Thrift Store Lamp Makeover

Do you like the look of aged pottery lamps but not the price? Come see how I used homemade chalk paint to give an ugly thrift store lamp a farmhouse makeover.

Have you ever seen something on line or in a store and really like the look but didn’t want to spend the money? Me too! I’ve seen beautiful lamps at Pottery Barn and West Elm but they are so expensive. When I found this lamp at a local thrift store for $7.50 I fell in love with the shape and size just not the color but I knew how to make it my own. If you ever wondered how to redo a lamp base, I’ve got a super easy DIY project for you! This upcycled ceramic lamp base is done with homemade chalk paint made with baking soda.

I have used plater of Paris to transform DIY clay pots and also on thrift store vase makeovers and I really liked the look. I felt that was a little too chunky for this project so I decided to use baking soda instead which gives a much softer look. I had used this before to transform a few projects which you can see in this Youtube video.

What do you need for a thrift store lamp makeover?

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure.

Thrift store or old lamp
Sandpaper
Paint of your choice
Baking soda
Paint brush
Dish detergent or other cleaner
Paper towels
Paist wax or spray sealer

How do you update a thrift store lamp?

Step 1. Clean & Prep.

To prepare the lamp for paint, clean it with a degreaser to remove any dirt. You can use something as simple as glass cleaner or dish detergent and water. Dry thoroughly.

Then sand in lightly with a 220 grit sandpaper to give the paint something to stick to. Wipe it down to remove any dust and let it dry.

You may want to prime it here with spray primer but I skipped that.

2. How to paint a DIY thrift store lamp.

For the homemade chalk paint with baking soda, mix a ¼ cup of baking soda with a ¼ cup of warm water with a fork until it is mixed thoroughly and is the consistency of thin pancake batter. Then add a ½ cup of a paint of your choice.

I simply applied the paint mixture with a paint brush in a thin layer and let it dry completely. Once it was dry, I added a second coat. To create a bit of texture, you want to have brush strokes. You can create more texture by going opposite directions on the surface of the lamp or in a cris-cross in the shape of an x.

The color was a little lighter than I wanted so I added some brown paint to what I had mixed and made almost a creamy tan color to add mostly to the bottom of the lamp to give it some visual weight. If you want to create an ombre effect, mix the original paint with a bit of darker color and start at the bottom, lighten the paint a bit more and work your way up until you have the effect.

You can find more thrift store makeovers here.

I love the soft tone of the color and with just a hint of texture. It feels so much more rustic and still modern and has a bit of a European farmhouse feel.

3. Add wax to protect the finish

4. Add a cute lamp shade

One of my favorite lamp shade makeover DIY’s is with ribbon. I have done this before with simple black ribbon for a clean look for an update for our family room so I decided to try it for this lamp makeover as well. This time I used a burlap style ribbon for a little texture. Super cute!

Sign up for emails here and never miss a post!

Follow along… Facebook Pinterest Youtube Instagram

#lampmakeover #diylampmakeoverideas #glasslampmakeover #lampmakeoverdiy #creativelampbaseideas #lampmakeoverideas #upcycleceramiclampbase #lamppaintingideas #lampmakeoverspraypaint #thriftstorelampmakeover #cheaplampmakeover #desklampmakeover