Hunting for treasures at my local thrift store is one of my favorite things to do. I love the surprise of finding something special that I can use in my home. I’ve been able to find some great used furniture, dishes & glassware, baskets, picture frames, and light fixtures. With a little hunting you can sometimes score some amazing treasures!
Most of my thrift store makeovers have either needed a little cleaning, or just a simple coat of paint to transform them. I have spray painted chairs, picture frames, baskets, and painted over canvases to give them a new life. Painting a piece can totally transform it from blah to amazingly beautiful!
My Mom recently found a cute $3 lamp at her local thrift store last month, and she thoughtfully gave it to me so that I could work my painting magic 🙂 I immediately was drawn to the shape of it (it looks like a tall candlestick!) and decided to paint it white. Since I already had some extra white chalk paint on hand – it was a simple makeover with a beautiful end result.
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Materials you will need:
- Lamp Base
- Chalk Paint (I have used this one
a couple times, and I love it!)
- Paintbrush
- Sandpaper (I use these sanding sponges
and love them!)
- Lamp Shade
a couple times, and I love it!)
and love them!)
First I wiped the lamp base down with a damp cloth and removed some dust and sticker residue.
Then I used a small craft paintbrush to apply the chalk paint. I made sure not to get too much paint on my brush to avoid drips. Because chalk paint dries so quickly I wanted to make sure to avoid any drips or noticeable brush strokes. I also made sure to keep my brush strokes going in the same direction, horizontally around the lamp. This will also minimize any crazy brush strokes from forming.
After letting it dry for 30 minutes I applied a second coat of paint. This paint has great coverage and only 2 coats left it looking amazing! I let the second coat dry completely before moving on.
Next I grabbed my sandpaper block and started to sand the lamp in different spots. The chalk paint comes off pretty easily with sandpaper. I wanted to expose the wood underneath and give it a vintage farmhouse look.
When I finished with my sanding I dusted it off, added my lampshade and it was ready to go! I love how it looks in our playroom, and it was such an affordable project!
The lamp was $3, I barely even made a dent in my can of chalk paint, I used a craft paintbrush I already had on hand, and I already had a lampshade sitting around waiting for the perfect base to come along. Budget-friendly decor for the win!
Another easy paint project that is one of my favorites, is my tutorial on How To Easily Paint Letters Onto Wood. I used an easy and simple technique to paint beautiful lettering!
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Do you love to shop at thrift stores? What has been your biggest thrift store score?
