wire a light tug to make sure it's held.
6. Close the socketOnce you've checked your wiring, join the cap and body the way your socket is designed to. Ivory sockets snap together, black sockets twist together, and porcelain sockets screw together.
7. Add the lamp pipeFeed the wires up through your lamp pipe, then thread the pipe into the Low Profile Transition (1/8 IPS build) or the Nozzle Transition (1/4 IPS build).
8. Attach the canopyFeed the wires through the canopy and thread the other end of the lamp pipe into it until it's snug and sits straight.
9. Add a shade (optional)Set the shade over the socket and thread the shade ring on to sandwich it against the half cap, adding the thread cover over the exposed threads if you're using one.

Installing it on your ceiling

Use the wire connectors that come with the canopy to join the black wire to the house hot and the white wire to the house neutral. Connect the green wire to the ground screw on the canopy's mounting plate or to the house ground. Fasten the mounting plate to the junction box, tuck the connections in, and secure the canopy with its two side screws. Our guide to installing a flush mount fixture to a junction box shows this part step by step, and if anything about your box or house wiring looks unfamiliar, that's the moment to call an electrician.

These sockets are rated for a 60 watt maximum, and since the bulb is on display in this fixture, it's worth picking one you love from our LED bulb collection. If you'd like a Post Pendant without the build, the finished fixture is handmade to order, and our team is happy to help with either one at 800-409-1070 or through customer service. We'd love to see a photo once yours is up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build a flush mount pendant light longer than 8 inches?

Yes. 1/8 IPS tubing comes in single pieces up to 12 inches, and 1/4 IPS tubing comes in single pieces up to 30 inches. Cut each wire one foot longer than whatever length you choose.

Can I put a shade on a DIY post pendant?

Yes, with the Shade Ready Socket with Extended Threads and a Half Cap Socket Cover. That pairing holds shades with a 1⅝ inch opening, and our shade compatibility guide explains how to check whether a shade will fit.

Do I need a ground wire?

For the shade ready and basic sockets, yes. The green wire runs down the tubing to the ground set screw in the socket cap. The E12 candelabra socket has two conductors and no ground screw, so it only takes the black and white wires.

What bulb should I use?

The shade ready and basic sockets take a standard E26 bulb, and the E12 socket takes a candelabra bulb. Stay at or under 60 watts, and an LED will run cooler in an exposed-bulb fixture like this one.