Giving an Old Lamp New Life

A few weeks back I went to the Hillsboro Craft Fair, which boasted over 300 craftsmen, artists, and vendors. It was a fun filled day of walking, shopping, and picking up craft ideas with a few of my gal pals. Not only were we perusing the booths, but we also went into the little thrift and antique shops that were located in downtown Hillsboro. It was in one particular thrift shop that I found this large and unique lamp for $3.99!

Now you may say to yourself, "I don't care how cheap that lamp was because it is one of the ugliest lamps I have ever seen!" That aside, it was the perfect scale for the bare corner in my living room that had been yelling at me for the past few months. In fear of being further scolded by my empty corner, I was on a constant hunt for the perfect lamp to fill the area, but I was just not ready to throw down $50 (providing it was even on sale) to do so. That is where my genie-in-a-bottle turned lamp came in. I knew that with a cheap base price of $3.99, I could put a few bucks into fixing it up and save a ton of cash, while getting the opportunity to make it my own.

Armed with a glue gun, a yard of fabric, banding (trim), a can of spray paint, and a little inspiration from other fellow bloggers, I got started on my DIY lamp makeover. I was bad and did not photograph my individual steps, but who can blame me, I was covered in hot glue! If you want to try this out yourself, look to Young House Love for step-by-step directions.

At first I was a little leery that my choice in fabric color was way off with the rest of the room, but it has since grown on me. And I am not going to attempt to remove the fabric after all of the hot glue I used! So for now, I am on good terms with my lovely decorated corner.

When everything was said and done, this lamp ended up costing me 20 bucks. (lamp- $4, fabric- $9, banding- $3, spray paint- $4) Not too bad for a thrift store find!