12 Projects of Christmas - Project #5 Plug In 4-Arm Wall Sconce

Beau Wynja

12 Projects of Christmas - Project #5 Plug In 4-Arm Wall Sconce


Using our DIY Lamp Parts and Cloth Covered Electrical Cord, we wired up a 4-arm wall sconce with a wood slab from a leftover project.
DIY Lamp Parts That You'll Need:

Cloth Covered Wire

1/8 IPS Tubing

Tubing Transitions

3 Way Armback

Basic Black Sockets

Flat Top Socket Covers

1/8 IPS Cluster Body Plug

1/4 to 1/8 IPS Reducers

Thumb Switch

Cord Plug End

Conductor Wire

Step 1: Measuring and Drilling

A man measuring the wood slab to create a Plug in 4-Arm Wall Sconce
Hands placing brass lamp tubes on a table
Person drill a hole into a large piece of wood

We measured and drilled into our wood slab to create four holes for each base of the socket arms.

Step 2: Inserting Brass Reducers

Hands holding large rubber mallet over a bronze bit
Brass reducer in wood slab
In order to have a secure base, we inserted a 1/4 to 1/8 IPS Brass Reducer in each of the four holes so that the 1/8 IPS Tubing threads into the wood slab.

Step 3: Routing and Prepping for Wiring

Person drilling a hole in a piece of wood with a drill press
A man routed out the top of the backside of wood slab
A man prepping the wood slab to create a Plug in 4-Arm Wall Sconce
Wooden board on white surface
In order to hide all of the wiring, we routed out the top of the backside as well as down the right side so our Cloth Covered Wire could sit inside the wood slab for a clean finished look.
Step 4: Assembling Arms and Wiring Sockets
A man assembling the wire arms and wiring sockets
Man with electrical parts standing at workbench
Wired sockets
A man creating a wall sconce
Small wood board with brass socket covers on top of workbench
Next we wired up our sockets and screwed them into the base using a 3 Way Armback and some shorter tubing to form a 90 degree angle at the base.
Step 5: Wiring Thumb Switch and Plug End
Components to wire a thumb switch & plug end to create a wall sconce
A man wiring the thumb switch
A man wiring the grounded plug end
For directions on these steps, check out our tutorials How To Wire a Thumb Switch and How To Wire a Grounded Plug End.
Step 6: Wiring Pendant to Socket Arms and Final Steps
Hand holding a blue-capped wire in a piece of wood
A man creating a wall sconce
A man applying the glue in the routed portion of the wood slab
Hands on wood boards on workbench
Hand drilling metal hinge onto wood board
Wooden board holding bronze fixture pieces with curled electrical cord
Beautiful Wall sconce - Color Cord Company
Once we finished wiring up our Avocado Mini Tweed Pendant, we wired it to our socket arms by twisting the conductor wires together and capping them with wire nuts.  To keep the cloth covered wire in place, we super glued it down in the routed portion, then we put on the backplate and wall mount and BOOM! - A super vibe-y 4-Arm Wall Sconce.  Send us photos of your DIY Holiday Projects and stay tuned, Project #6 is coming up!
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