Thrift Store Lamp Makeover

Several weeks ago, I hit a few yard sales and scored a bunch of cool finds.

Among them was a lovely lamp, perfect for my cottage style living room.

It was only five dollars, so I jumped on it.

I figured with a little spray paint and one of my shades it'd be a perfect fit.

Of course, it wasn't until after I paid for it that we all realized the cord had been cut.

Bummer.


Actually, it wasn't that big a deal. The sellers gave me a discount on a large shutter and I knew we could rewire the lamp.

Frankly, broken or not, whenever we get a lamp secondhand, we always replace the wiring.

We just feel safer that way.

We've also added new wires when making our own lamps.

Normally, I let my husband do his electrical magic behind closed doors, but for this DIY I watched, since I'd like to be able to tackle this task on my own next time around.

This lamp makeover began with a little construction though. The base was chipped in a few places and that needed to be remedied first.


To do that we used a putty epoxy. The same two part putty epoxy we used to repair an old resin statue.

First we cleaned the lamp, with alcohol on a rag.

Then we squeezed a little out, kneaded it and plugged it into the damaged spots.

Now our lamp is made of plaster, however, the epoxy would work on anything...wood, ceramic, resin, etc.

When the patched material was shaped into place and dry, we used a bit of sandpaper to gently remove any rough spots.

Next, it was time to give the lamp a new look with some spray paint.

I chose a cream color that I thought would coordinate well with the new curtains in the living room.

A few coats later we were ready to rewire the lamp. 


The screaming disclaimer here is that we are not electricians, or experts, we're just sharing what we did, as experienced DIYers. If you have any questions about the process, you should consult a pro.

You can also follow the instructions that come with your supplies.


We started by opening up the wire and the socket packets. We grabbed both at the hardware store.

I like options, so we used a three way switch.


However the process is the same on a single.

Next up, we fed the wire up through the lamp and pulled it out the top.


I like a long cord on a lamp so I have plenty of room to move it around. I also like a clear cord so it's less conspicuous. I'm not a fan of messy or tangled wires. 

Once the wire is all the way through it's time to pop the bottom portion of the metal shell on it and feed the wire through it. 


Then you need to split the wire and strip the plastic coating away to expose the copper wires underneath. Just do this carefully, with a wire stripper, so you don't damage them.


Then very gently, curl the wires in an arc shape so they'll fit around the screws you'll use to fasten them in place. 
Then we placed the wires around the screws on the base of the socket and tightened them.

So you should definitely follow the instructions on the package for this step, since they may vary on how they mark the wires for polarity, but it does matter which wire goes to which screw.

Sometimes, the wires are different colors and will have a coordinating color screw. Other times, there will be a white stripe or a ribbing on the wire...but the package should tell you which wire goes where. 

We pulled the cord from the bottom, when we were done, so everything fit back together and slid the cover back on.

And screwed on the switch.


The last step was to add a bulb, replace the metal harp and secure the shade. The wonderful shade I found at the thrift store years ago. 

Apparently just waiting for a new lamp to come along.


Or an old lamp that's been given new life anyway.

And one that lights up the room without even being on...


But looks fantastic when it is.

Plus, now I know how to fix all the old lamps I find.

And so do you. 😉

More Fun Finds

In addition to my fun yard find, here are a few other finds for your Friday. I posted these on Instagram during the week, but in case you missed it, here they are again.

You can find links to all of these items on the Like To Know it app. 

This is a link to my profile - Exquisitely Unremarkable. 

I'm also listing the links here.