Lisa Gets Crafty

Hey there!

I started this blog because of all the other blogs out there that I enjoy so much. Sometimes the blogs I love feature creative home decor ideas or crafty little DIY projects, and I always get so inspired to make my home more beautiful and enjoyable - and usually for so little money! So of course, I am a being a copy-cat and I'm not afraid to admit it. I only hope that one of my little projects just might inspire someone else too - especially if you know me, because then you probably know that I am really not a crafty type person :)

The other day I posted about my living room decorating progress and mentioned my lamp.  Well, here's the  step by step as promised! First I would like to say that I got the idea from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour. One of the other blogs I read often posts recipes from this one, so I check it out occasionally and happened to find this post a while back. For whatever reason, it stuck in my memory as being something I could totally do. Then, right after we moved up here, I was hit with this unusual desire to go garage sale-ing one Saturday morning. Although I wasn't really looking for a lamp, one caught my eye and I decided to give this project a shot.

Here's what I started with:

First, I set up my work area. We have a balcony outside our 2nd floor apartment that has just enough space for small projects. I put down a kitchen sized trash bag and a couple flattened cardboard boxes to try to protect the walls and deck. Unfortunately when I was finished and picked them up I could see a line of blue mist where they had been - so I guess I didn't do a good enough job. My advise to you is this: be over prepared when it comes to protecting your work area! Moving on...

Second, I prepared the lamp. I removed the lamp shade and light bulb and taped over everything that I didn't want to get painted (the cord, the switch, and the place where the bulb goes).

Third, I primed the lamp using white Krylon primer. I really know nothing about choosing paint, so I just went to a craft store and read all the labels really carefully. This one said it works on metal and ceramic, and my lamp has both so I figured this was a good choice.

After the primer dried I applied the blue paint (it said on the can it only had to be a few minutes, which was lucky because I was in a painting mood and didn't want to wait!). I also used Krylon...

I don't have any gloves, but I recommend getting some. As you can see I got paint all over the can, as well as my hands. Blue paint looks weird under fingernails, and it doesn't come out easily!

I did 2 coats of the blue paint. I probably spray too close to the object I'm painting, because I can see a few little drips on my lamp from up close. It's not really noticeable though.

Finally, after my paint had dried thoroughly, I brought it back inside, untaped everything, and replaced the bulb and shade. In my opinion, it turned out awesome!!

Unfortunately, I don't have a great camera, nor do I have very good photography skills, not to mention good light in my living room. So here's a very poorly lit and unimpressive picture of the final product. In person I think it looks great, and once my living room has more awesome blue stuff in it this lamp will look right at home. I am so glad that I have a funky and useful lamp in the exact shade I wanted, and for so little money! Like the newb blogger that I am, I didn't track my expenses closely enough to give an exact dollar amount, but I would confidently say that I spent less than $15 on the whole project. Now where could you find a deal like that at the store?!

So there you have it folks. Lisa's first DIY tutorial blog post! I know, I know, it wasn't unimaginably cute or ingenious and it didn't require any real skill or unusual supplies. I could easily sum up this entire blog post by saying "Hey guys, I'm decorating in this weird color that I can't find anywhere in stores, plus I'm super cheap, so I bought a garage sale lamp and spray painted it! You should try it!".  Then I wouldn't have to put so much effort into writing all these "instructions". But it's a start! Now go be inspired! Be crafty! If I can do it so can you :)