Have you ever wanted to know how to make a coffee pot lamp? With these step by step directions and a little patience you can repurpose a thrift store coffee pot in no time!
Repurposed Vintage Coffee Pot Lamp
Do you remember this coffee pot I just had to have? If you’re new around here, I saw this at a local Peddler’s Mall, and I didn’t get it. I kept thinking about it, and went back to get it a week later. See the sticker? $4.99. I have a $5.00 limit on my thrift finds. Having that limit keeps me from “impulse” buying. If it’s more than $5.00 I don’t even have to think about it. NOTE: IF it is a purchase for me personally, I will generally go up to $7.00.
Examine how vintage coffee pot is put together
The first step is to dismantle the vintage coffee pot. At first glance I thought it was going to be pretty simple.
Remove base
Then I ran into this little doo-hicky.
Dismantle electrical parts
No match for gail!
Lamp Kit Parts
I decided to go all out and buy new parts for this makeover. You could easily use old lamp parts. Buying lamps at yard sales or thrift stores is s a great way to collect all the parts you need for this coffee pot lamp.
Thread spacers and washers on lamp kit rod
This is threaded to show you how I got it to stay in place. Imagine the bottom of the coffee pot is actually between the two washers.
I like the lamp kits that have the threads all the way down the rod. The nice thing about a continuous thread lamp kit rod is that you can thread parts anywhere, then cut off the excess.
Insert lamp lit rod into vintage coffee pot
You can see that the washer keeps the rod in place.
Add washers as needed to hold lamp kit rod in place
I placed another washer on, and then a smaller washer that actually came with the lamp kit. (not shown, I added a nut to hold it all in place.)
This threaded washer will hold the rod in place on the inside bottom of the coffee pot.
These large washers were very useful to secure the lamp kit rod.
This allowed the top of the pot to rest on said washer.
Another large washer was added as well as a nut to secure everything in place.
Wire vintage coffee pot lamp
A new wiring kit was used for this, but remember you can easily use reclaimed wiring from current lamps--nothing outdated or worn.
I was unable to get both of these “pins” out. I could tell you I left it on purpose, but I like to keep it real. It’s not shown here, but I drilled out that small hole to make it large enough for the cord to thread through there.
In the spirit of “keeping it real”, I wired this lamp about 7 times. Each time I wired it, the rod was too tall. I took it all apart and trekked out in the 100+ degrees and cut it again. I seriously can’t believe how many times I put the jigsaw away, KNOWING it was right THIS time! You can see that lampshade in the background. It is/was not the best choice, but it’s really all I had. It was a yard sale find earlier this summer.
Isn't it really neat how the cord comes out the original cord area. It’s the little things that make me happy.
Vintage Coffee Pot Lamp
Isn’t she cute? I really have no idea why I have such a love for this repurposed vintage coffee pot! I think it’s just too darn cute! Would you like to know a piece of trivia about me? I have NEVER had a single cup of coffee. Can you believe that? I’m a Coca Cola girl. 
If you like unique lamps be sure to check out my teapot/teacup lamps. I made one for myself and painted it with spray paint in the post Teacup Lamp, How to Drill China.
See more repurposed lighting ideas here
gail
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Check out Lindy’s Blog, and HER coffee pot!
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.
Adam Barnes
If you are going to ruin a perfectly usable coffeemaker you could atleast make it so you can use the original connections
Gail Wilson
Great point Adam, except I had no idea I could do that. 🙂
I have another, maybe I'll google it before I do it.
gail
Megan Grant
I just received this exact coffee pot lamp from a friend. I was trying to see if it was meant to be a lamp but I guess someone found the same coffee pot that you have here and made it into a lamp as well! Super fun
Gail Wilson
Oh my! perhaps it's the one I made? Wouldn't that be fun?
I should have initialed it or something. 🙂
gail
Christine Mulligan
Yay! I have this pot as a lucky find as well. I started taking mine apart this evening so I can convert it to a lamp, too. I found out that it is best to leave at least one of the pins in the plug area. If you remove both, the sleeve would come off as well. I like that part. I think it shows that it is the real thing!
Gail Wilson
Soooo awesome! Good luck and have fun with your coffee pot lamp! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.
It made my day!
gail
SK
Hi Gail,
It's beautiful! Too bad the little glass perculator part couldn't easily be incorporated,that's my
favorite part.
Mae Yael
You did a great job on that old coffee pot!
My dad did a similar one many moons ago, but he left the electricity plug in the contcctpoint of the pot. Left the pins intact and drilled holes between the pins in the plug and the pot.
I now want one myself too, thanks for bringing back memories!
