We turned an old, disused wooden standing lamp into a fun addition to our children’s bedroom. Quick project guide
Hard labour 3/10
Skill level 4/10
Time needed afternoon project
Shopping list

• lamp base
• lampshade
• sugar soap
• 120 grit sandpaper
• wood or multisurface primer
• paint (in the colours of your choice)
• contact adhesive
• paintbrush and roller
• scissors or multicutter
• thin foam sheets in the colours of your choice (available at craft shops)
• electrical cord, switch, plug, bulb fitting and lightbulb

Before: 1 Thoroughly wash the base using sugar soap. This will remove any grease or polish that accumulated over time. Once dry, sand the entire lamp base lightly using sandpaper, to roughen up the surface slightly. REMEMBER Mix the sugar soap according to package instructions.

2 Now you are ready to begin applying the primer. Once it is dry, mask out areas or bands and apply paint in the configuration or combination of your choice. We used orange, red and white to create our candy-striped end result. Once the paint is dry, thread the new cord through the lamp and attach the bulb fitting, then the switch and plug. 3 Customise your lampshade by cutting shapes (we cut variously sized circles) from colourful sheets of thin rubber. 4 Apply the shapes to the shade using contact adhesive. Words: Ashley Stemmet, Home magazine
Photographs: Christo Lötter, Home magazine