Monday, September 2, 2013

Coastal Lamp DIY

Greetings! I thought I'd kick things off with my latest DIY project inspired by this gorgeous lamp from Shades of Light. I loved everything about it...except the $269 price. So I decided to make my own version.


Shades of Light Demijohn Lamp $269
My version $48





















First, I trotted over to Home Goods to look for a suitable base. Home Goods came through, as always. I found this recycled glass vase/jug, complete with jute trim, for $12.99. The rest of the supplies were from the hardware store: a lamp kit ($11.99), a tube of silicone glue ($4.99--with plenty left over for future projects), and from the plumbing aisle, a shallow pipe cover for $2.39 (more about this later...).  






















The only other thing I needed was a lamp shade. I found the perfect one at Target--burlap covered with jute trim for a mere $14.99. All that remained was to put it all together.



The first problem I ran into was the size of the opening in the jug. It was big...much bigger than the adapters that came with the lamp kit. I headed back to the hardware store. I spent an hour a short while browsing the aisles, looking for something round, preferably with a hole in the center, about the size of the opening in the jug, and rigid enough to support the lamp parts. I finally came across the pipe cover--which is that little doohickey that covers the hole where the pipe from your shower comes out of the wall.






Back home, I assembled the pieces of the lamp kit. I threaded the nipple (the hollow pipe that forms the stem of the lamp) through the largest adapter (slightly larger than the hole in the pipe cover). I slipped the pipe cover over that, followed by the metal base of the socket, topped with a threaded washer to hold it all together. 




The next step was to wire the socket. I strongly recommend that you read the directions thoroughly and test the wiring out with a light bulb before completing the assembly. That way if you have the wiring reversed you'll be able to fix it. 





Once I was sure the wiring was good, I assembled the socket and attached it to the rest of the assembly. Then, using clear silicone glue, I secure the assembly to the mouth of the jug. It's important to make sure that the assembly is level and straight before the glue dries. I let it all set overnight. By the next morning everything was in place and secure. I added the shade and the bulb and that was it! Not bad for a total expenditure of less than $48!










10 comments:

  1. I like your's so much better then their's. Wonderful job!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Della! It's so nice of you to say that!

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  2. I agree with Della, I think I like yours better, the size, the shape and the jute trim make the statement without being too much. hmmm...now seriously considering covering some lampshades I have right now with burlap.

    Oh, and using the pipe cover-I would NEVER have thought of that, what an awesome idea! I'm looking at my jars with new eyes!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! And I was pretty excited about the pipe cover, too! :-)

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  3. Hi Lisa,

    I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article/tutorial for the lovely "Coastal Lamp DIY" on your blog. I love how you saw something that you liked and figured out how to do it for so much less than the original piece.

    I am preparing to launch a new magazine called "DIY Decorating Addict" exclusively on the Apple Newsstand. It's a project close to my heart--a concept that's evolved out of my love of home decorating and "addiction" to home design/decorating shows on HGTV and The DIY Network and blogs, like yours, on the internet. Your article captures brilliantly and expertly the spirit behind my magazine, which aims to inform, entertain and personalize projects for readers looking for decorating and design ideas for their own homes.

    I was wondering if I might have your permission to reprint "Coastal Lamp DIY" in an issue of my magazine slated for November 2013. If your own publishing policies allow for reprints, I'd be delighted to promote your excellent "Salt Marsh Cottage" writing with a link of your choosing. As you're probably already aware, Apple Newsstand magazines are interactive--and, like web articles, link readers directly to online resources and products.

    I look forward to hearing from you and hope very much for the opportunity to feature your writing in "DIY Decorating Addict". You can email me at support at diydecoratingaddict.com.

    Kind Regards,
    Dianne Corriere
    DIY Decorating Addict, Publisher/Editor/Writer

    ReplyDelete
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