Oh My God We're Back Again (with a Terrarium Lamp)

This post is me picking up from where I left off in my last post. I'm surprised I'm actually doing this. If you don't recognize the title, that's the first verse in "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys. 

In my last post I was bragging about how great my vintage thrift store lamp makeovers are. I mean, I think they're cool because I designed them myself. You might not agree. 

I came up with idea to make a terrarium lamp a while back. Not sure where I came up with it; I think that I wanted plants in a jar and I just happened to have a glass lamp. I Googled my plan and found only one example of a fake terrarium lamp in a blog post. Great, my idea was slightly original! Wait, what's a terrarium you ask?

These are. There's something very "70s-nature-boho" about these plants growing in jars. The 1970s was a time when crafting and indoor plants were popular and terrariums were both of those things.

Here is my ultra obvious "how to" on my terrarium lamp! See this:

The humble glass jar lamp. Often seen filled with shells, sometimes hexagon shaped. Notice this is an actual old ginger jar lamp, not a Mason jar! Look in your thrift store lamp aisle.

I like to start with one of those. If empty, cool; if not, de-shell. See that round metal base? It unscrews from the bottom for a jar entrance! I gather up some artificial plants and other things. 

These "other things" might be found in a thrift, but you might have to hit up a crafts store.

There's my work station and supplies. Let's break it down and use pictures:

 

Artificial air plants

 Artificial succulents

Moss chunks

Moss!

Driftwood

Aquarium pebbles

I pick out some of those things. Then I put the things in the lamp. You following? Need further directions? 

But seriously...this is not a difficult project. Add a lampshade for an additional challenge. Here are some of my results!

 

T

This one is my favorite because of that cool shape.

I also really like that one with the mid century mod lampshade.

 

I tend to stage them next to owls.

Are they not kind of cute?! 

I have also filled a few glass jar lamps with other things!

Buttons and other sewing supplies!

Tiny vintage toys! I thought that one was so much fun but it collected dust for about two years before it sold! The buyer's review stated that she loved it and also called it "fun," so I'm glad someone appreciated it.

I made this Christmas themed lamp...about three seasons ago. Still for sale! 

Here's the before and after!

 

Thrift store lamp upcycle!

DIY Lamp with Extra Shade

 I know that I post roughly once a decade but if I was a regular blogger I would blog about things that I like. One of those things is lamps. I'm a vintage seller and I'm hitting up them thrift stores on the reg always hunting for things like lamps.

Look at that one! During one of my last thrift trips before it all closed down in March I found this thing of beauty. It was just sitting on a shelf in Goodwill, $8 in mint condish!(How do you feel about abbreviations like that? Too annoying maybe?)

That one I found and sold "as is" with no need to fix or change anything. What about lamps that need help? Or could be made better?

Like this one did. Looks great doesn't it? That's because my dumb ass didn't get a before picture because of course I didn't. When I bought it it was mostly gold with a black plastic piece in the center. I spray painted it in that blue color. 

...But I couldn't just leave it alone. I had a perfectly lovely lighting piece but maybe I could make it even cooler? I took inspiration from another thing I really like:

Speckled paint and/or drip glaze! Those are a few I've found and sold along the way. Many were hand painted in the mid century era by amateurs. Because people chose which colors and techniques they personally liked it's as if a lot of them are one of a kind! 

I decided to try the speckling technique of flicking a paint covered toothbrush at my lamp.

I started with a yellow tone. It looked kind of nice!

But why stop there?! You've got the speckle, why not the drip?

Maybe a bit much? Have I made a huge mistake?

😔 I may have overdone it but what was done was done. I didn't feel like starting over. I added a lampshade, glued pom poms around it then staged it up. Somebody purchased it and their review claims they really like it!

I wanted to do more one of a kind lamp art. I did some Google image searching and Pinterest scrolling. I was much disappointed. Search terms like "thrift store lamp makeover" and "DIY lamp" did not bring me much in terms of creative inspiration. I found lots of things that seemed to be in opposition to being one of a kind. I feel a rant coming on... 

Hey DIYers! Why is everything a fracking "farmhouse?" Are homes on farms full of whitewashed furniture and jars!? 

Chalk paint everything! 

Pop of color? How about NO color!

Make everything white!

It just seems like so many makeovers took the bold choice of making their lamps fade right into the background. Even most of the shades where white. A lot of pins and pictures said stuff like "Make your own Pottery Barn lamp" or "Just like the mass produced junk at Walmart!" It grinds my gears because a lot of old things in thrift stores are unique because they're not made any more; you can't just walk into a store and buy them. Why make them look like something you could just walk into a store and buy. These two gave me a little frown:

 That one's not actually a lamp, but I thought it was. Look what they did to my boy! His '70s glory; gone!

I should take the time to say "no offense" to folks who stumbled into this salty ramble. I can imagine comments saying, "Why don't you let people like what they like?!" as if I'm wrestling a bottle of flat matte ivory colored paint from someone's hands. Obviously, I'm happy that these crafters made something that they like. I'm just so sad that someone took that kitschy '70s owl and turned him into a ghost. 

However...I didn't hate everything!

 

I like that one! Here's credit to the blogger:  Drip lamp made from '80s duck lamp 

 

I also liked these:

A blogger team (lucky) bought these lamps and both women took one home. The each made their own lamp design and they both came out pretty cute! Source: Lamp makeover X2

 

Now that I've sufficiently thrown shade at some perfectly nice (probably) fellow bloggers, what do I have to show for myself? 

 

These:

Those are two examples of lamps I "made" by attaching things to things. On that note, I'll finish up here. I'll do a post about that glass jar lamp another time.