I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO very excited to show off the first lamp I've ever made! (Did I mention SO excited?)
Okay, so it all started when I was catching up on an episode of "Bones" online. At the very end of the episode as it was panning out it focused in on this lamp.......and I think my heart literally. stopped. beating.
I paused it and just sat and stared. I was in love no, LURVE, as they say. I had never seen anything like it, had no clue what they were called, but I knew I HAD to have it and that I could make it. I've always wanted to make my own lamp, but no idea or object had ever inspired me to action. Until this.
My thinking was, I could easily buy two wooden discs, glue them together, drill a hole, blah blah blah. I knew I had seen vintage style bulbs around, and I mistakenly thought it would be super easy to find the glass cylinder part. Not so much. Everything I thought I had seen in the stores were actually tall vases, with closed bottoms. I searched and searched and searched, to no avail. I finally gave up on finding a used/cheap one and decided to search the internet. In searching, I came across
these.
They're called Edison Lamps. They cost $96 plus shipping.
In the meantime, during the hunt for the glass cylinder, I found a vintagey style bulb at the Restore for .25, and picked up a lamp kit at Walmart for $5.
It was only $12.99 and I knew it would work perfectly. I ordered it and then commenced to biting my nails in excited anticipation. Today the Fed Ex man brought it to me. God bless you Fed Ex man! My plans for the afternoon went right out the window, and as soon as the kids went down for their naps, I got started on it immediately. I couldn't wait one single second longer!
I spray painted the socket with ORB, and while that was drying I sanded down a few spots on the base of the candle holder. Then I mixed some brown paint and antiquing glaze and brushed over the whole thing, and then wiped most of it off. It gave the black a nice depth and picked up the sanded spots really well.
Next, I headed out to the garage and got out Hubby's drill. I made a hole for the socket base to fit down into.
Then I wired up the socket. It was a bottle lamp kit and technically it was supposed to be wired out the side of the socket, but that wouldn't have worked with the glass cylinder. I needed it to come out the bottom. So I just ran the wire up the middle of the attachment piece and did it that way. It slid down perfectly into my drilled hole. And Ta Da!!
My very own Edison Lamp!
I couldn't get a very good shot of the sanding/antiquing, but I tried. And do you know how hard it is to photograph a clear glass cylinder?!? Very hard. I must've taken about 50 pictures just to get these few.
So...$12.99 plus shipping came to about $18.00, plus $5 for the lamp kit, and .25 for the bulb. $23.25 versus $96 (plus shipping). Not too shabby in my book.
Are you as in love with it as I am? Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.
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