DIY Lamps

Have you ever been on the hunt for a perfect lamp but you just cant find it? Well my bff Katherine has been hunting for weeks and weeks with no success. When I was in town last weekend we decided to screw it and just make one ourselves.  There are about a million ideas out there, but this is what we did. We were both thrilled with the outcome and how relatively easy it was!

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Kat decided she wanted to use a clear glass vase and a white shade. She picked up 2 vases and lampshades from the thrift shop (not just for popping tags) for less than 10 bucks. Then we headed over to Home Depot for the lamp kits. Those were about $10 each, so $30 total for two one of a kind lamps. Not a bad deal.

So here's what we did.

 NOTE. This is what you do if you DON'T want to attempt to drill through glass. The cord runs along the side of the vase. 

Get yourself a sweet vase.

A 3-Way Socket

and a lamp cord (also, think about decorating your lamp cord for fun!)

Drill a hole in the side of the bottom of the lamp kit so you can run the cord through the side.The metal is about as thick as a coke can, so it's not too hard to drill through. We found it was most effective to drill 3 small holes right next to each other, then chisel between them to attempt to make your cord fit.  

Congratulations! Now that the hard part is over! Put the end of the cord through the hole. 

Then follow the directions on the lamp kit packet. Essentially tie this fancy knot and attach to the screws. 

Then stuff it all in there and secure the bottom. *Make sure the bottom is on straight or else the light will tilt.

Get yourself some gorilla glue and 3 1/2 inch washers. You will glue each of these together and to the base of the lamp kit. Take off the little screw on the side of the bottom cap the slide on the washers. This will create a flat surface to stabilize your lamp, and allows you to glue the vase to the light. Don't forget gorilla glue works better on a moist surface.

Since you can't really clamp it together, weigh the top down with a heavy book. 

After your glue dries (30-60 minutes) glue directly on to the base of your vase. Weigh the top down with a book and let the glue cure. *Gorilla glue foams up, so don't be alarmed. 

Then you're essentially done! Add a bulb and a shade then plug her in! 

So... what do y'all think? We were both totally obsessed with this project and began brainstorming endless ideas for lamps! Mason jars, wine bottles, those jars you use to store pasta! Plus the bottom of the lamp is the top of the vase, so it's open and you could potentially put something in there to display!

I think it's important to note that we used the kind of shade that is secured directly by the light bulb that way we didn't have to mess with harps.

This project is super easy, and the hardest part was really just drilling through the side of that metal cap.  I will say that if you are wanting to save money, a DIY lamp could be the way to go, but you have to be careful with your components. I mean if you pick up a vase for $20 and another $10 for a shade (both of which seem like reasonable prices to me), plus another $10 for the kit, you're suddenly out $40 for one lamp and 2 hours of your life. For that price you could probably find something you're happy with a Homegoods or something. But part of the fun is being able to say, "Look, I made this" and impressing all of your friends.

Now I'm so excited about this DIY project, and can't wait to get brainstorming on some fun ideas for my new place!