g’morning! The holiday weekend is almost here! I hope you have some fabulous plans! I do! I get to see Jamie this weekend. We will be celebrating Mother’s Day and Jamie’s birthday. How perfect is that!
Twenty eight years ago, (May 29, 1982) I became a mother. Enough about me, on with today’s post.
Do you remember my $5.00 lamp I bought last week?
I gutted it, and used some cheap primer on it.
Then came the handy dandy always perfect Rustoleum Heirloom White.
Time for some glaze. I usually use stain, but on this metal lamp, stain just didn’t seem to be in order. I decided to use my burnt umber paint, watered down of course.
I bought some gloves at the dollar tree just for such projects, but I forgot to use them. My fingernails are still stained!
I really love the way it turned out!
I will tell you that I need to do something else for the top (to hold a candle). But I was so anxious to show you that I just sat the candle right on the top. I tried to think of what I could use, and really couldn’t come up with anything. I do have some little glass sort of ashtray things I used for my candlesticks and more.
If this were a little taller, I could make another DIY birdbath.
Any suggestions for the top? Oh, and I was going to leave it a lamp, but when I plugged it in, is blew the light bulb, which made me very nervous.
edited to add: it’s about 24 inches tall
Gail Wilson is the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. She is obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believes that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again, including herself!
Gail reinvented herself during a midlife crisis and has found purpose again. She hopes you will find new ideas for old things and pick up a few tools along the way.
25 Comments
I didn’t read through all comments to see if someone else suggested this or not but buy a terra cotta pot base and use appoxy and glue it on to hold the candle! 🙂
Someone may have mentioned it already (too lazy to read the previous comments :>) but I think a cute saucer would make a nice base for the candle to sit.
I really love your candlestick! What a great transformation! I can’t get enough of Heirloom white! How about gluing a pretty small plate to the top to hold your candle? E-6000 is a great adhesive (but it smells awful!).
About number 6 for the frozen pipe… yes, you could use your hair dryer safely. I did it before and it is very easy and if you’re afraid to use it and call someone to defreeze your pipes… he probably use something like this to. and you will have to pay him… and it won’t be cheap!!!
i love the effect you gave it with the paint- it looks awesome! i would have sent the lamp along to good will- you never cease to amaze me! you could use a ceramic drill and get a teacup or bowl for the top and make it a birdbeeder. you could also add a board to the top with your address and put it by your front door. it would also make an excellent hat stand? am i reaching now? happy belated mother’s day to you, and happy birthday to your daughter!
i love the effect you gave it with the paint- it looks awesome! i would have sent the lamp along to good will- you never cease to amaze me! you could use a ceramic drill and get a teacup or bowl for the top and make it a birdbeeder. you could also add a board to the top with your address and put it by your front door. it would also make an excellent hat stand? am i reaching now? happy belated mother’s day to you, and happy birthday to your daughter!
Have a wonderful weekend with your daughter. Hope you have a wonderful belated Mother’s Day and she has a fantastic Birthday… I am sure she will be very spoiled and vice versa.
I love the finish on this. I did a similar finish on some pots, but I mixed the brown umber paint with glaze before applying it. I like yours better. It has more depth. I think I’m going to redo my pots now! They are for topiaries and I’ll be posting them soon!
You’re so clever! I would have given up when the bulb blew and tossed it probably! I like coming here because you’re teaching me not to give up… think outside of the box – I really need lessons in that area. I’m sure whatever you put on top of it will be awemazing 🙂
Without knowing how tall it is exactly, you could add a plate to the top, so you could add more candles, or a fish bowl of course proportioned for the size of the lamp of course, I’m looking forward to seeing what you do.
I didn’t read through all comments to see if someone else suggested this or not but buy a terra cotta pot base and use appoxy and glue it on to hold the candle! 🙂
Love this idea.
what a great idea!!!!
I love how fearless you are! I get so afraid of making a mistake…
I would get a little wooned salad palte and finish it the same way and place it on top. 🙂 Thats cute!
Someone may have mentioned it already (too lazy to read the previous comments :>) but I think a cute saucer would make a nice base for the candle to sit.
Gorgeous, Gail–as always!!!
I never thought of using a lamp for a candle holder, I have got to think out of the box thank You
Carol
How about turning it upside down (the base looks wide enough to hold a candle) and making a bottom base out of a square of wood. Love your blog.
I really love your candlestick! What a great transformation! I can’t get enough of Heirloom white! How about gluing a pretty small plate to the top to hold your candle? E-6000 is a great adhesive (but it smells awful!).
Looks Great! That’s a clever idea of repurposing a lamp!
Hi, Gail,, the lamp looks really good. Looks like its made out of wood.
I really like the the candle stand!
Great technique–
with the paint.
Why not use that little glass bowl?
since it’s in the photo- I’m guessing you tried that already…LOL
you’ll think of something!
About number 6 for the frozen pipe… yes, you could use your hair dryer safely. I did it before and it is very easy and if you’re afraid to use it and call someone to defreeze your pipes… he probably use something like this to. and you will have to pay him… and it won’t be cheap!!!
i love the effect you gave it with the paint- it looks awesome! i would have sent the lamp along to good will- you never cease to amaze me! you could use a ceramic drill and get a teacup or bowl for the top and make it a birdbeeder. you could also add a board to the top with your address and put it by your front door. it would also make an excellent hat stand? am i reaching now?
happy belated mother’s day to you, and happy birthday to your daughter!
i love the effect you gave it with the paint- it looks awesome! i would have sent the lamp along to good will- you never cease to amaze me! you could use a ceramic drill and get a teacup or bowl for the top and make it a birdbeeder. you could also add a board to the top with your address and put it by your front door. it would also make an excellent hat stand? am i reaching now?
happy belated mother’s day to you, and happy birthday to your daughter!
Gail that is gorgeous. I am loving the new look.
Have a wonderful weekend with your daughter. Hope you have a wonderful belated Mother’s Day and she has a fantastic Birthday… I am sure she will be very spoiled and vice versa.
Have a safe trip…
Big Hugs, Deb
I love the finish on this. I did a similar finish on some pots, but I mixed the brown umber paint with glaze before applying it. I like yours better. It has more depth. I think I’m going to redo my pots now! They are for topiaries and I’ll be posting them soon!
You could rewire it, if you really want to use it as a lamp. It’s pretty easy to do.
It’s beautiful! Great job, as always. Happy Birthday to your daughter. I graduated from HS in 1982. :o)
Lovely! It turned out great… I hate when the nail thing happens to me 🙂 ttyl!
Another beautiful remake! You are so talented Gail!
How cool, I just bought the very same stain @ Walmart! Maybe glue a small saucer on top for the candle. You might get wax all over the lamp part.
You’re so clever! I would have given up when the bulb blew and tossed it probably! I like coming here because you’re teaching me not to give up… think outside of the box – I really need lessons in that area. I’m sure whatever you put on top of it will be awemazing 🙂
That turned out great. A glass ashtry would work for the candle.
Without knowing how tall it is exactly, you could add a plate to the top, so you could add more candles, or a fish bowl of course proportioned for the size of the lamp of course, I’m looking forward to seeing what you do.