So I did this tutorial over summer before I moved into my new apartment in Davis because I needed a new lamp and didn't want to buy a new one at Target for $40.00. So I went right on down to the Salvation Army and picked up this baby for $4.00. Unfortunately it didn't dawn on me to record my steps for an online tutorial so I only have a before and after photo, but a damn good memory for an easy to follow summary.
It's kind of hard to see but the previous owner (a child, I hope) had attached little Snoopy stickers to the base of the lamp, hoping to jazz it up I suppose. So first, I peeled those off in addition to the price tag and cleaned the entire lamp with rubbing alcohol. You'd be surprised at the amount of grime that builds up. Then I used painter's tape to cover the cord and little knob that turns on the light. Next, I bought two cans of spray paint, one of which was a primer and the other was a flat black. Then I took the lamp out to the backyard and primed it. Do no more than 2 layers, as the paint build up will make it look weird. Once the primer dried (which didn't take long in Fresno's 100+ degree August heat), I did several coats of black. I allowed the paint to dry between layers. Once the lamp was completely dry I attached a new light bulb and lamp shade and voila! A modern lamp was born.
The tutorial that I borrowed this from attached really pretty fabric to the lamp shade to match the turquoise she'd painted the lamp. This is one of the easiest tutorials you can do and it's pretty cheap, except for the spray paint which was around $8.00 at JoAnn's. Turns out though that it's about half that price at Lowe's. The lamp shade was purchased for me by my mother; technically free for me, but might set you back about $10-$15, depending on where you get it. Let me know how yours turn out!
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