Wired and Reincarnated Diva Lamps

Learn how Laura Stuart transfoms a simple lamp into decorative diva lamp.

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Filed under: Lighting, Crafts, Lamps

Laura Stuart began her career as a graphic designer. It was a lucrative profession but she found it didn’t provide her the creative outlet she was expecting. To satisfy her artistic leanings Stuart began making crafts at night. She refurbished an old set of her chairs, as well as her family’s. A friend who ran a gallery in her town took notice and asked Stuart to show some of her work. She accepted his offer and the response was incredible. She quit her design job and now she teaches and creates on a full time basis. Today she’s branched out from chairs to other objects like her "re-vamped" lamps and guitar pick earrings.

Materials and Tools:

plain lamp
white caulk sealer putty
beads, buttons and found objects
acrylic paint
soft paintbrush
gloss varnish
sparkle glitter*
plain lamp shade
fabric dye
spray bottle
hot glue gun and hot glue
1 or 2 beaded sequin trims
table knife
*Mix glitter into the varnish for added sparkle.

Steps:

1. Working in 4" x 4" sections on the base of the lamp, apply white sealer putty to the lamp using a simple table knife. Push found objects and buttons directly into the putty.

2. Move onto the next 4" x 4" section, apply the sealer putty and add more found objects. Repeat this process until the lamp base is covered. Let the lamp set for about an hour.

3. Brush on watered-down acrylic paint around all the embedded objects using a soft brush. Acrylic paint should be very watery.

4. Let the lamp dry for another hour.

5. Mix a little sparkle glitter into the varnish and stir.

6. Apply the glitter varnish to lamp surface. The varnish works as a glue to cement everything together.

7. Mix fabric dye according to manufacturer’s directions. Pour it in a spray bottle. Spray the fabric dye on a plain fabric shade working as evenly as possible at a distance of approximately 12 inches from the shade.