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Bargain hunting, thrifting, flea hopping, dumpster diving – however you do it and whatever you call it – there’s something to be said for salvaging used goods and bringing them home. Rather than purchasing a newly manufactured item, scooping up a vintage or pre-loved piece is a sure-fire way to give your home character while keeping your wallet feeling thick. But the key to re-using any kind of item is giving it a new spin. Which is where a little paint and elbow grease come in! Read the rest of this entry »
It’s not easy being green. Or is it? When hunting for new furniture for my apartment – the first place I’ll go is thrift and antique stores to see what I can salvage and update for my abode. Why run to Target or Ikea if there’s tons of gorgeous furniture already out there?!
I came across a set of these vintage chairs while going on a fabric run. A mega steal – the pieces were discounted – costing me only $9 each! After a thorough inspection and sniff test I decided they were a deal not to be passed up. Besides – I had to replace the rickety rocking chair I had in my living room. Or at least, that’s what I convinced myself of! All the chairs would need is a good cleaning, airing, and brightening up. Using some leftover Yolo paint, David and I taped off the wood and gave it a fresh coat.
The result is a fusion of old world craftsmanship with a modern whitewash finish. They’ve become an instant centerpiece in our place and will see many years of heartfelt Scrabbling, reading and pet napping. And people say it’s not easy being green.
Sometimes I get that itch to update things in my place – but I don’t want to be wasteful with my money or resources – so I’m always concocting new ways to make do with what I have.
Most recently I grew tired of the lampshade in our bedroom. It was a sweet embroidered lil’ thing, but the color was fading and the interior was cracking, giving it a not-so-cute shabbiness when turned on. So I rested on the idea of changing it up, allowing my mind to invent some potential ideas. What transpired turned out to be a subtle yet stunning piece that was given new life with a few pages of a vintage dictionary. Here’s how I did it:
1) Using the pages of an old crumbling dictionary (it was the same one I used for the Bibliophile Wreaths for Christmas) I tore out a good handful of pages and cut them into long 1″ slips.
2) Using a glue gun, I affixed each strip to the lampshade, overlapping each slightly. Also, I started on the bottom layer and then worked my way around to the top.
3) The final step is to cut any overly long and crooked strips so they align (not perfectly, but close enough) to all of the others. This will give the effect a more polished look.
And there you go – a quick, inexpensive, easy and eco-friendly way to give a lampshade a new look. You can experiment using other kinds of papers as well, or may even try fray-less fabrics. Once you create one you’ll be tempted to try your hand at more!
Do you have a suggestion on how to update a dull lampshade in your home? Share it in the comments!
