DIY: Refurbished Brass Lamp Project

About four months ago, I moved from Maryland to Stamford for my first job out of college. Moving out is exciting, but so complicated. There are a lot of expenses when you are trying to furnish a place. So much furniture and decorations. So the best thing to do is to find old pieces, and refurbish them to fit the needs of your new place!

Great places to find these old pieces are at fun auctions, garage sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. You will see pieces that are kind of ugly...but you must see past that, and see what the piece can become!

The first piece I want to show are two refurbished lamps my mom and I made.

What we used:
Two old, brass lamps
Sandpaper
Soap & Water
Scissors
Painters Tape
Outdoor/Indoor spray paint
Lots of scrap fabrics

We started by cleaning the lamps with soap and water to get as much dirt and junk off of the old brass lamps. Then, we used sandpaper all over the lamps to smooth out the surface, and to help get rougher dirt off. In this process, you want as smooth as a surface possible so the spray paint lays on smoothly!

Next, we covered all the places on the lamp that we didn't want to get spray painted. For this particular lamp, we covered where the bulb sits. Then, we started to spray. I recommend you lay down a very large sheet. When you spray, the paint goes farther than you think! Spray the lamp in multiple coats over time. Don't try to completely cover the lamp in the first attempt. This will cause drips because the paint is too thick. Take your time!

Next, cut the first layer of the lamp shade off so you can work with the wire frame. Then, cut LOTS of strips of fabrics. Start by tying a knot on a wire, and start wrapping it around the frame. When the fabric comes to an end, tie it to another piece of fabric to continue around the lampshade.

And ta-da! A beautiful, unique new lampshade! This project was intensive, but they are both statement pieces now in my new apartment. They get a lot of attention!

Hope you enjoyed!