Easy Glass Lamp Makeover | Thrift Flip

This DIY glass lamp makeover is easy, super affordable and transforms a thrift store find into a beautiful piece of home decor!

I love a good thrift flip and I’m excited with how this glass lamp turned out! Almost every time I visit the thrift store, I see one of these glass lamps and I never pick one up, but last I decided to get this one for $6.99. It was definitely outdated, but I was confident I could make it look beautiful and more our style pretty easily. On a separate trip, I found two lamp shades for $2.99 a piece that I really liked the shape of. When I paired the lamp with the lamp shade, I really liked how they went together.

Although I’d never refinished a lamp, I knew it’d be fairly easy to makeover once I figured out how to disassemble it, which was easier than I thought! The other hurdle was recovering a lamp shade, which was also new territory for me. Although I’m fairly happy with the end result, I definitely learned what NOT to do. Since I learn by doing, this was a great opportunity for me to push out of my comfort zone and attempt something new!

Let me show you the steps I took for this glass lamp makeover. I hope this gives you some inspiration and you can learn from it!

PIN FOR LATER!

VIDEO

GLASS LAMP MAKEOVER

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TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

• Flat head screw driver
• Philips head screw driver
• Pliers
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Pins
• Sewing machine

MATERIALS YOU MAY NEED

• Spray paint (Behr Antique Copper)
• Matte topcoat spray paint
• 400 grit sandpaper
• Glue sticks
• Thread
• 2 yards muslin fabric

HOW TO: GLASS LAMP MAKEOVER

GLASS LAMP BASE

Start by removing the lamp shade harp holder.

Disassemble the light bulb socket and remaining hardware. Make sure to mark the hot wire, versus neutral wire (see notes for more info).

Remove the glass components (if applicable) and set aside.

Completely disassemble the lamp and tape off the wires.

Spray the base and other metal components with your spray paint of choice, sanding in between coats if necessary.

Seal with the spray sealant and allow the lamp to dry completely before re-assembling.

LAMP SHADE

Remove the old lamp fabric.

Cut 1-2″ pieces of muslin fabric and wrap them around the top and bottom of the lamp shade frame.

Lay the lamp shade frame onto your muslin fabric and trace around one section. Be sure to trace on the outside of the frame, then add 1-2″ to the top and bottom.

Count the number of sections your lamp frame has, then double the number. Cut that many panels.

** This is where I went slightly wrong, but I will still show you the process I did. The end was result is okay, but I definitely will be covering my next lamp shade a little differently for a cleaner look.**

Next I took a panel and pinned it to the top and bottom on the inside of the frame. Once the top and bottom were pinned, I used hot glue to secure it to the frame. I repeated the process all the way around.

Once the inside was covered, I took the remaining panels and sewed them together to create a cover for the outside of the lamp.

I placed the lamp cover over the lamp, lining the seams up with the frame and used hot glue to attach the top and bottom.

Using the remaining muslin, I created a trim piece for the bottom to cover the unfinished edge on the inside.

That’s it! You could easily buy a lamp shade that’s what you’re looking for, but I enjoy a challenge and now I know that I can improve in the future!

NOTES

• Save all hardware in a bag to ensure you don’t lose anything for reassembly.
• If your lamp has old wiring, consider changing the wiring out with new wires, like these.
• The hot wire is the smooth side and connects to the brass screw. The neutral wire is ribbed and connects to the silver screw. CAUTION: BE SURE TO CHECK THE DIRECTIONS ON YOUR LAMP REWIRE KIT BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS.
• The “tutorial” for recovering the lamp shade was my very first attempt and I definitely learned a lot. I would not recommend this exact method for recovering a lamp shade, but I wanted to show you what I did anyway!

LOOKING FOR MORE DIY PROJECT IDEAS?

Looking for more DIY project ideas like this? Check these out:

• Easy DIY Barstool Makeover
• How to Strip a Wicker Basket
• How to Paint Wooden Bed Frame
• How to Paint a Laminate Dresser

Did you give this tutorial a try? If you did, I’d love to see how it turned out! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!