Thrift Store Repurpose

Amy Nahirny
by Amy Nahirny
2 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy
Take an old lamp and making it into something new, So very easy and affordable
ok so being an unemployed artist, I am always looking for decor items for decorating my home, but have found them to be kind of expensive. So I like going to Goodwill or other thrift stores and look for things that I can afford and transform. I got this old lamp at Goodwill, for $8. It was pretty dirty and had a funky smell to it, and I am sure the lamp part of it didn't work cause the cord looked really scary.
So the first thing I did was take out the lamp part. It was pretty easy considering all I had to do was unscrew the bolt on the bottom. Of course I threw all that stuff out. It was frayed and rusted, just too dangerous to save.
So i have this big hole on the bottom which isn't a big deal, cause well its the bottom and no body is going to see it. I then gave it a really good washing. Inside and out. Dawn liquid soap is great. And let me tell you, it was REALLY dirty. I think it came from a home of someone who smoked cause it was just gross and grimy. Next step is to let it dry.
So as you can see, after washing it the colors really brightened up and the white flowers are nice and clean. I was thinking of spray painting it into a solid color, black, to match the decor items I have in my bathroom but decided not to cause the colors were so pretty. Its the perfect accent color for my bedroom.
So the final step was getting a lamp finial that went well with it. I glued it on the top of the lamp where the lamp parts were and now it looks like a decorative urn. This craft has so many options you can do with it. If you get a plain, smooth base lamp you can stencil or glue on embellishments or whatever! So this cost less than $10 to make! You can put these decorative urns in corners of rooms or under side tables. Instead of gluing a finial on the top you can leave the hole open and put in silk flowers. These would also be good to decoupage. So the sky's the limit with this really inexpensive craft!
Suggested materials:
  • Thrift store lamp
  • Lamp finial
Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Aug 12, 2017

    Are the flowers glass, or fabric? They look so delicate. Kudos to you for getting tobacco stain off glass details. The stains often dye whatever they are on permanently. Best wishes 😇

  • Candy Candy on Aug 16, 2017

    Hi Amy, I m very curious about this lamp. Did the lamp get redone at one time using a plaster for the flowers. It is beautiful. I have a large ginger jar lamp that I would like to do in a turquoise color but I do not have a clue how to start. It is yellow. Do you have any ideas? Thanks CD

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  • Amy Nahirny Amy Nahirny on Aug 13, 2017

    wow i have to say that i really like being able to share my ideas with everyone. Hometalk has really opened up a new world for me. Thank you all for the nice comments. you motivate me to do more stuff.

    • B. Enne B. Enne on Aug 13, 2017
      And you motivate us to try, thanks!
  • Johanne Palange Johanne Palange on Jun 29, 2020

    You lamp base is so gorgeous that I would have turned it back into a lamp.

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