DIY Glass Table Lamp Tutorial
6 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Medium
In this DIY glass table lamp tutorial you will learn how to drill through glass, how to deconstruct a hanging light cord to be used for lamp wiring, and how to attach an IKEA lamp shade onto any lamp using the bulb!
These are the lamps I used to have in my living room. When I initially bought them they looked so outdated. However, I used spray paint and a little DIY to make my own lampshade and brought them to life! Unfortunately, I was over it and ready to tackle another DIY lamp idea!
I had the idea to transform large glass jugs I bought at Walmart meant for food storage to become lamps! For this, I needed to drill a hole for the light cord to go through. To get started drilling through glass, you need the right kind of drill bit. I purchased a set of diamond crusted drill bits from Ebay.
The basic technique for drilling through glass is to drill slow and steady while keeping your drill from getting overheated. The trick is to drill in water. I created a circle with play-doh and poured water into it, switching the water frequently as I drilled. See more tips and tricks for how to drill through glass in my video tutorial on Youtube.
After a lot of back and forth, I finally broke through the glass and had a hole for my lamp cord! The lamp hardware I am using for this lamp is the HEMMA from IKEA. They are meant to be for hanging ceiling lamps, but I found a tutorial on Youtube for deconstructing them.
To attach the shade, I bought two light bulb clamps from Bed Bath and Beyond as an adapter for a light shade that would typically rest on a harp. You could also just buy a uno-fit lamp shade if you were doing this project.
You could use this technique to make anything glass or ceramic for that matter into a lamp! My glass food jars are cool because you can unscrew the cap and fill them with seasonal decorations!
Be sure to click on the blog link below to find out more and catch up on my latest DIY projects!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 12 comments
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Oh, WOW! I live in Florida, and wanted to make a shell lamp using unusually shaped glass bases. These lamps are gorgeous!! Thank you for the inspiration!!!!
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These look like Sauerkraut jars in the Barrel. I believe by Libby's. I think after the holidays I will be using my Barrel jars. Yep......Libbys kraut in the barrel. I've been hoardin' them. Now.......I can bring 'em on!! Thank you for sharin'!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Does the light fixture come in a kit? And is it simple to do? Also do u use a dremel? And just submerge the glass in water?
Also do you turn the glass upside down ro drill? Or do you go thr the opening at the top?
How would you adapt this to use a spiral light bulb?