So hear me out before you click away from this post thinking its only for the seriously crafty or DIYers. I promise I thought the same before I gave it a try. It’s really not that bad and you will be so excited you made your own lamp. Totally worth the blood, sweat, and tears! So take a look at the supplies list below. Ready? here goes!
- Lamp kit
- Lamp rod
- Vase
- Drill
- Masonry bit for drill
- Lamp Base (optional)
That wasn’t so bad right? So now for the fun part go look in your closet, shelf, resale shop, or TJ Maxx for a vase. First, get out a drill and put on the masonry drill bit. Most drills you twist to take out drill bit and twist to tighten. I still say to myself outloud righty tighty left loosey! Once the new drill bit is in place, wet the base of the vase with water. It lowers the friction and makes drilling a hole easier without breaking the new vase. Once the hole is drilled it’s time to break out the electrical parts of the lamp.
- Insert the lamp rod with the wire already inserted and put it through the hole you just drilled. Make sure you have enough wire at the top to make a knot about 2 inches.
- Thread the nut, lock nut, and washer in that order onto the lamp rod. Once those are screwed on place the harp bottom on next. The harp has a hole at the bottom where the rod should go through. Slip the harp on with the long pieces facing up.
- Slide on socket with the wire exiting the top. Then pull the wire apart like licorice. The wire should easily pull apart. Stop about 2 inches down. Use wire strippers to remove the plastic coating from the wire about 1/2″ of bare wire should be exposed.
- Make an underwriter’s knot with the wire.
- Identify neutral wire (per manufacturer’s instructions but often times its the ribbed wire and the other one will be smooth. Once identified wrap the neutral wire around the silver screw on the socket.
- Take the other wire (the hot wire) and wrap it around the gold screw on the socket.
- Tighten both screws to make sure wire is securely attached.
- Place socket shell over the socket and tuck cords inside the socket.
- Squeeze the top of the harp to fit on the the harp bottom.
- Place a bulb and your favorite shade. I also get finials for the top of the shape especially if I need to add height to the lamp.
Here are some of my favorite projects and inspirations. The green lamp at the top was made from a vase I found on clearance at TJ Maxx that happened to be the perfect shade of green for my house.
