How to repurpose a wooden bowl into a lamp shade
No items are off limits when it comes to upcycling, everything has the potential to have a second life and become something totally different.
All around the home there are items that can be reimagined, like this creative upcycle from blogger Fanny Mercier who has taken an ordinary wooden salad bowl and transformed it into a trendy lamp shade.
Up for an upcycling challenge? Follow the step by step instructions below to create your own bespoke lampshade.
What you will need
- Round wooden bowl
- Pendant light with plug attachment
- Light bulb
- Fine grade sandpaper
- Paint brushes
- Electric drill
- Rust-Oleum Furniture Lacquer – Clear
- Pencil
- Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish Furniture Paint – Gold
- Small flat screwdriver
- Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint – Chalk White
Steps
Measure
Select a wooden bowl, one with a flat base like the above can be used, however one with a curved base will work just as well. Measure the centre of the base and mark this with a pencil.
Prepare
Using an electric drill, drill a hole big enough to fit the cord of your selected pendant light through.
Sand
Gently sand the surface of the entire bowl, keeping to the direction of the wood grain.
Basecoat
Paint both the outside and inside of the bowl with Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish Furniture Paint, one to two coats will be sufficient.
Topcoat
Paint only the outside of the bowl with Rust-Oleum Chalky Finish Furniture Paint in Chalk White, one to two coats will be sufficient.
Distress
Once dry use sandpaper to distress areas of the outside of the bowl to reveal the metallic basecoat beneath.
Protect
To protect the finish apply a coat of Rust-Oleum Furniture Lacquer to both the outside and inside of the bowl.
Install
To install the electrical system remove the sleeve using a small screwdriver, pass the thread through the hole created in the middle of the bowl and attach the cable clamp.
Finish
Reassemble the socket and screw in the bulb.
Hang
Hand in the place of your choice. Below the shade has be hung from a piece of painted drift wood screwed to the wall, adding an extra feature to the finished product.
