I really wanted lights installed on my headboard to free up table space on the bed side tables.
I feel like the bed side tables have a big habit of collecting random clutter.
Books, remote controls, chargers, cell phones, tablets, pens, notebooks, my daughter's bracelets and hair ties/bands...the list goes on and on.
So, getting at least one things off of the table is a huge help in reducing clutter - which is my overall goal for my house.
Some people are lucky enough to have recessed lighting, or hard-wiring their lights which are mounted on the wall or headboard.
Well, I'm not that lucky.
I would love to have lighting mounted and wired within the wall, but...
A) I'm on a small budget for this project ($50 overall!)
B) I didn't want to hire an electrician to come in and do it
C) I don't know how to do
D) Neither does the hubs
I knew that there had to be wall-mounted lights that can be plugged into an outlet out there somewhere.
It took some hunting.
I searched the light area at Menards, and after examining every wall-mounted light they had on display, found this would be my only option:
Okay. Let's take a gander at this light for a moment, shall we?
I hate the brass color of the mount. (Notice that they don't show the electrical cord coming out from beneath it (It is brown).
I hate the lampshade.
White and tapered are super boring.
But, wait.
They have swing arms? So the hubs and I could position them where we'd like?
Only $16?
I can work with that.
Two went into the cart with my daughter who was grumpy because she hates when I focus on things at Menards. I mean, I have to make sure it is the right item that I want to buy, right? So I debate things heavily...
I took them out of the packaging and yep. I hated the color of them.
They were a dark brass color with a textured look.
Then I remembered I happened to have a can of spray paint in silver...which looks like metal when sprayed on.
BINGO!
Hammered metal spray paint is available in a couple colors, and silver is just my personal favorite.
So I laid them down on plastic in the garage, gave them a couple good coats of the paint (including the lampshade hardware, without the shade on it).
I knew right away when I purchased them that I had to do something different with the lampshades.
I like drum shades much better.
But nothing was available with the right kind of fitting to fit on these.
I checked Menards, Walmart and Target.
My friend suggested just wrapping burlap around the shade.
I liked that idea. I was going for a rustic look and burlap seemed to fit that idea appropriately,
I rummaged around and found a roll of burlap with a lace overlay on it that I picked up for under $4 at Walmart one day and never gave it a second thought.
I then tore apart the lampshades (sorry I didn't take any pictures because at the time I didn't know what the heck I was really doing or how this would end up).
I kept only the top ring of the shades that slips onto the lamp and then screws into place. I hope that makes sense :)
I then started cutting the roll of burlap. The burlap is about 3 inches wide and I cut the it into strips about 8 inches long.
Then I curled one end of the strip around the top ring of the lampshade that I saved, and sewed it in place using just white thread and a needle.
I repeated this with a second strip but then after I whip-stitched the strips together.
I kept repeating this until the entire shade was covered in burlap. In hindsight, I would have sewn all the strips together first, but I didn't know what I was doing at the time...I was just experimenting and then I ended up liking it enough to keep it and do it to the other shade.
After all were in place, I hemmed up the bottom, put it back on the lamp and I had two, simple, and totally inexpensive lampshades that I like SO much more than the ones that came with the lamps.
I bought iridescent lights to go in, because they give off a nice glow, and a low wattage (bed lights, remember).
When lit up, they give my room a nice soft glow
We then mounted them on the headboard once we had it installed.
I didn't know how far over from the edge we would want them, or how high or low we would...so we just waited and I was so happy with the result!
Since they are not hard-wired into the wall, I slipped the cords into the purposefully left gaps in the headboard and dropped the cords behind the wood down to the plug-in.
When they aren't turned on, the lace really makes them pop, at least I think they do!
SUPPLIES:
- Lampshade mount (with the old lampshade removed)
- Roll of burlap
- Thread
- Needle
That's all it takes. They were very inexpensive to make, and I could have really spent more time on them if I had planned out what I was doing.
Maybe I'll remove them and give them a quick run through the sewing machine, but for now, I am pleasantly pleased with them!
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