Gail Wilson
I'm so happy you stopped by to check out my coffee pot lamp! How fun to know your dad did one so many years ago.
gail
Teri T-L
This is just beautiful and I can just see it on my dining room side-board! I am now on the hunt for a similar pot!
Thanks for yet another inspiring tutorial! You are amazing!
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
I'm so happy you stopped by to check out my coffee pot lamp! 🙂
gail
Chris
Is that not the cutest idea? I love how it turned out! You are so creative and imaginative.
Jeanie
How in the world did you get the nut around the ceramic "do-hickey" inside the pot off? We have a silver plate coffee pot from my grandmother that we're trying to make into a lamp and are stalled at that point. Tried WD40 and vice grips, broke the ceramic piece out but stuck with the nut. Can't uncover the hole to run the cord.
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
I'm not sure which you're talking about? The one for the rod? or on the side for the cord? In either case, do you think you can drill out the area with a metal bit? I suggest securing the pot in a vice or workbench for safety. Never drill while you're holding the project. Keep me posted, I'd love to see pictures when you get it finished.
gail
Linda Pemberton
I love this lamp. My sister had one she bought at Hobby Lobby and eventually gave it away before I knew it was available for the taking! Will keep this as a future project. Love it!
Kathleen Pigg
Great Idea I have a Corning wear coffee pot almost gave it to Goodwill but now I'll make a new lamp
thanks for the idea.
Ruth Burris
I really like the idea of the tea pot lamp. I'm all for recycle. I would love to receive tips from you any time. Thanks for sharing.
Joyce T.
Hi Gail,
I love the coffee pot lamp. I would love to do one myself, but I have some questions.
1. Where do you get a "lamp kit"? I assume that is the thing with the threaded shaft and nuts of various sizes you showed in picture 6?
2. So you had to come up with the large silver washers from your "stash" ? (cause I didn't see them in the package you showed.)
3. What comes in the wiring kit? The socket at the top (where the light bulb screws in), the cord & plug?
4. How did you get the plug through that little hole? (or does it attach to the cord after you run it through the hole?)
I've never done anything like this before, but I really like what you did. I look forward to your helpful guidance.
gail@myrepurposedlife.net
Hi there Taylor!
1) I got my lamp kit at Home Depot (in the lighting dept)
2) You're so smart! Yes, I used the washers from my stash, but you can pick them up at your local store
3) I actually bought several items shown in the pictures. The socket, the rods (washers/nuts) and the wiring were all sold separately. (That's why I would recommend buying a lamp at a thrift store and gutting it)
4) yep, I put the wires through the hole, up through the rod to the top, then attached the socket
I once followed a lady on a message board who made lamps out of everything, she made it look so easy! 🙂
hope some of this extra info helps.
gail
Laurie Zerdecki
clever a always! I love it!!
Bobbie
Oh that is amazing! What a great job!
Lyfe24
This is great! lol I stumbled upon your website, well actually your FB page. I have TWO of these same coffee pots. I didn't know what to do with them so I just tucked them away in a cabinet. I think I'll give this a try. Thanks for the idea. Glad to finally get to say my useless and time-wasting browsing paid off 🙂
gail@myrepurposedlife.net
Yay! so happy you stumbled upon My Repurposed Life! 🙂 I love to inspire others to think outside the box. have fun with your project!
gail
Sandy
Ohhhh for all you Coke people...shame shame. I'll keep my coffee....Not to burst you bubble but:
Oh PS: Love the lamp.......
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing” sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
For Your Info
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!
Lieke
Wow!! I just love your coffee pot! I'm wondering if I could do the same with a darling ceramic coffee pot I bought on a flea market..
Keep up the good work!
Love,
Lieke from uni-therapy.blogspot.com
Gail Wilson
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment on the coffee pot lamp.
Drilling through glass is possible but not always foolproof. I have made china cup lamps.
http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/2011/04/diy-teacup-lamp-how-to-drill-china.html
http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/2011/04/teapot-lamps.html
good luck, have fun Lieke!
Anonymous
You rock Gail, the go to lamp queen. Love, love love it. i am now offically on a teapot hunt.
Anonymous
nice that is
Crazyhound
Hi. I have wanted to reinterpret your idea with my old pewter pot, and I have just got it finished. Thank you for your great photos and info, it made the whole project go smoothly :)) hawkescatherine@yahoo.co.uk
Dear Lillie
LOVE this!
Lisa
I love this! I have a non-working 50's Sunbeam percolator that might get this treatment. The stainless steel is so pretty!
Curtains In My Tree
I am late but love the coffee pot lamp.
I have wanted one of those for some time. wouldn't it be cute momogrammed with your initals?
the shade is perfect i think
I drink a pot of coffee a day in the winter more !!!!!!!!!!!
