Inspired by the striped light fixtures at Schoolhouse Electric, I wondered if there was a way to dress up my basic sconce with a few fun stripes. I wanted the process to be inexpensive and easy, and I wanted it to create razor sharp paint lines. After a bit of experimentation, I think I got it.
I painted 2 coats of green acrylic paint onto a strip of electrical tape and then stretched it around the fixture. For the black stripes, I cut thinner pieces down the length of the tape. To give the whole fixture a shiny, milk glass finish, I sprayed it with high gloss polyurethane. I have a low wattage bulb in my sconce so it doesn't get very hot, but to test the spruced up fixture, I stuck it in a 200 degree oven for a couple of hours. It held up great!
(Images: Katie Steuernagle)
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wow
I bought Schoolhouse Electric fixtures specifically because I loved the stripes and other companies didn't have them. This is a beautiful alternative.
Awesomesauce.
Wow! Great idea!
Sharp!
I'm so doing it in the bland ikea sconce over my sink
I saw this on your blog, and was blown away. Really impressive DIY!
Wow!!! This came out great. I think I might try it on a vase. Thanks for the idea.
Fantastic!! And something that can be easily un-done.
Nice. How did you keep "crinkles" out of it as it is on a tapered surface?
Electrical tape is very stretchy and rubbery, so it conforms to the shape of whatever you wrap it around.
I like the before because I like the simple white sconce as well as the silver tone 'arm' so I was surprised how much I really like the after. Well done.
Really great job!!!
Also, they do sell colored electrical tape, so if you find a color you want, you don't have to paint the tape.
nice
i think it would really be a home run with a vintage patina on the silver.
I also yearn for Schoolhouse fixtures but am unwilling to pay so much. I wonder how hard it would be to rig up a rotating potter's-wheel-type apparatus so the stripes could be painted on the way I think the professionally done ones are? I'm envisioning a yard-sale turntable with one of those fat spindles that would let you play a stack of 45s ...
What an excellent idea - so much cooler!
so cool!
Good idea!