Little old eBay $5.95 lamp redo!
My3dogs ME zone 5A
7 years ago
I'll admit that the 'before' may be a face only a mother could love, but here it is, and I was the only bidder. :-)
it was – with the cover of the teapot 4” above the pot itself. But after
soaking all the joints with WD 40 yesterday when it arrived, and then using
lots of muscle and pliers, I was finally able to get it apart. I worked for a
long time with steel wool and metal polish, but I didn’t want to (and in some
areas couldn’t) take off the patina. I had my box of various lamp parts handy,
and was thrilled that I could cobble together with different length brass rod
and some spacers (the 2 brass rings between the lid and the little handle on
top of it) the right height to make the lid sit firmly on the pot.
I had an old socket in my stash, and rubbed it with steel wool
to get off the crud, and actually liked the resulting dark copper color better
than the original socket that came on the lamp, which I’ve also cleaned up for
re-use. The wiring was very old, and I couldn’t re-use the original socket, so
got some sockets at Home Depot,
and I used the ‘guts’ of the new socket inside the old coppery cover! I
need an Edison base flame-tip bulb, so the shade will sit at the right height,
but for the photo-op, I used a small appliance bulb. The shade was one
that I had on hand, also from eBay years ago.
Note the brass dolphin handle!
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New (old) light fixture re-do
Comments (11)Thanks so much! I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes it. I wanted something with a little more interest and character than the booby light, something mildly blingy, but not too much. DH says it's going to be a dusting nightmare, and that he doesn't want to hear me whine and complain when I have to clean it. I do have concerns about what fixture will replace the one in the living room. We don't have a totally open floor plan, but it is a ranch, so from some areas, the dining room, entry, living room, and eat-in kitchen lighting can all be seen at once. All of those areas have their own identity and style, so none of the fixtures match finishes or sizes or styles. This light is most similar to the dining room chandy, but that's ok. I think in the end, the living room fixture will be very simple and plain. What's up there now is a ceiling fan with a Tiffany style light that gives off completely inadequate light, and seems a bit oppressive. I've debated about the ceiling fan part, but when we entertain for large parties, and there's 20-30 people in that room, a ceiling fan is really nice, and I like to use it when I mop, so the floors dry faster. I've not been able to find a ceiling fan that has an attractive, multi-light fixture for such a large space. The biggest fans seem to still only hold 4 bulbs, and some of them have a 40 watt limit! The quest continues for that light...later. I do love the look of seeded glass, but I'm afraid I'll be replacing one trend with another. I bet it would be really pretty, though. I may just take the whole thing to a glass shop and see what the different glasses look like on the fixture before I pick....See MoreKTers, what are you selling on eBay/Craigslist?
Comments (27)People love to tell horror stories, Lily, but there are plenty of happy stories you probably haven't heard. Ten years ago my son was selling the occasional piece of ham radio equipment on eBay, and I asked him to list some of his father's chemical engineering books for me. He said no, he wanted me to learn to sell on eBay myself because i would love it. I was resistant, but he was right--all it took was one good sale for me to love it. Like most of us, I just had to get over the hump of that first listing. It seems intimidating, but eBay wants sellers and they make it easy. As for the horror stories, I have none to tell. When you set up a Paypal account they'll ask to access your bank account. It's a simple matter to open a new checking account (usually free) just for Paypal, keeping a low balance on the very slim chance it could get into the wrong hands. Mine never has more than $300 in it. As for Craigslist, it, too, is easy--plus it's free. Scammers love it but they are usually easy to spot. The Craigslist site issues warnings, spelling out what to look for. A scammer is unlikely describe what you're selling by name; instead, they'll mention your "item." A famous scam offers to pay by Cashier's check. You will quickly get a feel for the authentic email from a real buyer. You don't put your contact information in the ad, unless you want to. I never do. Buyers contact me via an anonymous email address, and I decide which ones I want to respond to. Except for the time I sold a piece of equipment too heavy to move, I meet all my buyers away from my home, at public places. Again, I have no horror stories to report. If you've bought at 40 years worth of auctions, I'll bet you have some stuff collectors would love. You could have a blast doing this, Lily. When you're ready to get started, you can always consult the KT with any questions! :-)...See MoreeBay lamp transformation
Comments (29)Good morning, ladies! No need to be jealous auntjen, with that home of your and your recent CL finds. Allison, I'd be curious as to what you 'd have done with this lamp. I just LOVE to work with my hands and create stuff. You see it in my sewing, and my joy at finding things that need a bit of work. I prefer to buy stuff on eBay and CL that needs a little something, because it's what I do for fun. When other kids were playing with dolls, I was drawing (Jon Nagy Learn to Draw!) and painting on smooth stones that I found at a local beach. And once I learned to sew, I was off and running. Check out the faux lynx throw that I made from gorgeous fake fur from WalMart. I was surprised to see the quality, which was far nicer than anything Joann's had. I backed with with a solid fleece, and it's perfect to keep cozy and protect the couch from the dogs. Here Jenny is modeling it. Better pic of the true colors. The fur has graining in it like a real pelt would, and the spots are recessed a bit. I've never seen such real looking fake fur. The entire throw is 100% machine washable and dryable....See MoreRedoing a lamp shade?
Comments (12)I forgot to tell you my secret for making self-trim out of the same fabric to cover those vertical side seams. You can also use it at the top and bottom if you like the look of not having a contrasting trim or gimp or whatever: I use masking tape--wide enough to be the trim width plus enough to fold under the raw edge on both sides. Do this on the bias---like at a 45" angle to the straight grain of the fabric. You could cheat if you run out of fabric, but the angle gives the fabric enough stretch to let you mold it nicely which is important especially when using it on the top or bottom. So, tape the masking tape on the bias to the wrong side of some of the fabric scraps. Then cut along the edge of the tape on both sides. Leave the tape on and iron the edges under. If you used the right size tape, you can make the edges meet in the middle. You'll get a nice, even hunk of trim this way. I leave the tape there for extra oomph.....you don't want it too flat or it looks funny. So go easy on the ironing too....don't flatten it more than you have to. Then glue the taped fabric to the shade. Works like a charm. And I've tried everything til I figured this method out. Put the trim on the side seams first before the top and bottom so the top and bottom trim will cover the beginning and end of the side trim. Just notice how the trims are put on as you are removing the old trim so that you can see the order in which they were applied. It will make sense as you are removing the trim....See More
writersblock (9b/10a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMy3dogs ME zone 5A thanked writersblock (9b/10a)My3dogs ME zone 5A
7 years agoMy3dogs ME zone 5A
7 years agoMy3dogs ME zone 5A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoYou know I love OLD things with patina. I was looking at his old ceramic lined tobacco jar that is engraved on the plaque "PRESENTED TO MR. & MRS. SIMPSON, BY HIS FELLOW WORKERS ON HIS RETIREMENT, DEC. 1921". I won that for $7.50 and some of them sell for over $100.00. Many of his items started at low prices, when I saw that lamp, I knew it could be very sweet IF I could get it apart.
I JUST saw this similar one out there for $72.99. I love a bargain - Obviously! :-)
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