I just found an old perculator also but it's china
I could never do that
Janice
Debra @ Common Ground
This turned out fabulous!!! I'll be featuring it at Vintage Inspiration Friday tomorrow, thanks so much for linking up!
xo Debra
SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime
Hi, friend! I'm admiring all your creative posts here. Can you please share them at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop? Hope to see you there at the party 🙂
Happy Nester
I love this idea & it turned out wonderful.
Barb Nichols
I'm soooo excited. I have this very coffee pot and it's been sitting for years with me trying to decide what to do. NOW I know. I can't wait!
Funky Junk Interiors
Awesome! I nearly picked one of these up the other day at the thrift and had thoughts to do the same. But then I realized I had no place for it. Plus... I wasn't sure how to go about it. Well, looks like my instructions were written for me. 🙂 (you have more patience than I do!)
Donna
Butterflies & Seashells
Love it! I have one of those so I may have to try that.
Benita
Butterflies & Seashells
Love it! I have one of those so I may have to try that.
Benita
Deborah March
I just want to rent space in your creative HEAD and have exclusive use of your creative HANDS...just for a year or so...LOVE your lamp!!!
Kassandra @ Coffee and their Kisses
Hello! I'm Kassandra @ Coffee and their Kisses. I featured this here at my blog. I hope you'll stop by and grab a featured button. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Terry @ La Bella Vie
Darling, darling, darling!!!
I have always and I do mean always wanted to do this with a silver vintage coffee pot and tea pot I got from my mom...is that OK to do if the lamps are "valuable" I mean after all they are silver but very worn?
Your little cutie is just so stinkin' adorable I would have bought this thing too!
Midwest Cottage and Finds!
o.k. i LOVE the lamp!! And i think your jamie and I are woven of the dame cloth..I LOVE the hunt...need to do an inventory and decide what goes and what stays...Had a GREAT family vacation--love family time--just like you!
hugs, chris
Love Of Quilts
I like this lamp,she is cute.... darn cute even. Trish
Sandi @ The Primitive Skate
Wow! What a transformation. I really Love your coffee pot lamp!
Suzanne@Meridian Road
That lamp is so cute!! I like the black lampshade, actually. I think it's the perfect size and shape for the lamp.
Are you keeping it? It's adorable!
The Miller's @ Prezidential Life
Woman that is tooo sweet. Really, I would have never thought to do that. It looks great. I love that you didnt paint the pot. It would look so good in my mom's kitchen. She is getting this in her inbox as we speak.
thanks for lighting my day 🙂
the miller's
prezidential life
Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic
OMG! I"m in love with your coffee pot lamp! When you first showed the pot and said you didn't get it I was so disappointed, then happy when you went back and got it. The lines of it are so pretty. I would probably just have set it on a shelf to look at, but seeing the lamp you made I can't believe how perfectly cute it is! Never would have thought that coffee pot could be improved upon, but leave it to you to come up with a better use for it. This is my new all time favorite from you!
BTW I started drinking coffee the year I turned 30, figured I better start acting like a grown up at some point, lol.
Mrs. Miles
Hi Gail,
This is my first visit here, I found your site through the Top40 Sil site.
What a terrific re-purpose, right up my alley - I do a lot of re-using, only not good with fiddling with innards of items and such. I'm going to follow you I think.
I also have begun giving away some templates for silhouette if you'd like, for free! I'm ♥ing my machine, only had it for a month and already can't imagine what life was like before I had it.
Hope you have a great week!
~ Barb
lalalime.blogspot.com
Betsy
I love this! It looks like it was always meant to be this way. Great tutorial!!
Sharon
What a super adorable lamp. I need to make some thing like this for my scrap room.
Sharon
Sue
You rock Gail! This is sooooo awesome, I want one! I will have to find out, if I can get a good deal for the Silhouette in Canada, my birthday is coming up soon ;o)
Sue
Lindy
That's too funny. Now I know what to do with mine after the fire. I'm gonna update my post and link back to you. Hope that's ok.
Lindy
Aurora
That is the ooolest lamp! i do like coffee - but just one cup a day is good for me. After that it's iced tea all the way, especially during these hot summer days.
Terri
No wonder this has shown up on Pinterest already...it is freakin' adorable! I...must...have...one! It would go perfect on my kitchen hutch thingy. So add another thing to my "must find" list.
Seriously, you have out done yourself.
Full Circle Creations
WOW! I'm not a coffee drinker either but I'm loving that lamp! Great job!
