Table Lamp Redo

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I love upcycling old items and thrift store finds.

There's just something so satisfying about it.

And helping the planet is a bonus!

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So this plaster table lamp..

I found it at Goodwill for $10. The wiring was in good condition and everything works.

But..

it's a little dated and definitely not my style

So here's what I did --

First I scraped off the 4 rows of raised 'stripes' with a sharp blade (which was easy to do since they are just plaster)

Then I gave it a quick, light sand with rough grit sandpaper. (I didn't worry about the other ridges on it because I would be covering those up.)

Now here’s where the fun begins!

Thin-set mortar (for setting tile) is my go-to for transforming stuff! I love it because sticks really well to all kinds of things, it doesn’t crack and it’s really easy to work with. (Here is a ceramic bunny I made to look like stone with thin-set)

So I mixed up a batch for my table lamp redo.

I used the dry powder because that’s what we had on hand from installing our tile.

I used an old kitchen whisk to get the clumps out of the powder

so it wouldn’t have any lumps once I mixed it up.

Then I mixed it with water to make about 2 cups of thin-set that was about the consistency of frosting.

(After you mix your thin-set, you need to let it sit for about 5 minutes and then mix it again to activate the polymers before you use it. Be sure to read the label directions.)

Then I used a 2-inch chip brush to just brush it onto the lamp base.

I applied a fairly heavy first coat. And I let that dry. I put a fan on it to speed up the process. It dried in about 2 hours.

When it was dry, I knocked down some of the nubs with a piece of sandpaper.

I wasn’t too worried about the finish on the first coat since I would be covering it with a second coat.

Then I mixed up some more thin-set and applied a second coat, making sure I was covering up all the feather carvings.

For this coat, I made sure that the brush strokes were visible so that they would leave a finished texture.

As the thin-set was drying, I smoothed it out with my finger.

(If you wear gloves when working with this product, it will keep your hands from getting dried out.)

Next, I let the lamp dry overnight.

Now, it’s time to paint!

I just used craft paint in black, and two beiges: honeycomb and territorial beige.

I wanted my lamp base to be a warm charcoal color so I mixed the two beiges into some of the black paint

I painted the whole lamp with this first color, leaving very small amounts of the light gray thin-set showing through in some areas

Then I added more honeycomb beige to the first color mix to make a lighter version

and then I dry-brushed it on over the first coat.

I brushed it on and rubbed it in here and there with a paper towel. I covered some of the light gray thin-set with this lighter color too.

And that was it!

And now..

Here is the new and improved table lamp!

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I love the way this turned out!

We went from an ugly, outdated lamp

to this upcycled, updated beauty!

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So if you happen to have an old lamp hanging around your house,

or if you find one at a yard sale or thrift store,

try giving it a makeover…

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you might just be amazed!

PS Thin-set sticks to glass, metal and wood too!

See how to have a timeless, classic home HERE

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(These are affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you purchase through a link. This doesn’t affect the cost to you, but it does help me to continue to create more content for you to enjoy. I appreciate your support!)

Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Ps. 8:9