How to Turn a Boring Lamp into a Vintage Item?

We found this great DIY project on the Hunker website and decided to share it with you. Instead of a lamp, you can use a vase or pitcher — everything depends on your creativity!

What you'll need:

• An old lamp with a shaped base;
• Fabric or plastic sheet;
• Painting tape;

• Dark-colored aerosol chalk paint;
• A piece of white chalk;
• Clear matte varnish.

Prepare all the necessary items

Choose a lamp with a bulky base. For example, the lamp in the photo looks like a pitcher — an ideal option for our redesign.

Wipe the lamp base

Take a damp cloth and wipe the entire surface. Then dry it with a clean cloth.

Use painter's tape

Wrap the parts of the lamp you won't be working with in painter's tape — now they won’t get painted.

Paint the lamp

Lay out several layers of fabric (or place a plastic sheet) on your working surface and start painting. It's easiest to use aerosol paint in a can. You can choose any shade, as long as it's bright enough.

Apply 2–3 coats of paint and let them dry. Then leave the lamp to dry for several hours (ideally, overnight).

Use chalk

Now comes the key trick of our redesign: rub the painted surface with a piece of chalk. Don’t worry about leaving rough marks — this is an intermediate look.

Buff it down

Take a dry cloth and wipe the chalk-coated surface — this is how you achieve the 'aged' effect.

To avoid a too uniform and smooth surface, rub it in some places with the tips of your fingers.

Important note: in the future, you might accidentally touch the lamp with your hand and get it dirty, so it’s better to apply a clear matte varnish on top.

After the surface has dried, install the lampshade and your lamp is ready to use!

Photo source: hunker.com/