Goodwill Challenge #2: Upcycled Lamp

Hey, friends! Guess what time it is? Time for Goodwill Challenge #2! In case you missed it, last month Erin and I started a monthly challenge where we head to the local Goodwill store together and choose things for each other to upcycle. Last month, I transformed a wooden bowl and she gave a painted tray a major makeover. Here’s my project for this month…

As we were browsing the home furnishings section, we came across a black lamp that had just a bit of design to it for $2. And, there was a totally chic $3 grey lampshade with metallic circles on it that looked like a perfect fit! The lamps and shades are shelved separately, so I have no idea if they were originally paired together or not, but I grabbed both and we headed for the checkout.

The shade itself didn’t need any upcycling; it was fabulous as-is. In fact, it’s something I would have paid full price for if I were shopping for a lampshade. So, I turned my attention to the lamp itself. It wasn’t terrible, just not exciting either. I cleaned it up {there was lots of dust in the little crevices}, then pulled out my supplies.

I only used two supplies for this project:
– DecoArt Metallics Shimmering Silver Paint
– Sponge Brush

I gave the lamp a total of three coats of paint, allowing it to dry completely in between each coat. When I was finished, it had a whole new look!

All that was left to do was put the shade on, find a bulb, and my old/new lamp was ready to go! What do you think? I like how the silver of the lamp brings out the silver circles in the shade.

I almost feel like this month’s project was too easy…I told Erin I felt like I was cheating because all I did was give it a few coats of paint and it looks like a whole new lamp.  But I think that’s the point, isn’t it? This IS easy to do. It’s amazing what a few dollars and a little paint can do! On Friday, Erin will be sharing her challenge for this month; see what she did with her piece to make it look entirely different. And what about you? Will you take the challenge too? What can you find at your local thrift store or a yard sale and transform?