Turn a Flea Market Lamp into a Decorator Accent

Purchasing new lamps is one of the best ways to update your home decor. However, styles are often limited, and they can be very expensive. Often the lamp base you like may be paired with a shade that you do not. A
simple, and inexpensive, solution is to purchase a lamp at a flea market and then transform it into a decorator accent.

Materials

1. A flea market lamp
2. White primer paint
3. Large paper for shade template
4. Acrylic craft paint
5. Fabric or wallpaper piece
6. Trims and embellishments

Preparing the Lamp and Shade

The first step in preparing the flea market lamp and shade for its transformation into a decorator accent is a thorough cleaning. Make sure all surfaces are free of dust and debris. After cleaning, make sure that it dries completely.

After cleaning, you will want to remove or protect all of the hardware of the lamp. This includes any switches, metal bases, light bulb sockets, and things like that. You can use painter's masking tape or plastic.

The next step is to use white primer paint to completely paint over the lamp base. If necessary, give two coats to get a smooth surface.

If the shade is fabric covered, you can remove the old fabric. If it is painted or a paper shade, you might want to use primer paint on that as well. Make sure the paint is non-toxic and able to withstand some heat from the light bulb.

Decorating the Lamp Base

After the primer paint is completely dry, you will want to decorate the lamp base. This can be done with a simple paint job in the color of your choice. You might also want to use a faux finish painting style such as marble or sponge painting. Shiny enamel paints will give a more modern appearance. You can also stencil designs or decoupage onto the lamp base.

Decorating the Lamp Shade

The first step in decorating the lampshade is to create a paper template of it. Simple lay the lampshade on the large paper and roll it, tracing the outline of the shade as you go. This template should fit perfectly around the lampshade when it is cut out.
A popular way to cover an old lamp shade is to cut out a piece of fabric, using the shade template, and using spray adhesive or watered down glue to attach it to the shade. Make sure to leave some excess to turn to the
inside. You can do much the same thing with unglued wallpaper or patterned paper pieces. After any of these coverings, you might want to attach decorator trim or lace to the top and bottom edges of the shade.

Turning the flea market find into a magnificent decorator lamp is easier than you might think. Instead of paying over one hundred dollars for a high style lamp in a department store, you can spend twenty dollars on the lamp and some basic materials to decorate it. The end result will be exactly the style you want, and will be even more impressive because you made it yourself.