DIY Lamp Base Hack

Well hello! Thanks for being here. Today I wanted to show you a quick makeover I did to some new bedroom lamps that I chose when I was redoing some things for my fabric.com post.

I should back up and say that I found some awesome looking desk lamps at Ross. I love the height and how they didn’t take up much space and that wooden base was my favorite.

The problem was the light they put off at night. These are the only light source in our room and because they have metal shades, it was like having 2 spotlights on either side of the bed. You know, exactly what you’d want in a DESK LAMP… So, as much as I loved the shape and design, they weren’t good for our room.

I had done a post about lamp knock offs and loved the look of the ones that had marble or wood accented bases. *Click the images below for affiliate links.

http://goto.target.com/c/316282/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fbrass-and-marble-box-accent-lamp-threshold%2F-%2FA-17319993

http://goto.target.com/c/316282/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fhayes-collection-stick-lamp-threshold%2F-%2FA-50478770

I liked the look of a separate material at the base of the lamp. The thing is, I am far too cheap to buy 2 brand new lamps that were exactly what I wanted because they were nowhere close to a price I’d pay… Because I needed 2 and because I’m used to finding lamps while thrifting. So, to get into the price range I wanted, I
hacked a pair of target lamps to get the look I wanted. It was such a
quick and easy project, I thought I’d show you.

http://goto.target.com/c/316282/81938/2092?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fsmall-lamp-base-column-brass-threshold%2F-%2FA-46779435%3Flnk%3Drec%7Cpdpipadh1%7Crelated_prods_vv%7Cpdpipadh1%7C46779435%7C2

This is the Target lamp base I bought in brass. I liked the finish and they were $10 a piece. Then I bought small shades to go with them. I like bigger shades but bigger shades mean you have to place them further out from the wall and for small bedside tables, that doesn’t work. OK so with those purchases, times two, I was at 40 bucks. THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY TO ME PEOPLE. I know some of you are proud of me for spending 4 times out of my comfort zone. ; )

When I got home I picked out some scrap 2×6’s we had left over from our deck or something. Any kind of wood bigger than the base of the lamp will do. I super accurately measured by tracing the edge of the lamp base with a pencil..

Then closed my eyes, held on tight and made the cuts… And promptly got in trouble because the hubs’ office is on the other side of that wall back there. And I believe he was on a phone call. And miter saws are loud. Sorry, handsome.

a quick DIY: Adding warm wood tones to a metal lamp.

I sanded the cuts and made sure they fit. Then used this stain (my favorite warm wood tone) to finish them off before attaching them to the base.

Once the stain was dry, I just used a few dabs of this glue and some clamps to hold the base to the wood while it all dried.

I love the way they turned out! I love the little bit of extra height and the warmth the wood tone adds to the lamp. In fact, I’ve thought about cutting another block and painting a marble finish on another layer of wood to make them even more substantial.

I’m not really used to modifying things that are brand new (and not on clearance) but I am so happy with the way these turned out and was happy to have gotten the look I wanted.