Before and After: Thrifty Lamp Re-do

You probably remember how much I love finding things for free, especially finding them on the side of the road for free - something about that just feels so awesome.  I'm pretty sure it was last summer that I picked up this lamp from a heap of stuff in my neighborhood: functional lamp, but definitely not my style.  Talk about unfortunate.

Lamp re-do: BEFORE

Fast-forward many, many months.  We decided to move out of our current house into another house across town, and I told myself I wouldn't take any half-finished projects with me.  It was either toss this into my own roadside pile for the next lucky scavenger, or get cracking.  As you might guess, I decided to just jump right in.  So glad I did!

I'm squeaking this baby in just under the wire!  11 days until our move, and now, the lamp is finished!

Lamp re-do: AFTER

I hot glued sisal rope around the lamp base, coiling it around and around.  It's a little shaggy looking, and very rustic - much better than a yellow porcelain dandelion.  And here's my little "untutorial" on how to do a lampshade: check out this post by Young House Love.  All you need is a lonely and/or desperate looking lampshade, some hot glue, and some fabric.  And ... go!

Total project cost: less than $10!  It did take a lot of hot glue, but this was a seriously thrifty project!

The move, the push to finish projects, and general summerness is accounting for my lack of frequent posts these days.  I'll try to squeeze in a few more project finishes if I can, and at least another recipe or two during our transition!

Cart Redo

I love metal carts.  I found this one last fall for $5 at a thrift store, and it was just the right size for a narrow space in the nursery.  It was black, and somewhat rusty, but perfect for the space.

I covered up the rust with a hand-me-down tea towel with embroidered strawberries on it.

And then not too long ago I got a decorating itch.  I wanted a project that wasn't too big or expensive - so I settled on a $4 can of spray paint for the little cart.  I chose a sage green paint, pulled the cart outside, and went to work.

And that was it!  I let it dry in the garage for 24 hours before bringing it back inside.

I know every DIY-er says this, but paint really is the cheapest way to give something a new life!  I love the green, and I am also happy to know that decorating itches are not always expensive.