I posted this picture last summer (or maybe it was Fall based on the blanket that's on the couch) of some thrifty finds I had come across.
Among them was this lamp from Goodwill for $3.99. I'm not really sure why it caught my eye, but there was just something about it that appealed to me. I almost didn't buy it though. I walked away and kept shopping, but it was just stuck in my brain so I went back for it. My husband just shook his head at me.
I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it other than I wanted it to be my style in colors that I love. I didn't want to copy anyone else, or follow a style that wasn't mine. So I went to Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's and perused the fabric departments looking for inspiration.
It came when I found this fabric, and I posted this picture as a sneak peak of an upcoming project.
I taped off the electrical parts and spray painted the base of it yellow. It has taken me so long to finish this project that I don't even remember now what the color was. I know it was Krylon and it was the paler yellow, not the bright one.
Figuring out how to trace/cut the fabric for the shade was a major pain! The shade is smaller at the top than at the bottom so just cutting a straight piece of fabric wasn't going to work. I did a few practice runs with wrapping paper trying to figure out the best technique. I think I ended up laying the fabric on the floor, anchoring it with tape, and then rolling the shade along it and using a pencil to trace a pattern on the back side of the fabric. I then double checked it by laying it around the shade and checking my trace marks. It still didn't work perfectly, but it was close enough to work with.
I then used a spray adhesive to attach it to the shade. I trimmed the ends, tucked them under and hot glued them in place.
This was my first time of redoing a lamp and the shade didn't turn out perfectly nor does it really look professionally done, but it's good enough to use here in my own home.
I bought red gingham ribbon to use as a trim around the bottom, but after I had it all glued into place I decided it was just too skinny. It didn't make enough of an impact. I forgot to take any pictures of it with that trim on it and realized only after I had already pulled it off. So here I'm holding it in place to attempt to show you.
It stayed like that, with the skinny trim on it, for months. It was just one of those things that I lost momentum on and it got set aside. But I decided that I was going to get it done.done.done. this week!
I bought a wider trim, but.....it wouldn't lay flat due to the slightly sloped angle of the shade. It looked terrible.
There was no way I was scrapping this lamp, I had come too far. And there was no way I was going to try and find a different shade, buy more fabric, and start over.
So what's a girl to do?
I then decided instead of trying to fight the wrinkles, why not embrace them? I began to play around with making a ruffled ribbon of sorts.
It took F.O.R.E.V.E.R. But an episode of Celebrity Apprentice made the time go by much quicker, and two hours later I had a beautiful ruffled ribbon.
This lamp has a pull chain, but it was kinda plain and boring, plus it was corroded and gross looking. So, after a suggestion from a friend, I took the chain from our living room ceiling fan to use. I aged it a bit with some Spanish Copper Rub-n-Buff.
Can you see the difference the aging made? It's subtle, but makes such a difference.
I clipped off the old chain and attached the new one with the little connector piece.
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| Old, gross, and boring Much improved |
So, after months of procrastinating, here it is all finished.
Homemade/DIY ruffles.
Side by side, before & after.
Stay tuned to see what I ultimately decided to do with my Country Farmhouse style lamp (and if I ever bought another chain for the living room ceiling fan). : )
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