Lamps are expensive! If you go into most specialty lighting stores you can find a ton of them and they are all beautiful, but holy cow – break the bank Batman! It stings even more when you just need a functional lamp in a corner for accent lighting. Well, my dears, don’t worry about having to mortgage the house for a lamp cause this week’s diy Sunday is all about getting a new look from something not so new... Let’s get into how to upcycle a thrift store lamp, shall we?
So you’ve gone into all the lighting stores and left feeling like you narrowly escaped a hold up. (Just for good measure you check to see if you still have you wallet!) Those specialty store lamps are not cheap. Don’t get me wrong, I love a beautiful lamp that finishes off a room to perfection, who doesn’t? Lamps are like jewelry in the room. But sometimes, you just need an accent lamp that does the job without having to be the show stopper piece, right?
Upcycling a thrift store lamp is a great way to add some charm and character to a entryway or side table. Best of all, you will definitely spend a fraction of the cost of a new ‘specialty’ store lamp. Here's five simple steps to make your own upcycled thrift store lamp.
How To Upcycle A Thrift Store Lamp, Simple Step 1: Find A Lamp That Fits Your Space.
Sometimes this can be easier said than done but if you keep an open mind about the design of the lamp you’re hunting for, you can really find some candidates.
So for this simple step, I’ll recommend that you take a measurement of the space you want to fill. The size of your thrift store lamp should function for the area. If you have a skinny, small table, you wouldn’t want to buy a lamp that would overpower the space with it’s size, you dig? The same advice works for a large table vs. small lamp.
The aesthetic isn’t as important in my opinion. There are a bunch of great looking stylish old lamps that can fit easily into a transitional space
How To Upcycle A Thrift Store Lamp, Simple Step 2: Deconstruction!
Time to take it apart. Depending on the type of lamp you find, this can be easier said than done.
Give it a once over and look for a nut or bolt that can be loosened and unscrewed. It will usually be on the bottom of the lamp base and it may be covered with a thin rubber or felt membrane. As long as that’s there, you can easily loosen it and take the lamp apart.
Chances are you will have to snip the cord in order to remove it. That’s okay because you’ll want to rewire the lamp anyway. Better to be safe than sorry.
How To Upcycle A Thrift Store Lamp, Simple Step 3: Prime it!
A generous coat of primer can do wonders for your new lamp.
Before spray painting the lamp maker sure you sand off any rust or wash off any residue. This lamp I found had some rust on the metal parts and some smutch on the ceramic parts. I was able to get that removed pretty easily.
I used a gloss white spray paint and primer combined and it took about two coats for the lamp, base and small metal topper.
How To Upcycle A Thrift Store Lamp, Simple Step 4: Finishing Touches
After my primer coats dried, I sprayed on a coat of gold metallic spray paint to the lamp base and topper. I have a few gold pieces in the area that I’m placing it. You can totally customize it with whatever color you fancy! On a whim, I drew gold lines on the grooves of the ceramic part of the lamp with a metallic gold, fine tip, sharpie. It just added a little finishing touch and reinforced the gold theme.
I found the glass finial at another thrift store. The base of it was silver and I taped off the glass part with painter’s tape and sprayed the silver with the same gold paint to match. I’m telling you, it’s all in the details!
I was able to find the lamp kit at my local Lowe’s Home Improvement Store for about $7.00. There were full detailed instructions on the lamp kit and they could not have been easier to follow.
My advice, find a lamp kit with great instructions and get to it! It’s so much easier than you’d think!
How To Upcycle A Thrift Store Lamp, Simple Step 5: Let There Be Light!
You’re done! Plug it in and enjoy the ambiance!
It’s quite satisfying to take a lamp that you find and turn it into something beautiful for your home. I think I spent a whopping $17.50 including tax for the lamp, spray paint and lamp kit and finial. I had the shade form a different lamp that broke. If you need the shade too, figure about $10 to $15 more. I still think that that $30 is a steal for a lamp and you have the satisfaction of the making!
Super simple and totally fast, right? That’s how to upcycle a thrift store lamp! If you enjoyed this diy, please give it a like and share it with your friends. If you want more diy tutorials and awesome interior design advice, subscribe to my newsletter! You can do that right here. I’ll keep in touch each month with tons of great decorating advice, simple diy home decorating projects and lot’s of other super helpful stuff that I only share with my subscribers.
Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.
