A “Cheap, Basic” Lamp’s $20 Transformation Makes it Looks So Expensive
If you’re a DIYer, there’s maybe nothing better than using leftover materials for a second project — creating a bonus stylish thing in your house for zero dollars. DIYer Scarlett Mack (@lady_muckmack) had some leftover wooden dowels from an IKEA hack she completed in her family’s playroom, and she wanted to “put them to good use,” as she explains on Instagram.
She took a “cheap, basic £15 lamp” — that’s about $20 USD — “which worked great and was a good size, but wasn’t what [she] wanted design-wise,” and turned it into a fluted beauty.
The dowels are stained a darker brown.
Lydia sanded her 2-centimeter wood dowel pieces so they were smooth on the tops and bottoms, glued them onto her basic lamp base with No More Nails adhesive, and once the dowels were set in place, she made them a darker brown by hand-brushing on Frenchic’s browning wood wax.
She used string to hold the dowels in place so they wouldn’t slide around as they were drying, and she used cotton swabs to smooth out the glue. She recommends using plenty of glue so everything sticks, and “they also sell miter shears if you didn’t fancy using an electric saw for the cuts,” she adds on Instagram, although she finds miter shears tricky to work with.
An oversized, pleated lampshade completes the job.
Lydia’s favorite part is the green lamp shade, the cherry on top. Lydia’s, again, cost her about $20, but you could DIY this part, too, if you wanted, with your fabric of choice and a little bit of fabric glue.
Lydia’s advice for the project overall? “Do it!” She says. “It’s mega-simple and is a really fun, quick upcycle.” For more fun lamp upcycles, check out this tulip-shaped beauty inspired by designer Peter Bliss and this adorable cottagecore lamp made using napkins.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.