Light Up Your Life: Upcycle a Thrifted Lamp
Who doesn’t love a beautiful lamp? I do. But I don’t love some of the huge price tags they carry. And since I love a deal I have made it a habit now to search out interesting lamps at thrift stores and garage sales. Here is a simple DIY makeover project for upcycling a thrifted lamp.
Begin with a lamp base that has a good shape. The shade doesn’t necessarily matter – it can always be replaced.
I totally fell head over heels for the chunky gourdish lines of this little beauty and snapped it up despite the slightly steep $8 price tag. All profits from this particular thrift store go to charity so I justified the high price by considering it a donation. Usually I pay $2-$5 for lamps at garage sales.
Wowza!! Just looking at those curves I knew I had made the right choice.
Enter a little spray paint action. I chose white to keep it light and pretty, and because I knew I wanted to embellish the shade.
And miracle of miracles, I actually didn’t screw it up this time and get my usual plethora of drippiness.
Tip: Use many thin coats rather than trying to finish it all in one thick gloppy drippy mess.
Quite a difference!
Now time for the shade. I ditched the old one and subbed in a beautiful crisp white drum shade I had picked up for $5 on clearance at Walmart. To add a little colour I used my hot glue gun to attach some ribbon around the shade.
Attach your shade to your newly painted lamp, plug it in, and light up your life! Total cost $13. I’m pleased.
I think the most fun part of the whole thing is seeing the before and after. I bet this was a stunning lamp in its (1977) day… and now it is renewed.
You might have spotted it sitting on the DIY Chalk Paint Side Table the other day.
It has found quite a cozy little home there. See! Simple project you could do this weekend and freshen up a little corner of your home with some fresh light. If you do, I would love to see some pics!!
What sort of thrifted/upcycled projects have you been tackling lately? I love to get inspiration from other people’s ideas… share please!!
And remember, my housie friends, HOME isn’t built in a day. Enjoy the journey
This was featured at!
Linking up at some of my favourite Housie Parties and at
Great job!
Thank you:)
Krista
What a beautiful transformation! The lamp has a gorgeous shape and you highlighted that, pretty!
Thank you Cristina! The shape is really funky, kind of looks like a gourd… but I love how the chunky base looks painted out bright white. So thrilled you came by!!
Krista
Hey Krista!
This is great – love the upcycle!! We’ll be featuring it at the Pinterest Power Party tomorrow night… Hope you’ll come back and link up again!
You can grab a new “featured” button when the party goes live tomorrow!
Happy Tuesday!
Danielle
SewMuchCrafting.com
Hi Danielle!
Thanks!! So excited to hear that!! I will see you tomorrow:)
Krista
Amazing! I have the perfect lampshade to upcycle! Thanks for the idea.
Hi Heather! Great! So glad to share ideas:)
Krista
Thanks for linking up to Whimsy Wednesday! Your project has been featured this week!
http://www.ohmy-creative.com/home/decor-accents/12-ways-to-decorate-using-bold-patterns/
Also, you can add your project {or any project} to my website. I feature them on my main slider on the home page…follow this link to submit your project!
http://www.ohmy-creative.com/submit-a-project/
Be sure to stop by and grab a button…
http://www.ohmy-creative.com/grab-a-button/
Hi Susan! So thrilled and excited to hear this!! Yay! Thanks for the feature:) I will definitely head over to your blog and check out your project slider… that sounds like a wonderful idea. Thanks for the invite,
Krista
hi! I’m featuring this at the party that opens tonight!! Come on over and check it out… Would love for you to grab a featured button and put it in this post. :o) Thanks for linking! Emily
http://www.nap-timecreations.com/2013/04/tasteful-tuesday-430.html
Hi Emily!
I will do that for sure, thank you so much for the feature!! Yay!!
Krista
What a great transformation!
Hugs, Smiles & Blessings,
Robin
Fluster Buster
Creativity Inspired by Frustration
Thank you Robin! Thank you for your visit, hope to see you again:)
Krista
What a great before and after! I love the new white lamp and the ribbon…so pretty. The price can’t be beat.
Thanks so much for linking up at the Real Family Fun link party! Hope to see you next week.
KC
Thank you KC! And thank you for hosting, your party is lots of fun!
Krista
Wow, even for $8, you lucked out! I love the shape of that lamp. So cool!! You made it beautiful and nothing like it was before. (which is a really good thing!) 🙂
Nancy
Lol! That is for sure! Thanks so much Nancy… I love it so much now that it is worth the whole 8$ plus the 5$ shade… a little steep but worthwhile:)
Krista
My mom has that exact lamp! Totally brought back my childhood of reading Agatha Christie while curled up on the couch next to that lamp.
Her base is still the original–but she replaced the shade with an odd burgundy one. (Yes, she is actually color blind, so it matches to her eyes.)
But now I want her lamp LOL.
Oh, that is so funny Dree! What a cute story… isn’t it interesting how certain things that were in our homes as children bring back such strong memories? It would probably be harder to re-do something that has those kind of memories attached to it though! Thanks for your visit and comments!
