seven dollar lamp

I have a small addiction.  OK maybe two.  It's called iamobsessedwithlamps. And reeses peanut butter eggs.
When I moved into my house a year ago, I knew that every single light fixture HAD to go.  Bright brass, and tacky, frosted sconces absolutely wouldn't do.  Since this home is a rental, I'm certainly not interested in spending any more than $20 on any given fixture.  Lamps are a bonus, because they aren't permanent and they can move right out with me (heaven forbid I move again ANYTIME soon!). 

This lamp caught my eye on dollar day at Goodwill, and I knew it would be the perfect thing for the desk nestled in the corner of my teenage daughter's bedroom.

The shade had a few minor flaws, the biggest one being the wire frame showing through the thread bare fabric in several spots.  I knew I had to address that issue, but I still wanted to provide plenty of light for my studious little sweetheart.  I found a sheer gray fabric in my stash and ripped it into 3.5" strips.  I turned one edge under a quarter inch and ran a basting stitch down that edge with my machine. 

The only reason I turned it under is because I didn't want any of the metal showing through, and the material was so sheer, I wanted double fabric coverage.  I ruffled it up (by pulling the bobbin thread of my basting stitch) and used a glue gun to adhere each ruffle along each of the wires of the frame, hiding the exposed metal where the fabric had worn out. 

That worked like a charm, and I was so taken with the ruffles, that I added another one in between each of the four that were already there.  I looked at it for a couple of days, trying to decide if I wanted to add anything else to the shade. 

In the end, I decided less was more, and put my sewing machine away (which was hard).  I found a gray trim at Joann's that looks a lot like a skinny seat belt, which I added to the top and bottom of the shade with my trusty glue gun. 

The trim took the femininity down a notch, which is precisely what I was going for.

So, total cost for this project....$1 for the lamp and shade, $3 for the spray paint on the base, fabric was free from my collection, and $3 for the trim = $7 for a really great, tall lamp (39") that will make a fun statement in this cute and sassy teenager's room.  

This is my oldest child and only girl, Jaci.  I adore her. She got her driver's permit this week....oh boy.  I can't possibly be this old!