Turn Vintage Glass Lamp Shades Into Summer Planters

5 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy
Find some vintage glass lamp shades at your local thrift store or dump store and turn them into the perfect summer planters!
My dump store finds are back!  I love when summer comes around and I can make my rounds to the dump stores again ;) Ahhh heaven! 


A few weeks ago I was out with my Mom and found these beautiful vintage glass lamp shades.  (they are pretty easy to find a thrift stores too!)  They were all pretty dirty but dirt never scares me ;)


A little Dawn was all they needed to clean them right up.


I loved that they were all different shapes and shades of white and thought they'd make the coolest looking planters.  
I picked up a variety of different wood and ceramic pieces while I was there too that would work as bases for the planters.


Each base got two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint in Limestone to start.  
With Canada Day around the corner I thought a red and white theme would be fun for our 150th birthday.


I used a Fusion Mineral Paint in Fort York Red with a hint of Ash (just to make it a tad less bright) to make some wobbly stripes. Each base had some natural curves so, with a tiny brush, I free-handed the stripes using the curves as a loose guide. 
To make sure the new planters didn't separate, Epoxy around the edges kept the pieces securely together.  
A little distressing, dirt and some white flowers and they were done.  


How fun are they?  I love that they brighten up the corner of one of my balconies and give a nod to Canada's birthday as well.


Are you making anything special to celebrate Canada Day or the Fourth of July?


A quick update... mine are inside so I was not concerned about drainage as I can control the water they get. If you are putting yours outside, throw a couple of rocks or some gravel in the bottom to help with drainage.
Pop over to the original post on the Recreated Designs website to see more pictures of this project and many other rusticy Farmhouse projects using paint...
Suggested materials:
  • Glass lamp shades   (Thrift Store)
  • Wood bases   (Thrift Store)
  • Paint in Red and White   (Local Stockist)
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Recreated Designs
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • Christine Swanberg Christine Swanberg on Jul 16, 2017

    Actually, drainage is still an issue even if you added rocks before filling it with soil. How is it going to drain if you completely sealed the base of the shade to the decorative stand?

  • Vicki Sutton Vicki Sutton on Sep 04, 2018

    How do you not worry about weather- rain/hail/wind ... breaking the glass.

  • Jessica Jessica on Oct 03, 2018

    Have you ever painted the shades to use as light shades? I can't find the color I want for my shades, so I thought if I could paint existing frosted glass ones that I already have, it would solve my problem. I just don't know if it will work or what kind of paint you can use with the heat from the bulb. Is this even possible?


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