Today’s Teach Me Tuesday features my friend Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage. If y’all aren’t reading her blog, you are really missing out. Go there and follow her now. I’ll wait.
Okay, you’re back? Great!
Gina lives in the same little town that my parents live in, so Zack and I had the opportunity to have lunch and go thrifting with her when I was visiting in February. While we were shopping, we spotted a little lamp that I would have wrestled her for if there is anyway I could have gotten it back home with me. Just wait until you see the genius way Gina transformed it!
Gina explains:
It’s no surprise that I’m hacking Pottery Barn. We went in a few days ago, and I found some things I love. One was this lamp. $100? Uhh… no.
I also fell in love with this shade. $59? No, thank you very much. But, you know me, I can always find a cheaper alternative!I already had the shade, it used to be my dining room light, picked up at Goodwill for $2 back last summer. Yesterday, when I went thrifting with {Living With} Lindsay, she spotted the lamp for $7. She is genius!
Using my favorite cheap white spray paint (thanks to Mother Nature for letting the sun finally shine today), I gave the lamp acouple of realllllly good coats. Then I roughed it up with sand paper.Madeline and I mixed up a little raw umber paint with some Ralph Lauren glaze. Mixing in some paint means that not every distressed finish in your house looks exactly the same. It gives it a little more depth and variation.
Wipe it off in circles, so that you don’t have wiping marks left over. Once finished distressing, set aside to let dry.
Next go make some tea. Or coffee. Either will work. I used leftover tea bags from making today’s batch of sweet tea. {We go through a gallon a day!}
Once it’s cooled, “paint” a couple of coats of tea onto the shade. If your shade is already the color you want, skip this step. Blot with paper towels to help absorb the excess. Set aside to dry – or blow dry it with a hair dryer (I’m impatient!). I did this while my spray paint was drying.
Just like with last week’s curtains, translate your favorite phrase (mine is from a love note Mr. SCC wrote me years ago), and print it off, I used this font at 175 point.
Trim your words and tape them to the inside of the shade.
Put the shade on a lamp and painted it, just like the curtains. I used a Paris postmark rubber stamp for the postmarks.
A $159 lamp for less than $10. I’m. In. Love.
Oh, my gosh, Gina! How fabulous is that? I think I need to make one for myself. Thank you so much for sharing with us today!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Love it! Great job, Marcia
I saw this over on her blog the other day and was WOWed by it. It's amazing.
I'm in love too!!!
awesome idea! I will have to put this on the to-do list!
I am always amazed at how knock-offs are often better than the real deal. Love it next to your Eiffel Tower model…
Looks great!
Gina did a fabulous job! I really love the lampshade.
Michelle at Sweet Something Design also did a tutorial on that particular lamp base and showed how to get the dimensional finish … in case anyone wants to kick this project up a notch.
http://sweetsomethingdesign.blogspot.com/2010/02/chippy-paint-finish-lamp.html
Oh my gosh! Too funny – I just did this same knock off lamp this weekend, but with a different technique. Here's how I did it:
http://shannahhayley.blogspot.com/2010/03/inspirationdeterminationcreativity.html
But I equally *heart* her approach and think it may be the perfect way to do a really large lampshade because transfers would be really tough to manage as the shade diameter increases.
Great project, Gina and Lindsay!!!
Love that shade!!!
I just LOVE Gina and her creative ideas!I have been inspired by her and actually began trying my hand at creating my own lampshade just yesterday.I had Gina to make me a custom french script shower curtain that is breath taking!
OMGosh, I am lovin that lamp and shade. Gotta have one!! Goin thriftin soon!!
xo bj
Lovin' it!!
Very cool! I'm off to go check out Gina. I love this!
LOVE IT! how talented are you!!
♥tiff
fashionintheforest.blogspot.com
So cool, who needs PB? I guess we'd better keep them around for ideas, though.
Today must be lamp day, I posted about a lampy makeover, and several Trash to Treasure Tuesday projects are lamp related too!
I am in love too. Man just think of all the prints that can be done on lampshades using your idea! Why didn't I think of that?!
Oh how I love this, what a great feature ! Did she paint the words over the shade and if so with what tool ? This girl needs to know !
This looks great! I love a good PB hack.
So French, so interestin technique. Thanks for sharing.
Charo
What a gorgeous lamp! I'm hoping to try something similar on a lamp base for my family room myself soon — this was great inspiration, thanks for sharing!!
Blessings,
Stacey
Very cute, I love the words on the shade.
This is really great. Well done!
This is such an amazing tutorial. I am LOVING it! I need to go thrifting so that I can collect some great finds to try this one! Thanks so much for sharing–you are so talented!
ashley
http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com
I like her shades better than Pottery Barn's, theirs are too busy. Hers are just right.
I JUST bought this lamp (the floor version) online about 30 min. ago!!! That is sooo weird that I click on your blog and there is your version. Great taste by the way!
What a talent you are. I'd love to try to make the table version but I'm afraid it wouldn't turn out half as nice as yours. Wonderful work!
Love this lamp! Pottery Barn knock-offs are just my thing.
Oooh nice! I love how it turned out! Thanks so much for sharing the process, I'll be linking.
Wow, that looks awesome – thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness, this is incredible!
Soooo cute! I love a good knock off! Thanks for the inspiration.
this is amazing…It's been in my pottery barn cart online for a few days & I thought heck, I think I can make one but had no clue how to! I seriously need some classes from you! Amazing work!Oh& I already have a balustrade base.Bookmarking this now.
sorry had to delete the previous comment, just now realized that Gina made it…would love to go thrifting with u both@:)
Love it! Im so going to use this.
Umm that is amazing! LOVE the sweet corner of your room. Great lamp base AND lamp shade makeover. I love your style!
That is really utterly devine!! I adore pottery barn, but can't afford to shop there. I love the alternative and you would never know. Wonderful and thanks for sharing!!!
Gorgeous lamp. I recently did the same thing to an old wood lamp I had, but I really need to copy the shade. Such a great idea. Gorgoeus. Hugs, Marty
Me encanto, it’s beautiful… Great!!
Thanks you
sounds like it’s a really popular lamp, i did a diy version as well! so cool to see others’ interpretations, and i love the french lamp shade!
http://leafandletterhandmade.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-fun-with-lamps.html
I am in love too! Love the shade, such a crafty idea!!