Holly
It's Just Me
Ok Ms. Gail, you are the QUEEN of repurposing. I wish you lived next to me. I know I've said that to ya before. You have some MAD skills my friend : )
Lori C
Great job, Gail!! I love doing the 'lamp makeover'! For your future lamp projects: you only need about 1/2" of lamp nipple (threaded rod) at the top to finish, but of course you know that now!! I pick up a lot of lamp parts and pieces at my local Re-Store, a veritable goldmine for stuff! The shade looks great, matches the handle.
Shannon
I REALLY like this. My grandma has a handful of those (an no cord for any of them). Maybe I can sneak one to make her one of these 🙂
She's a tea drinker and collects tea pots, but this is CUUUTE!
junkermidge
Oh my goodness! I love that lamp -- so cute! I love that the cord comes out the cord area, and the black shade, cord, and handle. I'm not a coffee drinker either -- diet Coke/Pepsi for me, all day long!
Midge
Toqua's Crafts
Oh... MY coffee pot!! 😉
What a GREAT use for it! I love the lamp shade with it. The cord is GREAT!
Now I wished I'd saved the coffee pot my mother had in her garage when she passed... dang! (If we only came with ESP for years down the road! 😉
95% of the time I have one cup of coffee in the morning. If later in the day I think I need a boost I will do a glass of iced tea. But... I can also easily not do caffeine at all... depends on the day...
Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal
I happen to like it with the black shade. What other shade would you have used if you could? It turned out so cute. I'm a two cup a day drinker myself. I need it to get me going in the morning.
Two Dollars
I think it came out really cute. I'm curious what the total cost is with the wiring kit, rod kit thingy and shade. I know it's still not a ton, but I'm just curious 🙂 And I think the shade you had worked well with the black handle and black cord.
-Stefanie
2ndChanceCreations.etsy.com
Korrie@RedHenHome
I don't drink coffee either, but I love this lamp! Glad you paired it with a black shade...it's perfect.
Proper Prim
Love the lamp Gail... it is so adorable. The shade looks perfect on it.
I have never had a cup of coffee either... I am a Red Rose Tea girl though. I love the smell of it but can't get it past my lips.
Have a great day and stay cool... it has been gorgeous here all week, the humidity left us for awhile anyway.
Hugs, Deb
Heidi@TheCraftMonkey
Oh my gosh! that lamp is great! I LOVE it! What a fun {and totally adorable} idea!
Jan
Wowzers! I love this lamp. Neat about the cord. What a great idea!!!
My dad loves his coffee. Once he came to visit and not being a coffee drinker I didn't think I had anything in my house to make coffee for him. Then my dad spied a vintage coffee pot I had on display. Voila! It made great coffee. LOL!
M and M plus 3
Well, isn't that too cute!
A Pretty Pastime
My goodness! You've done it again! That is one very cute lamp.
I LOVE coffee! Drink it from morning til night 🙂
Stay Cool!
Karen G @ It's Still Life
Absolutely love that coffee pot. I recently purchased an old pot too, not quite as cute, but close. I love how you transformed it. Awesome job.
I haven't drank coffee either, but love the smell.
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.
Super cute Gail! And you took something you love and made it useful at the same time!
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.
Super cute Gail! And you took something you love and made it useful at the same time!
Anne
What a beaut! Great eye you have!!
Linda
your lamp is sooooooo cute. I recently saw a lamp made from an old thermos.
Susan @ homeroad.net
I love it Gail, really nice make-over and I like the lampshade too!
Susan
Inspire Me Heather
Well, aren't you clever! Looks great too Gail but you've never had a cup of coffee eh?
Gail
I always enjoy seeing what you have "redone". You are very talented and it is good you have made a business out of it.
I, sadly, use the standard tools I have at hand but still am a big fan of repurposing things. I have done that all my life, out of necessity.
I follow, I don't tweet, I don't facebook...maybe the gods of chance will smile on me and I can have a new tool to work with.
Wonderful lamp!
Granny
I love the coffee pot lamp. I can see it sitting on a kitchen counter with a small bulb to use for a nightlight.
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper
LOVE this, gail! it looks awesome!!!! it was the perfect size to be a lamp. 🙂
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper
LOVE this, gail! it looks awesome!!!! it was the perfect size to be a lamp. 🙂
Mimi June
Oh my gosh! I thought I was in love with the cup and saucer lamps, but I think I just found my new love....I am a coffeeaholic and just adore this lamp..
Michele P.
I will confess too...I have never drank coffee... sure it smells good and all, but I am a diet coke gal myself!
Sylvia
Oh, Gail! I love the lamp. I'd buy it in a heart beat if you were close by. It reminds me of my mom. She used a coffee pot like this for years and years. Then switched to a drip maker and said the coffee was never as good. A neighbor found a one at a military commissary and gave it to her. My mom passed away in 2007 and I kept the percolator. I would never turn it into a lamp, but I love the one you made.