Pedestal Gardening
4 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy
This is the time of year I'm always itching to get some outdoor DIY projects done. Here in the deep south, the azaleas and Bradford pears are in full bloom so, regardless of what the calendar says...it's planting time!
A few weeks ago I found this gorgeous lamp base at a thrift shop. It had no shade, and I don't even know if it worked or not, but it didn't matter - it had the perfect form for a DIY gardening project I had in mind.
I started by gutting the wiring and socket, then gave it two coats of Rustoleum Metallic - Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. I adore this color and since I first used it, I pretty much shoot anything around the house with it that doesn't move! 
The bowl-shaped top was just perfect for holding a pot, don't you think?
Terra cotta was my first choice, but apparently the manufacturers of the lamp and clay pots weren't on the same page and after a lengthy search for a pot that fit perfectly, I changed my tactic and settled for a simple, boring, plastic, grey pot.
And Oil Rubbed Bronze fixed that right up too!
I love, love, love how this paint totally changes the character of things. No longer simple, boring, and grey, without an actual touch, it's almost impossible to tell this pot is even made of plastic.
Once everything was dry, I filled the pot with some pretty plants, using the thriller-filler-spiller method: a single tall grass for the center, a couple of dianthus in the middle, and English ivy spilling over the edges.
It's such a satisfying feeling to bring something home from the thrift store that was discarded by someone else and remake it into something nice and useful again.
Officially spring or not, my hands have already been in the dirt and getting to combine it with my love of thrifting...I'm one happy girl!
Truth is - a new planter is my go-to spring project. Here's my favorite from last year.
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Comments
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4 of 91 comments
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Very beautiful and clever.. 😍 great job..
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Thank you, Malila!
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I have done similar project .. as well i found an old lamp base n a nice big plate and made a bird feeder
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That's a lovely idea! You can do so many things with old lamps, can't you?
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Frequently asked questions
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Does it screw down over the lamp socket? Picture will not enlarge and it is hard to tell.
im not understanding how the pot fixes to the lamp. Does it do a balancing act or is it adhered in some fashion?
How did you apply the rings to the pot and were did you find them?