The Mind-Blowing Thrift Hack Shoppers Are Going Wild for (The Result Is Stunning!)

Vintage vases are a dime a dozen at many local thrift stores — and many diehard thrifters make it their mission to collect Chinoiserie-style designs and ginger jars, thanks to the ever-popular Nancy Meyers aesthetic. 

These vessels are timeless and classy; they add a touch of maturity to a space, and can make everything around them feel a bit more upscale. And every few years or so these thrifted gems become a hot commodity again, thanks to DIY style gurus who create design hacks that make a vintage vase the focal point of any room.

Well, these vases are making their way around the internet once more as people refresh their spaces for spring. The trend? A chic vase-style lamp that you can make in under a minute.

“Best twelve dollars I’ve ever spent buying items at the thrift store!” Bethany Meadows (@apartment.on.connecticut.ave) wrote in a recent Instagram caption. The video she posted shows how she stuck a lamp inside a ginger jar to create a totally bespoke lighting fixture.

All you need to do is thrift a lamp that is a few inches taller than the vase or jar you have in mind, with a base that’s not as wide as the mouth or neck of the vase. Then, just drop the lamp into the vase, and that’s it! Sure, its cord will be hanging out of the back — but that’s nothing some quick styling can’t hide.

“Never would I have thought of this trick! FABULOUS,” one person commented on Bethany’s post. Another person added, “Genius, also, looks perfect there!” Bethany placed her “new” lamp on a bureau with a few candlesticks, a stack of books, and a bouquet of fresh flowers.

You could also grab a battery-powered, cordless lamp, like this one from Amazon, if you want to take the cord out of the equation. This one also has a thin base that should fit into a wide range of different vases.

Newly minted ginger jar lamps sell for hundreds of dollars. Even on sale, this lamp from Pottery Barn (which looks so similar to the one that Bethany made out of thrift finds) would still set you back over $300.

So when you’re on your next thrift trip, keep your eyes peeled for vases and lamps that you can combine to make a totally custom lighting fixture that will make your space feel a bit more upscale. It’ll be totally secret that you only spent a few bucks to get the look for so much less!