How to make an outdoor lamp using a vase
This project probably isn’t worth a blog post. However, every time I think a project isn’t worth a blog post, that post sometimes becomes one of my most popular blog posts.
So here goes nothing.
I’ll show you how I easily turned an old vase into a faux outdoor lamp.
A few years ago, I gave our sunroom a makeover. A much needed makeover. It wasn’t anything drastic but it’s amazing what a good cleaning and some decorating can do. This was the finished project from a few years ago.
But it was missing something to me. It was missing a lamp
I always wanted a table lamp out here. I’m forming a slight addiction to table lamps and a lamp out here just makes it feel more like a room and less like a back porch.
Buuuut..the logical person that I am (ha-I’m not at all logical but we can pretend) was nervous and a tad bit lazy about getting a real lamp out here.
So on a whim, I DIYed one and it turned out pretty dang cute.
(This post contains affiliate links. You can see my full disclosure here)
My recipe for my outdoor lamp consisted of:
~1 large vase
~1 lamp shade
~1 puck light
~1 cone looking thing (more on that later)
How To Make An Outdoor Lamp
Let’s talk about the the base of the lamp first. I was lucky enough to have a large vase from Pottery Barn that I purchase years ago. Here she is in our old house.
A few months ago on a whim I spray painted her black with chalk spray paint
She turned out pretty well but I really never used her as a vase. She was used more as a dust collector.
For our sunroom I really wanted a larger lamp and this large vase was the perfect size and shape. I can’t say I love the handles on the fake lamp but beggars can’t be choosers, right?
If you do not have anything you can use at home, I am sure there is something at the thrift store you can use. Just remember, regardless what it looks like, just get the shape you want. Spray paint is an amazing thing.
Not let’s talk about the cone shaped thing I listed in my recipe above. Again, I lucked out and again I’m glad I am lazy because these cone things almost got donated. I’ve had them for years and they are also dust collectors.
I flipped one over and shoved it into my vase and voila I had a place to rest my lamp shade on.
I will say I tried shoving a few other things in my vase to make it work. I tried large candle sticks, I tried shoving another lamp inside the vase, I tried a large stick from outside, I tried resting a smaller vase on top of my big vase. Nothing worked as well as the cone shaped thing. (I am sure there is a formal name for this thing by the way)
You might just have to walk around your house and I am sure you will find something you can shove into your vase.
Onto the light source for my fake lamp….
Initially I purchased a solar light. Maybe it was the solar light I purchased but it was not strong enough to let off any light through the lamp shade. None-zilch
I do have plans to try a stronger solar light in my lamp but for the time being I am using a rechargeable puck light I have from my DIY wall sconce and I will have to say it works pretty well
It doesn’t light up the whole room but it’s enough light for the ambiance I want and to see who is sitting next to me if we are sitting outside at night.
If I get around to finding a stronger solar light I will keep you posted but remember I am lazy so don’t be expecting an update soon. My puck lights are are magnetic so they stick right to my lamp shade with no problem
Another bonus of using the puck lights.
I did purchase a new lamp shade for my fake lamp and I went cone shaped but any lamp shade will do. And yes, the plastic wrap is still on my shade from when I purchased it and yes I will likely keep the plastic wrap on for the whole summer.
This dang porch gets so dirty and I know this lamp shade will get destroyed.
I will eventually get some outdoor spray and spray the lampshade with hopes that it will protect it. But what is the theme of this post? I am lazy. It’s just easier to keep the plastic wrap on.
I’ll pretend I am my Aunt Josephine. Anybody else have an aunt that had plastic wrap on all of her furniture?
Now, let’s be honest. You know one day I might get rid of my fake lamp and get myself a real one. And one day I would love for it to be THIS LAMP. Goodness I love that lamp but, Jiminy Crickets, I cannot spend that much on a lamp for outside.
And don’t think I haven’t considered DIYing a lamp to look like that one. Just wait for me to get out of my lazy phase
But for now I will enjoy my fake lamp
I guess this is really a story of how a few dust collectors found themselves purposed again and one day became a lamp. This should become a Disney movie
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