Ugly Lamp Gets A Make Over

I have always loved vintage/antique tea tins that have been converted into lamps. Since we are in the process of updating our den/kitchen, I thought it would be a good time to purchase one.  Every time I found one that sent my heart into high gear, the price would be WAY too high.  I  walked away from soooo many ‘perfect’ ones because of price!  

I wanted one like these beauties

      

                Live Auctions                                        1st Dibs  (over $1000.00)

          

Country Living                                                                                       French Accent

Okay, I had no choice – If I wanted a tea tin lamp I would have to make one myself – from scratch!   So, a cheap lamp with the ‘round tea canister’ shape was added to my list of things that I began looking for on my junking excursions.

It took several months, but at last I found one – 

I thought $8.00 was high for such an old ugly lamp,

but the shape was absolutely perfect for my tea canister lamp.

I took all of the wiring out and dismantled the lamp.  After giving it a background of black paint,  I made a stencil of a laurel wreath.  I use gold paint to stencil the wreath and also to add the numbers, using a purchased stencil.  The top and bottom bands are gold leaf.  When everything was dry, I gave it a protective coat of Annie Sloan’s dark wax which also helped to age the bright gold and give it the vintage look that I wanted.

I didn’t want to reuse the metal piece on the top of the original lamp,  so I had to replace some of the rod lengths and also find something simple to take the place of the original decorative piece.  After finally getting it put together and rewired, I set out to find a shade for it.  Luckily, a vendor at Old Bank Antiques (where my booths are) was having a 1/2 price sale on everything and they had a huge assortment.  I paid $9.00 for the shade.

- At last -

here is my faux vintage tea tin lamp

Close up of the design 

- I love gold on black -

This was a fun make-over

It looks great in the den and…

…it only cost $17.00!

Follow me to these fun parties :

                          

Coastal Charm               Savvy Southern Style                            Ivy & Elephants                 From My Front Porch To Yours

      

The Shabby Creek Cottage         No Minimalist Here                           2805                                  Common Ground

Rhonda