meet my new, pretty lamp

I love creating something out of nothing—or creating something pretty out of something that's been cast aside by someone else. Don't get me wrong, I love new things, but I get a much bigger charge out of creating my own new things. Take a peek at my latest DIY project.

* original lamp, $7 from GoodWill, ready to paint *

Lately I've been into recreating lamps. Yep, I actually go our local GoodWill to look for lamp bases that I can recreate to fit my style. Yard sales and flea markets are also great resources for lamp bases on the cheap.



The key is to be able to see beyond the lamp's current color and finish and see its potential, based on its shape and size. I love the shape of the lamp above, its curves and levels and the base's great cut out shapes. The gold, however, just wasn't going to cut it. Enter my friend, a can of spray paint.

* newly painted lamp, with shade—look at the great detail on the bottom *

After a few coats of white paint and a new shade, the lamps curves receive new life. The color contrast between the shade and base is just what I was looking for and the squared off shade contrasts with the curves of the base. It's simple and clean.



The recreation possibilities are endless. A different shade would provide an entirely different look. You could also add fringe to the bottom of the shade, paint stripes on the bands of the base, or paint it with a metallic finish or any color your heart desires.



In the end, it's not about saving money (although that's nice!), it's about creating something unique for your home. Do you have a lamp that could use a makeover? Send pictures! What do you love to recreate and add to your home? Click on the "comments" button below and let me know what you are up to.