From Boring Southwest to Shabby Western
JC found this lamp at a yard sale some time ago and we just love it. Someone revamped it at some point and it must have had a bulb up top and some sort of glass shades (I'm guessing) - but we put a harp on it and then started looking for a lampshade that would cover the bulbs below but not be so huge as to overwhelm the whole lamp.
We had this very ugly and too short lampshade perched on it all winter - and every time I looked at it I cringed. The bulbs showed from the bottom of the shade and the southwest design stenciled on the shade was so not us.
It was time for a change.
I knew I wanted it to be western but not over the top western - if anything I was going to embellish it with crystals and rusty things; maybe some barb wire. To start with I spray painted the whole thing ivory the other day, which as it turned out just provided me with a blank canvas.
At the hardware store I spied this:
Now we were starting to get somewhere. I had already assembled this:
which consisted of three yards of microfiber fringe in a cream color and two yards of a braided trim in brown. My adhesive of choice for many projects is Aleene's tacky glue. I also bought some rusty stars for embellishment purposes (just in case).
Two coats of suede paint over the ivory yielded this - lookin' pretty good. Luckily I liked the color since they only had this and a blue color at the hardware store. Pretty plain, though and still too short.
First layer of fringe. Too skimpy. See that bulb showing there? But look at the beautiful cast iron base this lamp. I just love the combination of rusty iron and the glass on the base of this lamp.
Two layers of fringe is much better-but it looks a little unfinished to me.
Glued the trim on over the outer layer of fringe and:
Ta DA! A vast improvement. I wish I had a photo of the old shade... it would make this look even better. Hang on; let me go look.
Nope.. not a one. It is because I never liked it in the first place. So just imagine. White with quasi-southwest designs stenciled around the bottom. Too short. Bulbs hanging out. Believe me, this is better!
Ok, I'm fired up for projects now.... yesterday I also affixed small embroidered butterflies over holes in my lightweight wool wrap and used stitch witchery to hem the new yoga pants I haven't been able to wear yet because they were obviously made for a woman with legs up to her ears.
What makeovers will today bring?
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