Electricity poles are being pulled down as underground cables take over. That means there are lots of glass and porcelain electrical insulators lying around, just waiting for a new function.

Keep an eye out for discarded electrical insulators on the side of the road or pop in at your local electricity depot to collect some – they make great suspension lights, especially with a vintage Edison light bulb hung low and bare.

Get a glass merchant to drill a hole in the head of the insulator, making sure the hole is big enough to thread an electrical cable through it, then fit a light bulb socket on the one end and an electrical plug on the other. Screw in a light bulb – and switch it on!

We bought red fabric-covered cable cord for R39 per metre and a vintage Edison light bulb for R150 from Hoi P’loy. Ideal Glass & Mirror (011 787 8993) helped out by drilling the hole.

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