Not So Shabby Lamp Re-Do

I bought this lamp about 6 months ago from the Christian Ministries...Something about it just caught my eye so I paid $10 bucks for it, rode it around in the back of my vehicle for about 3 weeks, then stuck it in my craft room to collect dust.  I cleaned my craft room out a few weeks ago and there it was, still waiting for me...

I have had a vision for this from the moment I spotted it.   It was a lot of fun seeing it come to life.  Oh, and it looks exactly like I had envisioned it.

This is the lamp before I started.  It's about 3 feet tall... and I must admit, it was a pretty cool lamp before I got started.  The base was like mirror / mercury glass-looking because the metallic paint had starting chipping off...so vintage!  But this didn't match my decor so...I had to add a little burlap, some spray paint, and a few embellishments!

What You Need: 

old lamp  

old lamp shade

spray paint

burlap

ribbon or trim

hot glue gun

scissors

marker

..Numero Uno...1...One...

First things first... I took tape and wrapped it around the socket and the cord...then spray painted the base of the lamp. 

While you wait for the base to dry...

...Numero Dos...2...Two...

You need to cut the burlap to the shape of your lamp shade.  I just laid the shade onto the burlap and as I rolled the lamp shade around, I traced around the bottom of the shade.

...Numero Tres...3...Three...

Now cut your burlap...I cut about 2 inches below my traced line so I would have plenty of burlap to fold under and glue to the shade.

...Numero Quatro...4...Four...

Here I just cut out a small circle around the top...leaving plenty of burlap to fold over and glue to the shade.  This is what your burlap or material should now look like.

...Numero Cinco...5...Five...

Now just lay your lamp shade down on one end of the burlap and roll the shade around, gluing the burlap as you go.  Any excess burlap that you have on the inside of your shade, you can trim.

Oh...and let me just say this... if someone tells you that covering a lamp shade is easy, you may wanna decide whether or not that person is really your friend...because THEY ARE LYING TO YOU!!  I thought this was super tough...but maybe its just me.

...Numero Seis...6...Six...

There is a seam in the lamp shade anyways so try to work it to where the end of your burlap is overlapping this seam.  Fold the burlap under and hot glue in place.

This is how your covered lamp shade should now look.

Walmart has this pretty little flower embellished ribbon rolls now in their craft section.  Love!! When I was thinking about this re-do, this ribbon came to my mind as the perfect trim!

...Numero Siete...7...Seven...

Hot glue the trim around the bottom rim of your lamp shade.  I guess you could glue it around the top rim of the shade, too, if you like...

And your finished shade... isn't she a beauty!!

Now, just grab ya a light bulb, top your freshly spray painted lamp base with your newly covered shade, and plug in your revamped lamp!

And here are a few pictures of the finished project....

  

Embellishment-A-Thon...

I have been such the busy little bee this weekend. My imagination has been blossoming with ideas. And I use the term "blossoming" in more than just the literal sense. Little felted flowers are popping up all over mi casa, much to my husbands dismay. My kitchen table has become creativity central with bins of yard sale embellishments, stacks of different colored felt, mason jars full of beads and buttons, and I even pulled out and dusted off the old Bedazzler. Man, I sure have missed that thing! I told you I was hooked on these cute little rosettes, but now I am beginning to think that I am way past the stage of "hooked"...obsessed might be the best term.


In working on these cute little accessories, I thought, "Isn't this the perfect gift or addition to an outfit for Valentine's Day."

In the back of my mind, I remembered buying a plastic bag full of lace trimmings, pearl sprays, and other vintage ornaments from some sweet old lady having a yard sale. Her days of creating wedding and shower corsages were long gone, and a little outdated if I may say so myself. Digging through my craft room, there it was, that neatly packed Ziploc bag, my diamonds in the rough. I then proceeded to plug in that age old hot glue gun, cover my kitchen table with everything I'd collected, and get to work. Several hot glue burns later, some of the tackiest, gaudiest, most beautiful corsages lay before me. When I use the term tacky, I use it loosely, and in repetition of my better half's explanation of some of my work. I tend to believe tacky to be a good attribute, full of fun and individuality, rare and extraordinary.

Ya'll just have to know that I have had a ball! It's just too bad that I didn't have anyone to celebrate these flashy, entertaining creations with. That's why I'm pouring it all out on my blog. Now I have shared in this experience with others, in hopes that there may be someone out there who might receive the slightest merriment from my weekend embellishment-a-thon. Who knows, maybe I've inspired you to blow off the dust on some age old project you've been planning to work on for the past 20 years. My prayer for you is that you get that freeing feeling, the one where endless possibilities lay before you. And just think, all you have to do is plug in that hot glue gun!

P.S. Dear sweet little old lady who had the yard sale. I must apologize to you if you're out there reading this. My thoughts of your trimmings being outdated were very snobbish and unreasonable. They were the perfect finishing touches to my Valentine's Day corsages. I hope you will accept my apology.