Krista
The before is SO awful! It is very pumpkin like, lol. But the after is awesome!! Well done!
Hi Kelly! Yes, it is absolutely like a giant gourd with a shade on top… but I kind of love that about it:)
Krista
that lamp is awesome! love the shape of the base and its new paint job, and love that adorable shade!
Thank you Cassie. I loved the shape of the base too, am totally thrilled with how different it looks white! Thanks so much for your visit and your comments.
Krista
I love how you updated your lamp, so beautiful and glad you spray painted it in white; it’s like a NEW modern lamp!!! 🙂
Hi Ingrid! With the amount of colour around here I figured a little white lamp would help balance things out. I think it looks pretty modern now too, almost like something you could buy in a store today.
Krista
This is gorgeous!! Crazy what a little paint and ribbon can do! 🙂 Bravo!
Thank you Shannon, it is amazing what a dramatic change a few simple steps can make:)
Krista
Wow! This looks so so good! I love the shape and lines of the lamp! You did an awesome job! Pinning! Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof
Thank you Jenna, it is all about the shape:)
Krista
Great job, I love this!! And I agree- thrifting is so much fun and look at the cool treasures you can transform!
Thank you Heather! I love thrifting… it is so fun to make things look beautiful again:)
Krista
Such a beautiful transformation! 🙂
Thank you Megan!!
Krista
WOW Krista! I almost can’t believe it’s the same lamp?!!!! I love what you did with the shade, perfect! Thank you too for being so supportive of my blog, will see you around blogosphere for sure! 🙂
No problem, Vel. You have done so many cute things!!
Krista
Great lamp makeover! The base of the lamp looks great white. Cute!
Navy Wifey Peters @ Submarine Sunday Link Party
http://usscrafty.blogspot.com/2013/04/submarine-sunday-28.html
Thank you T’onna, I think the base in white is a big improvement:) Thank you for your visit and comments!
Krista
Wow! Love how this turned out. So fresh and modern !
Thank you Heather!!
Krista
I love the lamp, especially the ric rac on the shade!
Thank you Laura, I love the shape of ric rac too!
Krista
Love how the gourd lamp turned out. The white paint makes it look so chic! I almost laughed out loud at the before pic. The 70s and 80s were some wild years, huh?!!
Thank you Anjana. I don’t know if they meant it to be a gourd lamp when they made it, but it sure did/does look like one, doesn’t it! I wonder how we will look back at current design styles in twenty or thirty years. Hard to imagine that it may seem as tacky as we think the 70s/80s were… but you never know! Thanks for hopping over!!
Krista
This is one awesome lamp makeover! Love the shape of the lamp and the colors you chose to embellish the shade with! Very clean with perfect amount of color!
Selene @ Restoration Beauty
Thank you Selene! The white lamp base subdues the brightly coloured ribbon embellishment, I think. Thank you so much for your comments!
Krista
Krista, I love your color choices. And the lamp turned out awesome. What a gorgeous shape you had to work with. The glossy white totally does it justice I’m sure the brown never did. The room looks really nice. Cutie pie pillow there too.
Thanks so much Therese! The shape was not shown off nicely by the brown tones… I love it in glossy white. The funky gourdish shape really shows through now. Thanks so much for your visit!!
Krista
What a great transformation! I have noticed that thrift store lamp prices are going up! Life to the full! Melissa
I know, Melissa! Some thrift stores around here are getting too “trendy” now and the prices reflect that. Have to hunt out my bargains more seriously now!!
Krista
Kirsta, YOU are talented!!!!!!!!!! It’s exquisite! May I invite you to come link it up at http://www.finecraftguild.com/party-63/ ?! Would love to see it there!
Hi Rose! Thanks for your kind words (but I must admit it really was a pretty simple project:) I will definitely hop over there!!
Krista
This is amazing. So cheery! Love it.
Stephanie @ thestyledsoul.com
Hi Stephanie! Thanks, it was a fun and quick project and really brightens up the corner (pun intended?). Thanks for your visit!
Krista
I love your color choices. (I just can’t get over them). Anyway, what I really wanted to say was I am impressed at your vision. I would have run the other way from that lamp originally, but your transformation is gorgeous.
AW, thanks sooo much PJ! You gotta look past the colour and finish of old lamps (or old pieces in general) and JUST look at the shape – everything with a good shape looks fabulous painted!!
Krista
lovely job! I have 1 to do too.
Thank you Denise, and thank you for coming by!!
Krista
That’s an amazing transformation! And I love rick-rack! Love it!
Thanks Tara, I love rick rack too, kinda gives a little vintage feel.
Krista
so smart!!!!!! you have inspired me to go out and thrift!!!!!
Hi Ann Marie,
I am thoroughly converted to thrifting now… there is something so satisfying about giving something a new life:)
Krista
Krista, this lamp looks great! Such a wonderful makeover – thanks for the inspiration and have a terrific wekeend. Am pinning! 🙂
Thank you Cindy! You have a terrific weekend too!
Krista